Recently posted to the Coworking Google Group. Reposted here as a lead in to a series of posts of the emerging ecology of work/workplace.
After a year of living the life of a working nomad, and after many conversations with both coworkers, independents, entrepreneurs, as well as people in corporate HR and Real Estate, it’s clear that a new ecology of work/workspace is developing.
This ecology is currently composed largely of independents, independent entrepreneurs, and a small handful of corporate mobile workers; it is also composed of a growing cadre of coworking spaces, local Jelly groups, and other alternative workspaces. It’s people and places. To be fair, the ecology also includes coffee shops and executive suites, and the people that work there, even though these differ ideologically and serve different ends.
There are several missing pieces.
In areas like New York City, but elsewhere as well, there’s a real estate component that can’t be avoided. Many current spaces started because “we got a good deal” on space somewhere, or because a forward thinking small business owner was willing to let others utilize unused office space. I realize I’m generalizing here, but bear with me. This real estate model isn’t scalable. I’m not even sure it’s desirable because living in borrowed space isn’t sustainable over the long term, and I’m not sure coworking owner/operators are really prepared to be in the landlord business, which is exactly what they are in the minute they start charging money for space and services.
The necessary technology infrastructure is missing, as well. This hasn’t been a problem, because current coworkers are all early adopters, and owners/operators can get buy on their wits and their network of friends in other coworking spaces. However, at some point this movement is going to take off. Office space is the #2 cost in most businesses (after people, which are #1). I can guarantee that every Fortune 1000 company in the United States is looking for ways to reduce cost #2 (and #1) given our immediate economic situation. So, take off may be sooner than we think.
My feeling is that it’s time to compare notes, to look at these missing pieces and others, and to make sure that they are addressed in ways that benefit and serve the workers. Forget about the tags “coworking”, “Jelly”, etc. for a moment, and consider the near future in which work and workplace is increasingly defined as a network of intentional local spaces, and as communities of working peers with something in common beyond the accidental fact they work for the same company.
- Todd (AKA Bandit)
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