Matt O’ Rama

Well, this is a good sign I’d think: BusinessWeek is covering co-working, which I’ve written about before. The first time I saw an ad featuring a reference to the internet without specifically explaining what it was, just assuming you’d know, I knew that was a marker for the future. Even though I doubt I’ll ever get to do my own co-working place here in Albuquerque it sure is fun to think about and hopefully this article is a sign of things to come.

Also on that note, a friend of my wife’s (thanks Kevin!) sent me a link to a local place here in town that is sort of a cross between a co-working place and a regular executive suite and when I was at the gym the other day I saw an ad on TV for the place. It’s called Office Alternatives and while it’s a little more high end than I was thinking for co-working (they have receptionists and a lot of other amenities that I’m sure are musts for people in suits but not for geeks who need a place to put their laptop), it’s a step in that direction.

[tags]coworking,business,albuquerque,businessweek[/tags]

Tags: Business, coworking by matt
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Ever since I first heard of the author Po Bronson’s shared Writer’s Grotto office space I’ve thought it would be extremely cool to set up a shared workspace. There’s a new thing coming up called Coworking that’s focussed on geeks that I would love to get into. The idea is that you get a space and outfit it with desks, chairs, couches, wifi internet access, a fridge, etc., and get people to work there instead of in coffee shops. You either pay for a day’s use of a desk or longer-term. The ideal place would have the same kind of cool vibe as a coffee shop without the random crowds and noise. Cheaper than paying for a regular office, plus with other people around doing stuff for inspiration, ideas, etc.

My dream is doing programming for myself, hence the creation of Mattorama Heavy Industries, and if I get the chance to make money doing that, I’m seriously considering setting something like this up. My only fear is having to deal so much with running the space that I don’t get to work on my own things but that’s probably the business equivalent of premature optimization, worrying about things that won’t end actually being a problem. I don’t think it would take much money to get started either, which is a bonus.

For more info, check out this NYTimes article on a space focussed on writers, and this blog post about ideal working environments. If you’re in Albuquerque and have think this is a good idea, please comment on this post. I’d love to hear there’s a ton of interest in this type of environment here in town.
[tags]coworking,Albuquerque,working[/tags]

Tags: DIY, Geekery, Personal, Writing, coworking by matt
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