What is the #1 Question People Have About Coworking?
The #1 question is still, “What is coworking?” if my day to day conversation about our book is any indication. Most people on the street have never heard of coworking, so that question isn’t a surprise.
I’m interested in what people who have heard of coworking want to know about, so I asked (via Twitter, of course—my ad hoc polling tool of choice). The answers surprised me. I had expected questions about the mechanics of setting up a coworking space, mixed with questions about where to find more information.
Instead, easily well over half of the questions had to do with social issues—how to handle noise, what about distraction, can I really get my work done in a coworking space?
In retrospect, this is no surprise. Coworking is about work. Coworking’s invention and rapid growth is fueled by the very pragmatic need for a place to work.
Ensuring this is the case should weigh heavily in any coworking plan’s feature list.
- Todd
Thanks to everyone who responded!
3 Comments
Susan Smith on May 19th, 2009
Todd – I did some work with a guy who ran a co-working center in the UK and he always faced questions about other people there, what kind of people they were, if they used the phone often etc. It seemed that the place itself was irrelevant.
Maybe coworking is like a local church? We see a church as the building that people pray from, but in reality, the church is actually the congregation.
Food for thought…
Todd Sundsted on May 23rd, 2009
The community–the people who work in a space–are definitely a big / the big factor in people’s decision to work in and join a coworking space. It’s not that the space itself isn’t important, but it’s a secondary characteristic. This community vs. space emphasis is one of the things that differentiates a coworking space from other alternative workspace, short-term workspace solutions out there.
That said, the space can be important. In 2009 and 2010 I expect to see spaces come online that take another look at space, and at opportunities to use space to support activities other than heads-down work, which is the dominant model today.
Drew Jones is an anthropologist, management consultant, and former business school professor. He works with 
Mike Sullivan on April 15th, 2009
The main comment I get from “outsiders” as I sit busily working in my coworking space in Lexington, KY is “Coworking is for small businesses who can’t afford regular office space”. The old paradigm will stick for a while, it seems.