Why write a book on coworking?

[Todd Sundsted]

Coworking is beginning to attract some attention, most focused on the
pragmatic issues (I got tired of working alone; got tired of talking
to the cat; wanted to work alongside other professionals like in an
office).

The coworking community itself focuses on collaboration, openness,
community, and sustainability. These are important values and people
(in and out of the coworking community) are writing books and articles
about these values, as well.

But that's not why we're writing a book on coworking.

In his first book, The Innovation Acid Test, Drew makes the point that
innovation is a core competency of an organization--it's not just the
job of Product Marketing and Research and Development--and it's
reflected in the manifest culture of an organization. The leading
innovative organizations are innovative through to their core.
Unfortunately, unlike supply chains and manufacturing processes, you
can't six sigma your way to an innovative culture. Business needs new
tools.

Based on what we're seeing happen in coworking spaces and groups, we
think coworking might be one of those tools. Business needs to
understand coworking.

Make sense?

Todd

[felicity at cubes]

Yes, business needs to understand coworking. I have an entire
business
plan that argues this point. If businesses don't adapt, they will
miss
out on valuable resources, opportunities, and employment. Owning
a coworking space, this is abundantly clear. We actually are working
to help corporations see that they need to embrace th coworker if they
want to retain the best part of their community.

Looking forward to reading all that comes of this.

-Felicity
Cubes&Crayons Coworking
www.cubesandcrayons.com
Not just for parents...

[John Erik Metcalf]

Felicity,

Love your model. Were you at SXSW? or did we just talk about you a lot. Todd, do you remember?

--
John Erik Metcalf
tel: 210.724.3619
fax: 563.405.4275
email: jmetc...@gmail.com
web log: http://blog.think27.com
co-company: http://www.conjunctured.com
resume/cv: http://www.linkedin.com/in/johnerikmetcalf

[Andrew Jones]

It is about innovation, t be sure, but I would add that there is a
layer (of experience and life) that we are discovering that is way
beyond corporate innovation and the relationship between coworking and
corporate activity. In some respects, the community dimension of
coworking is an end to itself. I think that the modernist, 1950s
isolation of nuclear familes in suberbs is being squarely rejected,
and we are all finding new connections and new forms of communities
that our parents, frankly, would probably consider communist! What's
different, of course, is that we are capitalists, each trying to make
a way by growing some sort of business. Even though it is a totally
granular thing, in its own way coworking is a Third Way form of
adaptation...

[felicity at cubes]

Hi John,

I wasn't at SXSW...maybe next year. I actually have an almost 3
year old and a 7 month old (dragged the little ones around while
I was signing leases and launching.) Bummed I couldn't go.

Glad to hear we were talked about. Need to get more Bay Area
people reminded that we are here on the peninsula if they don't want
to go all the way up to SF for coworking.

-Felicity
Cubes&Crayons Coworking
Just Cubes for the coworkers without kids

> email: jmetcal...@gmail.com

[Todd Sundsted]

Ha... We're going to have to write two books now.

Seriously... This is the challenge. This is also why I think changes
to the way people work are inevitable. Multiple forces (business
financial, social, cultural, technological) are all driving us away
from the models of large business that have stood for decades.

Todd

[Lisa]

Maybe so. Coworking is a reaction. But it is also taking action.
I'd like the book to focus a few chapters on sociological impact and
how each of us can do our part.

Hmm.. Everything is becoming "green". Is this how we make society
green?

...random lunchtime thoughts...

[felicity at cubes]

Absolutely! Everyone from moms to millenials to onrampers are
working in new ways. I recently posted my thoughts on this on the
coworking blog... http://blog.coworking.info/2008/03/26/coworking-a-generational-thing/

People are demanding a change to our
way of thinking about interacting with each other from business to
dating to networking. The ease of the internet to connect to
everyone makes us even more disconnected in some ways
which goes back to the need for co-working. That face to face
connection cannot be replaced and is a necessary part of our
humanity...just waxing poetic here.

Can't wait to see this book develop. I have done so much
research on the forces of it, and it will be interesting to
see how this lifestyle can impact the way the world interacts.

-Felicity

Cubes&Crayons Coworking
www.cubesandcrayons.com
felicityatcubes - http://felcityatcubes.wordpress.com/2008/03/13/hindsight-is-2020/
svmoms - http://www.svmoms.com/felicity/index.html

[Andrew Jones]

It seems to me that, while the whole coworking scene IS about building
and being part of communities, it is also about solutions. We want to
work in new ways, and we have to go out and build new ways. BigCo is
unlikely to do that for us. So here we all are. Solutions Inc...

On Mar 27, 10:02 pm, felicity at cubes <felicity.chap...@gmail.com>
wrote:

> Absolutely!  Everyone from moms to millenials to onrampers are
> working in new ways.  I recently posted my thoughts on this on the
> coworking blog...  http://blog.coworking.info/2008/03/26/coworking-a-generational-thing/
>
> People are demanding a change to our
> way of thinking about interacting with each other from business to
> dating to networking.  The ease of the internet to connect to
> everyone makes us even more disconnected in some ways
> which goes back to the need for co-working.  That face to face
> connection cannot be replaced and is a necessary part of our
> humanity...just waxing poetic here.
>
> Can't wait to see this book develop.  I have done so much
> research on the forces of it, and it will be interesting to
> see how this lifestyle can impact the way the world interacts.
>
> -Felicity
>
> Cubes&Crayons Coworkingwww.cubesandcrayons.com
> felicityatcubes -http://felcityatcubes.wordpress.com/2008/03/13/hindsight-is-2020/

> svmoms -http://www.svmoms.com/felicity/index.html

> > > > Todd- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

[Julie Gomoll]

Coworking is about reaction *and* proaction. The post you guys did on
re-designing work nailed it.

This morning I heard, from a 53-year old photographer (I'm
paraphrasing):

"when I heard about LaunchPad, I thought 'oh cool, a cafe with some
room to work'. Then I saw your site and your drawings, and now I have
to completely rethink my plans to find new space in the fall. You guys
aren't just building a convenient place to work, you're re-defining
WORK"

I was thrilled.

Coworking is about action and change.