Interview with coworking inventor

“ Worker and Kolkhoz Woman ” is a new type of pair ancient sculpture, and it is incredibly difficult to create a new type. In any case, this is the best world sculpture of the early 20th century. Not to mention the cultural component. This is a monument to women's emancipation, urbanization and the cultural revolution of the 20th century.

However, this monument was greeted by contemporaries as something that goes without saying, which was not enough for a long time - this perception, of course, levels its sensationalism. But how do revolutionary ideas arise that change the very structure of their space? It seems that Newton said that he could only see further standing on the shoulders of giants.
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Mukhina and Iofan stood clearly on whose shoulders. Their statue is literally assembled from two well-known examples of ancient art: from “ Nicky of Samothrace ” and the statue “ Tyrannouchic ”. As a result, Mukhina managed the impossible - after 2000 years to supplement ancient sculpture with a new type.

But the statues are vivid, easy to see. Ten years ago, another new type was born, a type of work organization called “co-working”, and it seems to me that the story of its appearance deserves no less attention than the “Worker and Kolkhoz Woman”, in any case, there is no person left on the network who has not heard it word.



That is why I decided to track down its creator, Brad Newberg , and interview him. It turned out that he spent three years on his invention, experimenting with collecting enthusiasts in the coffee shops for work, but when nothing came of this, the well-known Arthur Clarke helped him find inspiration! In the 1970s, Brad read some science fiction interviews, where he predicted that in the future, where everyone would work remotely, there must be places (in libraries, of course), where they all can sometimes get together to "have their own community."



So science fiction has become a reality thanks to the persistence and dedication of one start-up. It's time to give him a call.

You launched the very first coworking in 2005, and now, 9 years later, there are already 2500 of them in 80 countries around the world. There are about 100 in Russia alone. Do you feel that this is all your doing?

Coworking has always been a self-organizing thing. As soon as I launched my own, I told everyone from the start to steal my idea and develop it to your taste. So now coworkers in Russia are the brainchild of those who create them. By the way, 100 coworking is an impressive figure!

Post-industrial economy, hyperinformation society, anarchist revolution - how do you see our future and what do you expect from it?

Predicting the future is always hard, predictions are only probabilities that may not even happen at all.

We here in the States are convinced that in a maximum of 30–40 years, anthropoid robots and artificial intelligence will take on monotonous activities: long-distance transportation, work in factories, and so on. In general, our society is rich, but there are huge layers of it, constantly out of work. Modern financial schemes are created as follows: you receive your salary once a month, and it covers your needs. It shares work and survival.

20-30 years later, some work in the service sector will still exist: employees of the restaurant business, housekeepers and so on - they will not go anywhere. In many countries, these posts are very well protected by law, they are trying to transform from the lower class to the middle. The use of robotics in these areas is too difficult and expensive, it is much easier to give these people decent guarantees and provide them with the opportunity to live at the level of the middle class.



Global financial transactions will have a small tax in the style of Robin Hood. This money will drip into the global fund needed to help traders in the event of a market crash. The foundation will “take away” this function from governments, and this is what is important. The second, why it is necessary - to compensate for market injustice. This money could be invested in the development of those countries that are now left behind by serious powers.

The Internet will launch a fast and anarchic group formation process. Fast wireless networks will allow you to communicate with people anywhere in the world without interference and in high quality. Online will be available in-depth and interactive tutorials that allow people to learn in all areas and directions. This is a hyperinformation society, where it is important not to search for the necessary information, but, rather, to block excess noise.

The reality surrounding us is filled with distractions, so that society will begin to create technologies that allow it to exist without them. For example, something like meditation will become an essential skill. Some public spaces, such as restaurants, will be able to send visitors to sleep mode - to relax in the company of friends and at this time to use the phone is simply impolite.

Here are a couple of my ideas. In fact, I can develop a theme endlessly.

Is coworking the lot of startups, or will large corporations soon join this movement?

