Found this great interview that Beth did with Felix on Shareable today, I think it does a MUCH better job of explaining what he's thinking than he has here ;)
http://www.shareable.net/blog/felix-sch%C3%BCrholz-makes-the-case-for-free-coworking Hold on to your butts, because the rest of this post might ruffle some feathers. As I mention in the comments, I totally agree with his core point: MANY paid coworking spaces aren't differentiating themselves from business centers and aren't keeping in line with the coworking core values. Social capital is often missing from the exchange between the provider and the member. Any community or collaboration is the result of proximity, but little more. But this isn't about free vs. paid, this is about refocusing on the coworking core values and building *whatever* we do, free or paid, with them in mind. I can think of examples of the core values interpreted well, and poorly (or not at all), in both courts, free and paid. "Coworking" has reached a wider audience than the people who know and understand the core values, so this is an expected side-effect that we all still need a way to navigate. I've also had conversations with many business center providers who acknowledge that a lot of their customers actively DO NOT WANT the kinds of effects that coworking spaces excel at. They value privacy, exclusivity, or other things above the things that we value. That's not wrong, *it's different. *One of the things that's increasingly clear to me is that coworking is much more successful when it's about providing choices<http://dangerouslyawesome.com/2012/04/global-changes-making-choices-and-coworking/> than when it's about *forcing* a new paradigm of any kind. Personally, I'd rather not focus on people who aren't living the core values because it's not a productive way to lead. Instead, I can focus on what we do to uphold them. Indy Hall's business is strong and growing (again<http://dangerouslyawesome.com/2012/04/indy-hall-3-0-the-future-of-indyhall/>), not in spite of the core values, but BECAUSE of the core values. ESPECIALLY in times of growth, we turn to the core values to make sure we're making the right decisions by our members, and creating a unique experience that they love. I've even been pushing past the usual structure of community, openness, sustainability, collaboration, and accessibility<http://dangerouslyawesome.com/2011/10/coworking-core-values-series-translated/> and into a more actionable model, which I've started writing about as we develop it for<http://dangerouslyawesome.com/2012/04/the-virtues-of-indy-hall/>ourselves. Personally, I like Felix's sentiment a lot, lest it becomes confused with "free" vs. "paid". I understand his position, though I personally would love to have him more strongly behind the coworking core values regardless of paid vs. free. Everyone would benefit from this part of his discussion. -Alex indyhall.org On Tuesday, April 3, 2012 9:07:37 AM UTC-4, Alex Hillman wrote: > > A bit of context, from my side: > > I don't have anything against free Coworking. Coworking is an activity > that doesn't require a specific place to do it. You can't own it, or sell > it. All you can do is build a business around providing a great experience > to do it. > > Indy Hall and many of the best Coworking spaces in the world started as > communities of "free Coworking" through jellies. > > However of you're in the business of providing a Coworking experience, > there's a careful line to walk and making sure that there's a difference > between the free experience and the paid experience is the point of the > post I wrote back in 2010 (and still stick by). > > I also think that the existence of free Coworking is important to force > Coworking space businesses to really differentiate their offering and be > special. That's a good thing for everyone. > > -Alex > > -- > /ah > indyhall.org > coworking in philadelphia > > On Tuesday, April 3, 2012 at 9:00 AM, Adrienne Normand wrote: > > http://dangerouslyawesome.com/2010/06/a-case-against-free-trial-coworking/ > > Adrienne > > Sent from my iPad > > On Apr 3, 2012, at 7:17 AM, rachel young <[email protected]> wrote: > > Felix, > > I'd love to read your reply as well. Maybe answer here for the group to > read? > r. > On Apr 3, 2012 5:24 AM, "Felix Schürholz" <[email protected]> > wrote: > > Hi Adrienne, please send me Alex´s email or tell me where I can find > it, so that I can answer him and you fully. Greetings, Felix > > > On 2 Apr., 21:50, Adrienne Normand <[email protected]> wrote: > > I really enjoyed Alex's email yesterday about the case against Free > > Coworking. If coworking is of value to you, why wouldn't you pay for it? > > It obviously has a cost, why would you not reciprocate the owner/providor > > for making coworking available? > > Adrienne > > > > 2012/4/2 Felix Schürholz <[email protected]> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Looking at the recent entries in the “Free Coworking Directory< > https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AsBt-syY2tDCdDhjbl8wemh2...>” > > > it is apparent that from the last 7 entries 6 come from the USA, and of > > > those, 5 from California. It remains to be seen whether this is a > > > coincidence or the start of a stable trend. With now 3 free coworking > > > offers in Los Angeles with Droplabs (Free Basic Use), kleverdog > coworking > > > (every other Friday) and Indie Desk (every 2nd Monday of the month) we > have > > > a first free coworking capital in California. I hope other cities will > > > follow this wonderful example and collaborative endeavour. > > > > > If you want to know more about free coworking please refer to our > resource > > > page <http://www.coworking-news.de/free-coworking-resources/>. > > > > > -- > > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > Groups > > > "Coworking" group. > > > To view this discussion on the web visit > > >https://groups.google.com/d/msg/coworking/-/atTfwaCihaoJ. > > > 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. > > -- > 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. > > -- > 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. > > -- > 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. > > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Coworking" group. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msg/coworking/-/OgfzwgLnuK4J. 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.
