Space is the book, community is the story

I’ve been trying to think of a good analogy for the difference between a coworking space and a coworking community. And I think I have one.

A coworking space is the book, and the coworking community is the story.

You can’t have the story without a book, but the book in and of itself isn’t the valuable thing.

You can have really nice books with leather covers, gilded edges, handmade bindings and gold lettering, or you can have a two dollar paperback that’s seen better days, and everything in between.

If all you’re looking for is a nice book to show off on your shelf, then just get the nicest book you can find.

But if you’re looking for a great story, it doesn’t matter whether that story comes with gilded edges or is a mass market paperback. Great stories are found in lots of different forms and styles.

And determining whether a story is great or not is up to you. What you think is a great story might not resonate with me, and vice versa.

Same goes for coworking.

If you want super fancy, you can find super fancy. And if you want super chill and comfy, you can find super chill and comfy.

I think the best coworking spaces are somewhere in the middle.

I love a nice space with great amenities, but that’s just the wrapper. And if I have to choose, I’ll choose a great coworking community over a nice-but-boring space every time.

So create a nice book, but don’t forget that what you’re really doing is writing a great story.