Post: #1

I moved to one of major cities in states to do something on my own.

Right now, I am not working. I just go to coffee shop to do something since staying at home doesn't get me motivated.

There are several WeWork places in my city plus other shared work places.

I do not need a workspace at all but I just want to go there for networking, exchanging ideas and just to be around startup minded people etc.

I believe it's like a hostel. You can just talk to anyone asking where they are from, share travel stories, ask for travel tips etc. you can't do something like that at a hotel to a stranger.

I am guessing it would be the same in those shared workspaces. They are there to do some sort of startups and are hungry to network and share ideas.

It costs about $300 a month just to use common tables (like going to a library) but I look at it as a fee to meet a potential partner, mentor, friends with a same goal.

I am going to do a tour to get the feel of the environment.

If you are already using those spaces, let's share some stories
(btw are there any decent looking girls in start up environment? )

Post: #2

I looked into this as well. I think they are only in major cities. If you're talking San Francisco I'm guessing there are 100 options so I would just tour them all. The city I was looking had 5 options tops and the one I really liked was hard to get into.

Post: #3

Co-working sites are like girls… They come in all sizes and shapes, as well as have various features… Some of which are easier than others to use depending on your own experience and the flexibility offered. In yet another installment of my life of getting away with something for a while, here are my observations on how to use them for free for a very long time (in our case, 13 months before deciding to commit to a long-term lease in a regular building). With rents here close to $1000 per square foot in some areas, that was a ton of cash we saved at the outset.

Finding the space:
Any local tech or start-up scene will have a number of co-working spaces associated with them, but that’s just the start. If you need something real high-end (say to host an important customer meeting or impress a prospect), check out Regis. Absolutely top notch in most cities, usually include free parking, and convenient to mass transit.

(Real Estate) Developers will also often have space available for a week or so especially if they are staging in preparation to show the space to prospective tenants. Furniture is not the only temporary stuff they put in these places. 1 World Trade had some amazing space that was free for almost a month. Don’t ask for co-working space (you will have to pick up the phone and make a visit or two), ask for staged office space where they need people.

Go in and ask to try out the space. Ask for a week… Ask to try different venues that they own. They need you too and I am always surprised at what they will let you have if you ask. Show up like you’re going to see a business casual customer. No need for a suit and tie, but definitely be on the dressier side of business casual at all times.

Have something to do. People who work out of shared and co-work spaces are usually very busy and they don’t spend a lot of time socializing. Depending on the company, they may be there for a few hours to a few months depending on the way that they have paid. Remember that you are there for free (at the moment), but nobody needs to know that. Be cool, go about your business and be friendly but brief when chatting with others.

Keep your voice down. Even if there is a group sharing a joke of a funny story over a cup of coffee, be the one to set the tone and chill. This isn’t a frat house but it’s not a library either. Put your phone on silent or vibrate and if you use headphones to listen to your work music like I do, be mindful that others may be able to hear it. Turn it down a ‘bit; they probably don’t want to. Next I'll share some thoughts on girls and game...

Post: #4

Gaming girls in a co-working space is chancy. On the one hand there is really nothing wrong with it… On the other hand, that sexy blond you have your eye on is likely a very driven woman who is there to work, not meet guys. If you have something to say to her, say it and be going somewhere. Brief, direct, and to the point. She’s in work mode, and like you is probably working on something she is very passionate about. Use that to your advantage. If you happen to bump into her when out at the local watering hole though, you have an instant ‘in’ when introducing yourself. I can’t emphasize this enough though… just be cool. Keep in mind too that she is going to usually be a lot brighter than your average girl so be on your toes.

Pro-tips
IOI for a girl at one of these co-working places is when the place is relatively empty and she comes and sits on your couch, at your table, or in your general proximity when she could literally be across the room from you. Girls don’t do much by accident when it comes to attraction. Then it’s the usual… hair flipping, side glances… But again, you are not at a bar so dial back your ‘player mode’ a ‘bit as you go to strike up a conversation.

In my experience, there is a small subset of women who have gone straight from High-School, to college, to Masters programs and who are extraordinarily bright when it comes to academics and the business world, but who don’t have the foggiest clue when it comes to flirting or game. They didn’t play team sports (so were not introduced to the carousel lifestyle), and are actually relatively innocent. Careful using sarcasm around such girls, they genuinely will not understand or get it. (The current crop of 25 to 30-year-old STEM majors all seem to reflect this quality).

On the other hand, creative girls are usually extraordinarily easy and they can be fun to play with!

A lot of these girls love EDM, trance, and electronica. It’s what they are listening to while they are working because of the good beat and few (if any) words. Use that to your advantage.

Always be going somewhere, be interesting, and be doing something. Don’t show up at a co-working site to watch cat videos or surf the interwebs aimlessly. Women absolutely love a guy who is driven and concentrating on whatever it is that he is doing… There are so few men that they come into contact with who have genuinely interesting projects. Working on a book? Writing programming code? Developing a website? Sketching out the next great skyscraper? Women lust over a man who is heads-down on his own thing…. They sit there and hamster away… , ‘what’s he doing? I wonder what it would take for him to pay attention to me?

Bring in some cool snacks. Skip the usual donut holes… Bring in a unique vegan desert and put a note by it to say what it is. Have a business card? Put a bunch next to it. Girls love that stuff and as I like to say, ‘Hey, it’s vegan so it must be good for you!’

Finally, many of these places will host get-togethers after hours. These are much more appropriate for meeting girls (I mean folks who can help with your side start-up). Want an easy way to strike up a conversation here? Remember these three questions: What do you do, how do you do it, and how can I help you? Ask those three questions and you'll be memorable as hell.

Hope that helps… Good luck to you!

Post: #5

If you want to be serious about a project, my advice is: If you get a good deal on a table go for it.

Most serious startup companies in SF will be in some bespoke incubator. But your coworking studio should be able to hook you up with mentorship resources or you can meet someone there and grow your own such relationship.

Such places offer networking events and offer services such as recommendations to bankers and state entities which can prove invaluable. Having a corporate mailbox vs a po box or a residential address can be make or break certain government grants. Probably you will make the money back in free advice several times over for the first few months if you have a profitable project.

Otherwise no, there are no girls. Maybe a handful of marginal quality, no way it is worth the price for the girls. You will meet more by visiting law offices and talking to the girls at the front desks.