To introduce myself - I am a veteran in the advertising/marketing/media business who believes there is a lot of room for improvement in the "business of creative arts". I have been following this group because co-working has potential.
Any business is about taking risk. The more control you have over the factors effecting success, the lower the risk. In the creative business, risk factors are redoubled. Collaboration can improve ideas, but one risks an idea being usurped. And then there's the looming inevitable fact that success is in the eye of the beholder. Working for a company with a salary and benefits is one way to compensate for taking these risks. Without this security, Freelancers face an enormous amount of risk and that risk increases when they collaborate. Free may be a way to reduce the financial risk of trying a co-working facility, but is that your only concern? Anthony, as someone who is taking a great deal of personal financial risk and good will to raise the funds to invest in a co-working facility, resources, and methods to reduce the risks and burdens of freelancers in the creative business, I hope that individuals will judge our alternative by more than cheap price. What are the other features you consider important? Thanks, Katherine Warman Kern www.comradity.com @comradity 203-918-2617 On Apr 18, 2012, at 5:02 PM, Anthony Marinos <anthonynmari...@gmail.com> wrote: > Hi Everyone, > > As was alluded to earlier by some of you, there was definitely a > miscommunication/misunderstanding at the Freelancers Union meeting > last night, for which I am terribly sorry. Kevin and I spoke briefly > about coworking in general and then had a 15-20 minute open discussion > with the attendees about Loosecubes and how it works. Being in a room > full of freelancers (some of whom had never coworked before), I > thought it was relevant to highlight that approximately 50% of our NYC > spaces are free to book. There was definitely some confusion at first > about why companies and coworking spaces would offer space for free. I > explained that hosts who share for free are trying to increase their > odds of meeting potential new hires, business partners, or longer term > members/officemates by lowering the barrier to entry into their > spaces. I never said that nobody getting paid was a great business > model. That was one of the audience members. The idea of 'bouncing > around' was in regard to giving Loosecubers an opportunity to try out > various spaces and find one that is the best fit for them (as Jacob > mentioned before). > > As we all know, it's not just about connecting people to space, but > connecting people to people. This is why it's so important that > coworkers be given the chance to experiment with different locations > before making a decision to join a particular community. Our entire > team, like all of you, is dedicated to changing the way the world > thinks about work and office space. We want to make it as easy as > possible for people to find and book a desk in a creative and > collaborative environment, ultimately increasing their productivity. > By recently shifting our focus to daily bookings and supporting > various free spaces, we think we're on the right track. > > All that said, those of you that know me and the rest of the > Loosecubes team are aware of how much we value feedback. I didn't > become aware of Susan's displeasure with our discussion until today's > e-mail, and I contacted her directly as soon as I could to address her > concerns. I am more than happy to chat with anyone that has questions > about what was said last night and/or Loosecubes in general. Please > don't hesitate to contact me directly at 347-449-0771 or by e-mailing > me at anth...@loosecubes.com. > > All the best, > > Anthony > > On Apr 18, 3:28 pm, "Veel Hoeden- Where Many Hats Meet!" > <veelhoe...@gmail.com> wrote: >> 3 things. >> >> 1) I'm a huge believer in taking a complaint to the one you are complaining >> about. If Anthony & Kevin truly said the things you stated and meant them >> in the ways you have relayed, I can understand your frustration. But I am >> with Alex and Jacob in thinking some wires may have been crossed here. All >> that said, I have extended a message out to Anthony to clarify his comments >> to this group. After speaking to him at GCUC in Austin and seeing his >> support of coworking in general I think we owe it to him to clear the air >> instead of us further arguing a point that may have never been made (or >> meant). I'll put info out when I get it. >> >> 2) My first draft at this was approaching a full page. Then Alex sent the >> below and reminded me why he and I agree on so much... he just said it more >> succinctly and speedily. Thank you Alex for being the me I aspire to be. :) >> >> 3) I don't follow the free vs. paid coworking debate. As an owner, user, >> and promoter of a coworking space, I focus far less on what someone pays to >> be there and