Co-working-as-a-perk

In Berlin there’s loads of companies operating from big co-working spaces like Mindspace and WeWork. Typically those companies are either big companies trying to establish innovation outposts, or Startups.

The pitch

Working in such a co-working space is marketed as a company benefit, and on the surface there’s plenty niceties indeed:

Companies residing in co-working spaces use the halo-effect from the image of co-working spaces to woo talent.

Why startups are drawn to co-working spaces

For startups there’s additional considerations in favor of co-working spaces, and they have to do with the flexibility:

Why co-working spaces are bad offices

Here comes the catch: co-working spaces are bad offices. They are designed for the shallow good feeling, not to enable serious, no-frills work.

co-working spaces are bad offices. They are designed for the shallow good feeling, not to enable serious, no-frills work.

I’ve worked in three co-working spaces in Berlin now. Not one of them convinced me as office. co-working spaces to me are typical children of our time: Flexible, slick, luxurious, but in the end so flawed by bad usability. Getting the basics right is worth more than the glamour! #theHypeWearsOf.