What would your coworking space be like?

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Permalink Reply by Shawn Drost on September 16, 2008 at 1:54pm

Glad to see this discussion generating so much conversation! I'm starting a business, and my cofounders and I are talking about renting shared office space. Aryn, please do keep us posted, I'm very interested.

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Permalink Reply by Dan Starr on February 18, 2009 at 4:55pm

Coworking in Oahu could be a wonderful thing. Here's a couple ideas from a semi-nomadic technologist.

I think before selecting a location and aesthetic quality for a coworking location, it's important to know where potential co-workers may come from. From what I can see, a significant subset of coworkers stay short term (weeks or months duration) in a city and for that reason may prefer city central or city accessible workspaces. Several co-working situations allow for "renting/subletting" space for these short amounts of time (e.g.: see Boston or Santa Fe). If these coworkers are like me, they are attracted to fresh, new ideas and environments which can come from visiting and working from different locations. Attracting this group of coworkers could provide a stream of innovative ideas, exposure to new tools and techniques, etc...

In contrast, I also imagine a subset of potential Oahu co-workers are established residents, looking for a fairly long-term space for video-cons, visitor meetings, and maybe just a semi-permanent workspace external to their home. In my opinion, if this group is less enthused by a stream of new faces and ideas, they are probably more fitted by the technology/business center paradigm.

There has long been an option to rent short term office spaces in Honolulu, with office amenities and a professional environment, but definitely for a price and lacking the social environment of coworking. A new breed of coworkers, again if like me, will be looking for something cheap for their scrappy startup'ish lifestyle. Maybe an ideal coworking workplace would have both options for the more expensive "corner offices" that some may be willing to pay for, but ideally there should be options for reasonable and temporary desks and workspaces.

Honolulu is a focal point for many conferences and Asia/Pacific commerce, and I believe sees a variety of different business travelers passing through. Catering to them could open up a new and compelling work environment for the city.

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Permalink Reply by Brian Russo on February 20, 2009 at 12:17am

What I've been looking for is a place with free wi-fi that's semi-public (membership so there's some exclusivity and you don't have random people walking in off the street). A place I can just go.. kick back.. code.. read.. brain storm. Having people you can collaborate with and bounce ideas off, etc is always a plus.

I've tried doing this in more open environments like malls/cafes/etc but those don't work well for a number of reasons..

a) security, it's hard to relax when you're constantly worried about someone running off with your laptop. Certainly not eliminated in a private club but definitely minimized and there's some accountability.

b) noise/distractions, I need to be able to be there for hours if I want - not to be worrying about getting kicked out because I haven't bought enough coffee.. or have some screaming baby next to me.. etc

c) exclusivity/community, I prefer something with a fixed crowd so you can maintain social networking/business relationships, etc. Just makes it more relaxed/cosy.

d) comfort, most places are not built for you to sit there for hours and hours since they want you to eat your sandwich/coffee.. and leave.

I realize that doesn't necessarily have the strict business focus you've presented; but I certainly think it can dovetail so you have some sort of a graded scale between people like myself versus those who are a bit more customer-focused in terms of needing conferencing facilities etc. Potentially I could take advantage of those but it's quite rare frankly and I'm not interested in paying extra for it.

If you also cater to the more techie, but less business-y crowd like myself, and price it right - then I think you expand your demographic significantly.

What I have in mind is more along the lines of a nice first class lounge at an airport. Exclusive crowd, good amenities. Some food/beverages but not really the focus of the place. Relaxing/professional environment.. yet also soothing because people are generally stressed while travelling. You can nap/work/read. You can talk to people.. but you're not obligated to.

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Permalink Reply by Laurence A. Lee on February 20, 2009 at 11:23am

Ideally, a coworking space would provide a choice of wired or wireless Internet access, reasonably priced refreshments, and comfortable furniture and air conditioning.

To really make my day, there would be a managed-switch that defaults to "Internet Only" access on all ports. I don't want to have to worry about some punk in the next cube over who's intentionally sniffing network traffic or scanning ports; or is unintentionally spreading the latest worm throughout the Coworking space.