MUCH more on what they give to be there. I have members I have >> "scholarship-ed" due to different circumstances who have given more back to >> the space than one of my longer standing "paid" members. I can't put a price >> tag to what they have created, collaborated on, or driven for the space... >> beyond telling you it what much more than $0. Sure, do I like getting paid >> for people using my space so I can pay my bills and reinvest in it? Yep. >> But do I like members who make my space worth paying for more? You betcha. >> >> Thanks & God Bless, >> >> Joel Bennett >> >> Chief Dreamchaser >> >> Veel Hoeden >> >> 641-780-7858 >> >> veelhoeden.posterous.com >> >> Join Us on <https://www.facebook.com/veelhoeden> Facebook! >> >> <http://ink1003.com/p/tp/3ee1a6d9cb9fb511/url> Follow us on Twitter >> >> From: coworking@googlegroups.com [mailto:coworking@googlegroups.com] On >> Behalf Of Alex Hillman >> Sent: Wednesday, April 18, 2012 12:36 PM >> To: coworking@googlegroups.com >> Subject: Re: [Coworking] Anthony and Kevin at The Freelancers Union >> >> That (grants/subsidies) is exactly how Gangplank operates, and instead puts >> their focus on building community through participation. I'll let someone >> from Gangplank expound on that more, though. >> >> The key there, though is that they focus on that participation for buy in - >> different from what it sounds like was being recommended to "bounce around". >> Gangplank truly operates as a community in many ways, not just a gathering >> of people as many shared offices tend to be. >> >> That said, though I wasn't at the Freelancer's Union event, I have to feel >> like something here is being misinterpreted or somebody mis-spoke. There was >> a really interesting conversation at the Austin conference about the growing >> notion of people participating in more than once space. It wasn't about >> "free", it was about the fact that some days I want a more >> social/rambunctious workspace. Other times I want more quiet. Other times I >> want more "business-y". >> >> Loosecubes was a part of that conversation and I didn't hear anything >> offensive or off-putting. And that's coming from me, who's actively removed >> Indy Hall from every desk directory I've found us added to and even been >> publicly critical of Loosecubes >> <http://dangerouslyawesome.com/2011/09/finding-coworking/> (tough love, but >> surely with love in mind for Campbell and her team). I don't think what >> they're doing is bad, I also think that it's not good enough yet. I do think >> that they have the potential to get there if they choose to. Having known >> Campbell personally for a few years now, I remain hopeful. I do hope she >> chimes in here. >> >> The point is, coworking is about choice >> (http://dangerouslyawesome.com/2012/04/global-changes-making-choices-a... >> orking/) and I don't think there's anything wrong with encouraging people to >> be members of multiple spaces. I was on a panel last night with the >> owners/operators of a coworking fabrication studio and a coworking print >> making studio, all here in Philly. Indy Hall ended up being the functional >> outlier in the fact that between them they shared members. I think that's >> awesome. >> >> That said - let's be careful about conflating the "free" issue here. >> Coworking is a thing anyone can do and people will do it, with or without >> our businesses that provide the facility to do it "well" or "better". >> >> "Value" is relative to the individual. There's also "thin" value, which >> simply fills a hole and then there is "thick" value, which fills the hole >> and builds a mountain on top. >> >> One style of coworking may get someone from a -10 to a 0, while another >> could bring them from a 0 to a +10. It's up to us to figure out who those >> people are and what they need to feel that the value we provide helps them >> get to a +10 and beyond. >> >> -ALex >> >> -- >> >> /ah >> >> indyhall.org >> >> coworking in philadelphia >> >> On Wednesday, April 18, 2012 at 1:44 PM, Tripp Baltz wrote: >> >> Yes. Both are increasingly available, from what I can see ... I am >> especially intrigued by the sponsorship opportunities that are out there, >> and I think they can go a long way toward reducing overall membership costs. >> >> But there is another reason why "paid" memberships make sense. When a >> coworking space charges members, it conveys the idea members are getting >> commensurate value in exchange for their payment. Also, paying up means you >> belong, you are committed, you have skin in the game. You are contributing >> to the success of the space, the community, the movement. >> >> "Free" does not give you that same reality of participation. It is still >> true that you get what you pay for ... "free" coworking hasn't changed that. >> >> On Wed, Apr 18, 2012 at 11:21 AM, Joshua Marpet >> >> <jmar...