Co-Working San Francisco

My new company Assetmap has been in a hunt for office space, and for the last few days we've toured about a half-dozen spaces - ranging from traditional offices to total open plan co-working spaces. One thing that is clear is that the phenomenon of co-working spaces is large and growing.

Co-working basically evolved from the discontent and lack of community that the growing number of freelancers in creative fields felt always having to work out of coffee shops and in living rooms. The philosophy that animates most co-working spaces is that good, communal space, with some dedicated resources but a lot of shared assets is a more fulfilling, fun way to approach work for small teams and individuals.

A quick overview of co-working

As the approach to working has grown, it has intersected with the world of incubation, startup acceleration, and more, and new companies are growing up using space to convene particular types of groups. We visited PariSoMa, a super cool group that bridges artists, web startups and beyond and is connected to a network of dozens of global spaces; Sandbox Suites which has a really awesome professional set-up, and Citizen Space, which puts off an extremely welcoming community vibe.

As a young web-focused company, one of the most exciting places we saw was the Plug and Play Tech Center in Sunnyvale. Plug and Play is part office space, part venture accelerator, and part cross-pollinator. Universities and even countries rent space there for their students and citizens when they're passing through. Hundreds of events each year give the more than 200 companies in the network the chance to learn from one another. And live mentorship helps young companies connect with funding, talent, and other resources.

One of the spaces that we're most excited about investing in and connecting with their community are the forthcoming Hub's. The Hub started in London and has since expanded around Europe and the Middle East and is now coming to the states, first with a Berkeley location soon to be followed by a Mission District flagship. It will focus on providing a welcoming space for social innovators of all stripes, and that's something we're thrilled to be a part of.

The hunt has reinforced the notion that social capital is today's most valuable business currency, and that where one chooses to work and act can and perhaps should be more than just a venue. Instead, it should be a platform for creativity and community.

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