And since it's a managed switch, it should be easy to have several ports grouped a private network so participating machines can gain peer-to-peer access to each other.

I'd be OK with a "Gym Membership" type arrangement for casual/freelancers who'd pop in with a laptop at odd hours or random basis; with a "VIP Arrangement" for anyone who needs a dedicated, reserved station with maybe a locking filing cabinet or an on-site locker (with security camera!)

Just a thought. I love the idea, and I'm looking forward to trying out any new coworking spaces as they come up.

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Permalink Reply by Ken Berkun on February 20, 2009 at 1:50pm

Unless i missed it I've seen no mention of the Manoa Innovation Center (MIC). A virtual membership is $100 / month and gives access to conference rooms and many other services. I very much feel like i get my money's worth.
ken

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Permalink Reply by Truman Leung on February 20, 2009 at 2:00pm

Ken, do you take your laptop to MIC and spend hours there doing work? Is there a community office space available?

I'm curious as to whether your membership includes a "Mailing address and mailbox at Manoa Innovation (MIC)".

How many hours of conference room time do you get?

Also, would they let you borrow an LCD projector?

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Permalink Reply by Ken Berkun on February 20, 2009 at 2:08pm

short answer as my arm is in a sling and i am typing one handed:
yes limited amount of time in conf rooms, don't recall how much.
no shared space but i bet one could be created - nice service to add
yes i have taken my laptop and done work on their wifi
yes a mailbox and address
plus many other services and much networking
of course cheap office space for those who move beyond virtual membership
don't know about projector we broke down and bought our own, they are pretty cheap noe

ken


Truman Leung said:

Ken, do you take your laptop to MIC and spend hours there doing work? Is there a community office space available?
I'm curious as to whether your membership includes a "Mailing address and mailbox at Manoa Innovation (MIC)".
How many hours of conference room time do you get?

Also, would they let you borrow an LCD projector?

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Permalink Reply by Truman Leung on February 20, 2009 at 2:25pm

Thanks, Ken. Maybe virtual members can crowd into the lunchroom! Anyone want to give it a try? It almost always seems empty. Maybe the normal MIC occupants wouldn't like it.

Or a group of virtual members can create a hui and rotate reserving the conference rooms for 4 hour coworking time several days per week. This might be a good idea to see if there is a market for a formal coworking space.

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Permalink Reply by Daniel Leuck on February 21, 2009 at 11:03am

I think thats a great idea. We were members of the Virtual Incubation Program before we became tenants. Its great to have access to the conference rooms when you need to meet with customers, and having a proper business address is always nice. You can even use HTDC facility conference rooms on other islands. We have taken advantage of this several times for customers located on or visiting neighbor islands. Finally, if you want to move in when the building is full you get bumped to the top of the waiting list.

Manoa is a fantastic place to work. There is no traffic, plenty of free parking, beautiful views and a lot of nice lunch spots within walking distance. If you work with students or profs they can take the shuttle bus from MIC to the UH campus.

Or a group of virtual members can create a hui and rotate reserving the conference rooms for 4 hour coworking time several days per week. This might be a good idea to see if there is a market for a formal coworking space.

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Permalink Reply by Konstantin A Lukin on February 21, 2009 at 4:19pm

As an Internet developer, here is what I imagine could be a good fit for me:
- must be quiet and respectful
- wired and wireless internet access
- have meeting rooms with projectors, white boards, etc.. (ability to reserve one)
- public printer, scanner, copier
- comfortable couches, coffee tables, etc..
- advanced lighting arrangements
- a number of different lounges
- food not allowed (food smell is distracting)
- no alcohol
- drinks/coffee ok
- ambient atmosphere, possibly light music
- have coffee, tea, basic nutritious snacks/fruit on premises
- available 24/7
- bicycle rack, safe parking
- well ventilated and air conditioned
- clean
- easy access to bathrooms
- organized in a way that makes it easy to work in groups
- access to changing room, shower
- storage space or a personal locker
- have green plants, an aquarium, open views, pleasant interior, etc..
- outside access to a balcony or a garden with a fountain :)
- central location (easy to get to)

A number of locations like this around the islands could be a great way to start!

Thanx for asking.. :)

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