I believe that this is still for non-commercial spaces and small companies. That is, a corporation can sit in coworking, but I would not want them to dominate. I am for the separation of spaces.

What are the working benefits of coworking? For example, I hardly concentrate in the circle of strangers. It’s easier for me to work at night and alone at home. What should happen to co-working become as comfortable as my sofa?

Coworking should be comfortable and enjoyable to work. He should help you focus and do the job well. He should take you away from everything that distracts you at home, drive you back to interesting people. Good coffee, delicious food in the breaks, all this is necessary. Coworking should be a combination of quiet places for privacy and convenient places for socialization and work.

How did your first coworking appear? Was it an abstract idea or a consequence of necessity?

I worked as a live coach and wondered what I should do next. I decided that I want to open my own business. While I was wondering what it should be, I had the idea to create a community with which I could consult. So the word "coworking" and the very first place appeared. It turns out that this was a consequence of necessity - something that I would like and something that did not exist yet.

How were things going in the first year? Can you show photos of coworking that time?



The first space was the co-working Spiral Muse in San Francisco. The first couple of months things were not going very well - few people came. Then people penetrated. Many people came and were fond of this idea, but could not join - then I asked them to steal the idea and finish it to your taste. Now, of course, it all looks just like a meeting with friends at the apartment, but the first steps are always modest.



And what was the second? What was it like to see how your idea spreads around the world?



The second was Hat Factory in a loft in San Francisco. I made it with the help of 10 volunteers. It was very nice to see how a large group of people imbued with the idea and helps to implement it. As you can see from the photo, everything began to look much more serious.

Do you have a favorite and unloved coworking? Generally, you are interested in the industry, which he invented?



The place where I am a frequent visitor is Workshop Cafe in downtown San Francisco. I really like this coworking. In San Francisco, all coworkings are good, but abroad are also full of excellent examples.

But not all coworkings have become successful, there are many examples of failures. During the Massimo Carrara conference in Italy in 2011, it was mentioned that Italy is the first country in Europe for co-working, there were 58 of them. Now there are about 25 of them. It turns out that more than half closed in 3 years. Does this mean that it is really difficult to make coworking successful?

I’m sure you need to know a lot of things to make coworking successful. You have to create a place where it will be comfortable for different people to work. You should have enough money to spend and, of course, you should have a profit. I think that this movement only just understood how to make this model successful.

There are several types of coworking:
Comfortable working space. Owners of this spend a lot of time and effort on the design, create bright spacious rooms. This is the future of coworking in the USA and Australia.
A place where people from the creative industry meet and exchange ideas. This is the most common model. One difference is that while Americans and Europeans are trying to make spaces unusual and create a kind of art galleries, everyone else makes simple and clean rooms that look more like offices.
Place for business meetings. In such institutions, the main income is leased for negotiations meetings. This model is especially popular in Britain and the States.
In Russia, the most successful coworkers are trying to apply all models at once. What do you think, what are the main features of a good place?

I think that each location is different from the other and requires its own approach. Of these three, the closest thing to me is number 1, but each of them comes in handy in its place.

Socialization, networking, meetings - it's all great. But for a regular freelancer, the most important factor is price. Own workplace can cost from 150 to 1000 euros, when the usual access, without your own chair, costs 100-400 euros per month. But, in general, this is a normal practice. What about yours? What are the prices there?

In my first one-time visit, it cost 20 bucks, and a month - $ 150-200.

How can coworking quality be measured? Are there any criteria? Speaking about DI Telegraph, what are its advantages and disadvantages? What tasks should we set for ourselves?

Coworking is successful if it gives people a community in which they can work freely for themselves. If co-working created an established community and gave people the opportunity to freely perform creative work - he coped with his task.

Well, let's hope, the DI Telegraph turned out to be quite a creative place - check it yourself .


Lecture on the architecture of Boris Dubin "The ideal body and modern society" in the co-working of the DI Telegraph, from which you could learn a lot about the ancient sculpture and its role in art.