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Want Some Jelly?
Coworking is a way for multiple people or companies to share a space to maximize collaboration and reduce costs. For some it’s a chance to get out of the house and actually be able to work with others. We’ve written about coworking before including a look at potential corporate coworking. I had dinner with Alex Hillman last week and he said that Indy Hall (he’s the founder) is going great.
There’s been talk of a coworking space opening up in NYC at some point. Tony Bacigalupo has been very involved in the discussions and is helping to lead the charge.
Another type of coworking, what I am calling social coworking, is also starting to pick up steam across the country. A group called Jelly, has social coworking in about 20+ cities and has been covered by major newspapers and TV stations. The founders explain Jelly as, "Jelly started in NYC in February of 2006 when roommates Amit and Luke realized that they loved working from home, but they missed the creative brainstorming, sharing, and camaraderie of a traditional office. So they started inviting friends to come work from their home one day a week. They soon found that working in close proximity to new and interesting people every couple weeks resulted in new ideas and interesting conversations."
Another coworking fan Nate Westhimer shared an interview Current completed with Tony. Tony shares where Jelly comes from, how the model works and why it’s so popular. NY-based 10ton produced the video. I have embedded the interview below.
What I would be interested in is learning about the productivity at a social coworking location. Do the individuals get less, more or the same amount of work done if they were in their own location or a coffee shop? Do they walk away from the day with more potential paying gigs?
Thanks for the writeup! Interest in coworking has exploded all over the world, and it’s got a long way to go still.
I’ll give you my perspective on the (very popular) question of whether coworking increases or decreases productivity.
In my experience, it’s a little of both, but it’s ultimately a better way of passing the time working than staying at home. Sometimes I’ll get caught up in a conversation, but often it’s of a productive slant– troubleshooting or brainstorming.
Aside from that, I’m a lot less likely to click that YouTube link my friend IM’s me when I’m sitting next to a hard-working coworker. Being around other people who are doing cool things and working hard on them is great motivation.
Working alone at home has its risks as well, as you’re only bound by your own discipline and attention span. When I’m coworking, part of me knows it’s work time.
So it can definitely be a help when it comes to productivity. It depends on your situation and varies from day to day.
PS– If you’re looking for a desk in a shared coworking environment like this, let me know. We’re putting together a group of interested folks and are working out some of the kinks to make it happen. More details hopefully soon! Email me at tony (at) coobric (dot) com.
I’d easily do this at a coffee shop just for the fact alone that I’d have someone to watch my laptop if I wanted to get up and go to the bathroom :) Seriously though, I would love something like this. I don’t know about letting people into my home right away, but I know I would benefit from occasionally working in a “working” environment.