Hot take: Coworking spaces are overrated and I'm tired of pretending they're not

I spent 6 months hopping between coworking spots in Medellin and Bali because everyone said you NEED them to be productive. But honestly, I got more done sitting in a quiet cafe or my apartment for $3 a day. The internet was just as fast, I didn't have to deal with people trying to network during my deep work hours, and I saved like $200 a month. What finally convinced me was tracking my focus time with a simple timer app. My best days were never at a WeWork copycat, they were at a random spot with good coffee and no distractions. I still use coworking maybe once a week for meetings, but the full-time hype feels like a scam for solo workers. Has anyone else ditched the desk membership and felt relief?

3 comments

3 Comments

aaron_mitchell1mo ago

Ngl @karenb97 that tracks with how everything's just gettin fancier for no real reason

karenb971mo ago

A buddy of mine bought into the whole coworking thing hard. Dropped $300 a month on a fancy spot in Austin with kombucha on tap and standing desks. After three months he realized he was just paying to sit next to strangers who also ignored him. One time he showed up and the internet was down for two hours, so he just walked to a diner down the street and finished his whole project there. He cancelled his membership that afternoon and never looked back.

brianreed1mo ago

Kombucha on tap is always a red flag. Those coworking places have this strange vibe where everyone's trying too hard to look busy. Your buddy made the right call walking to a diner - those places never have internet problems and the coffee is usually better anyway.