@datadevastation.com> wrote: >> >> Tripp, Devil's advocate here. >> >> Is it possible you could get gov't grants for a full fledged coworking >> space? Or sponsorship to the tune of "enough"? >> >> On Wed, Apr 18, 2012 at 1:03 PM, Tripp Baltz <tr...@scrib.co> wrote: >> >> Value is the key differentiator between free coworking spaces and coworking >> spaces that charge. Spaces that charge will have more means to provide >> concrete, tangible, community-driven benefits, and thereby drive value for >> their members. When they do that well, "free" coworking spaces will not be >> able to compete. >> >> "Free" coworking is not a good business model. Free coworking space >> operators are not so brilliant they have found a way to overturn the "no >> free lunch" rule. >> >> On Wed, Apr 18, 2012 at 10:43 AM, Joshua Marpet >> >> <jmar...@datadevastation.com> wrote: >> >> Wow. Strong words. I was not there, I am not saying the Loosecubes guys >> are scum for ignoring the communities at the places they crash at, or heroes >> for helping individual coworkers save some money. >> >> I am just, I guess, a little unhappy that the really pleasant group of >> people who have gathered here in this online coworking community are seeing >> the rise of elements that they feel prey on coworking. >> >> I wish it weren't so, but it is. So let's discuss it. >> >> Who thinks that the Loosecubes idea of "bouncing" from space to space is a >> horrible one? >> >> Who thinks it's acceptable? >> >> Why? >> >> Why not? >> >> How can we, as a community, protect our spaces, our members, our >> communities, our revenues (kids gotta eat!) from elements that we, as >> individual coworkers, as space owners, and as community stewards, find >> objectionable or unacceptable? >> >> Whether it's a NY Bah-gain hunter, or a Californian indulging a bit too much >> before coming to the space, there will always be individuals or groups that >> make us grit our teeth. How do we deal? >> >> My $.02. >> >> Joshua Marpet >> >> On Wed, Apr 18, 2012 at 12:31 PM, anothergain <anotherg...@gmail.com> wrote: >> >> I attended the monthly meeting of the New York Freelancers Union >> last night and was disgusted by the speakers for "Loosecubes" Anthony >> and Kevin. Anthony and Kevin were bragging that there are 50 spaces >> in NYC that offer desks for "free" and were encouraging the >> Freelancers Union members to bounce around and "pay no money" as the >> best way to get their cowork on. >> Coworking is about building a community of individuals, sharing >> resources and through that becoming a unit that is stronger than its >> parts. What Loosecubes seemed to be doing is encouraging people to >> use as many desks as possible for free without a sense at all of >> contributing or creating value for themselves or for the spaces. Even >> the Freelancers Union members were uncomfortable with their line: >> "Nobody gets paid? Great business model!" >> I can see a successful business offering up a desk that they're not >> using for free but any person who has found investors and opened a >> coworking studio as a means of community building should be appalled >> at Loosecubes undercutting the value of what these studios are trying >> to put together. >> It is obtuse to assume that an established business with spare desks >> offered for free just for the hell of it and a studio that opened >> simply for coworking sake could possibly be in the same position as >> far as what they can offer for what price. Encouraging people to use >> the New York spaces as if money were no object to any of us is a gross >> misrepresentation. The Loosecube representatives came off as a con man >> and it was disgusting to know they've been entrusted with the >> stewardship of so many coworking spaces. >> Thank God the Freelancers Union also had Frank from Colab speaking. >> Frank spoke as a member who pays a monthly membership fee, is >> obviously a huge, contributing member of the community at Colab and >> spoke of the the value and benefits in the use of that space. >> As Loosecubes an organization that is perched on the coworking >> industry for its existence I would expect a much better understanding >> of coworking model and a much better representation of the coworking >> communities needs by its representatives. Rent in NYC is NOT free. >> Contribute. Collaborate. Share resources and as such become a >> stronger. >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "Coworking" group. >> To ... >> >> read more ยป >> >> image001.png >> 26KViewDownload > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Coworking" group. > To post to this group, send email to coworking@googlegroups.com. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > coworking+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/coworking?hl=en. > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Coworking" group. To post to this group, send email to coworking@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to coworking+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/coworking?hl=en.
