Not to answer for Alex but we pay the bills with our Ruby on Rails consulting firm Integrum, and make the Gangplank related decisions to focus on the community. Chris Conrey chrisconrey.com Human->Geek Relations at Integrum @conrey on Twitter
On Thu, Mar 19, 2009 at 12:32 PM, John Proffitt <[email protected]>wrote: > Alex -- When you say you've made plenty of money from your other > activities, would that be your weknowhtml.com work? > > Because that's more or less the angle I'm considering -- yes, setup the > coworking space and strengthen the digital indepdents community around it, > but also work separately on projects I can scare up in IT, web, new media / > social media areas. > > --John > > > > On Thu, Mar 19, 2009 at 11:12 AM, Alex Hillman < > [email protected]> wrote: > >> To riff on Chris's point, I feel like my decision making abilities are >> always in the communities best interest and that fact is never at risk of >> being dissolved into my interest in a bigger paycheck. >> >> I make plenty of money from the things that coworking has enabled me to do >> without making money directly from renting desks. >> >> -Alex >> >> -- >> ----- >> -- >> ----- >> Alex Hillman >> im always developing something >> digital: [email protected] >> helpful: www.unstick.me >> visual: www.dangerouslyawesome.com >> local: www.indyhall.org >> >> >> >> 2009/3/19 Chris Conrey <[email protected]> >> >> John it is my true belief that if you run a co-working space with the >>> primary intent to be a revenue stream you will fail. Not because of the >>> math, but because people won't find it to be authentic. There is a >>> "real"ness that is necessary to have a successful working space. There a >>> many models for how it can work - but I don't know of anyone who is using >>> co-working as their business model successfully. >>> >>> Chris Conrey >>> chrisconrey.com >>> Human->Geek Relations at Integrum >>> @conrey on Twitter >>> >>> >>> On Thu, Mar 19, 2009 at 11:32 AM, John Proffitt <[email protected]>wrote: >>> >>>> Wow! Great answers from Chris and Tony and Geoff. I really appreciate >>>> the insights. >>>> >>>> Just from reviewing the coworking web sites out there and talking to a >>>> couple folks directly involved, it does seem as though it's a blended >>>> mission/service that's most prevalent. >>>> >>>> I've been considering whether I could run a coworking business as a >>>> primary income stream, but all my calculations so far suggest that that's >>>> just not feasible (of course, I could be way off on calculations -- I've >>>> only just started in the last week). Seems like I'd need to be doing >>>> contracting/consulting work of my own on the side, or combine the coworking >>>> stuff with another part-time job. >>>> >>>> Anyway, thanks for the insights! I have another question, but I'll post >>>> it separately. >>>> >>>> --John >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> On Thu, Mar 19, 2009 at 8:22 AM, Chris Conrey >>>> <[email protected]>wrote: >>>> >>>>> >>[1] Does that description sound about right to you? >>>>> Not really, I think its less black and white - with a ton more gray >>>>> areas in between. >>>>> >>>>> >>[2] Is one model more "sustainable" than the other, or is it too >>>>> early >>>>> to tell? Put another way, is the for-profit model more sustainable >>>>> because the profit motive draws in enough cash to keep going (and >>>>> offers the owner incentive to keep it going), or is the not-for-profit >>>>> model more sustainable because the participants are mutually committed >>>>> to a shared success? >>>>> >>>>> I think obviously if you can strike the balance with the for-profit >>>>> model and have the right people there - then it is certainly sustainable, >>>>> but I think your reason for the not-for-profit being sustainable is >>>>> backwards. It is going to be a small core of people that sustain the >>>>> not-for-profit model - the majority of people will be freeloaders (I >>>>> couldn't think of a less pejorative term to use). Not in that they are >>>>> leeching off of the others for their own profit, but that they are going >>>>> to >>>>> be unable to contribute financially yet their community influence or >>>>> skills >>>>> are going to be irreplaceable. >>>>> >>>>> >>[3] Has anyone out there created a coworking space that you would say >>>>> has split the two models down the middle, making SOME money but also >>>>> actively providing support for participating coworkers by playing >>>>> connector / booster? >>>>> >>>>> I would imagine nearly everyone in this group who runs a co-working >>>>> space will say that they are walking that razor edge every day. I know >>>>> that >>>>> we at Gangplank do aim to make some money to support our endeavours here >>>>> but >>>>> it comes a distant second to growing the community in Phoenix and >>>>> enriching >>>>> the environment. >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> Chris Conrey >>>>> chrisconrey.com >>>>> Human->Geek Relations at Integrum >>>>> @conrey on Twitter >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> On Wed, Mar 18, 2009 at 6:24 PM, jmproffitt <[email protected]>wrote: >>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> As we're evaluating whether/how to start a coworking office in the >>>>>> Anchorage area, it strikes me that there's a spectrum of possible >>>>>> approaches. >>>>>> >>>>>> On the one hand, there's the sort of "retail" coworking space where >>>>>> people simply rent desks by the day, week, month, etc. The space is >>>>>> helpful to those participating simply by being there. Camaraderie is a >>>>>> welcome byproduct, but not a primary goal. This business approach is a >>>>>> pure for-profit play that must make money for the owner(s) to remain >>>>>> viable. >>>>>> >>>>>> At the other end of the spectrum is the break-even "community" >>>>>> coworking space where the objective is to support independent digital >>>>>> workers and even foster community amongst them. It might even be an >>>>>> advocacy space that promotes the businesses that participate in the >>>>>> coworking venture. In this case, the coworking space might make money, >>>>>> but that's a byproduct of the venture rather than the primary goal. >>>>>> >>>>>> And then there's a spectrum of variations in between these two models. >>>>>> >>>>>> A few questions... >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> --John >>>>>> jmproffitt [at] gmail [dot] com >>>>>> @jmproffitt >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>> >>> >>> >> >> >> > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Coworking" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/coworking?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
