- As a guest on the Allwork.Space Future of Work podcast, Pauline Roussel shed light on the role of coworking spaces in shaping the future of work, and how to choose the right one.
- These communal work spaces not only provide a dynamic environment to work in but also foster the spirit of community, collaboration, and innovative thinking.
- Now, a great number of entrepreneurs and professionals are reaping the benefits of coworking spaces.
If you’re looking for a way to network and innovate while working remotely, Pauline Roussel has some interesting coworking insights to share.
Pauline Roussel, as CEO at Coworkies and co-author of the book “Around the World in 250 Coworking Spaces,” is an expert in the field of coworking spaces. With years of experience running a coworking space in Berlin and extensive research and travel to 25 countries and over 500 coworking spaces across 50 cities, Pauline has gained deep insights into the uniqueness, importance, and transformative impact of collaborative work environments on people and communities.
Roussel’s mission is to improve coworking by exploring the diverse ways in which these spaces foster collaboration and connections. As a guest on the Allwork.Space Future of Work podcast, she shared her knowledge and shed light on the role of coworking spaces in shaping the future of work.
Coworking has much to offer
On the podcast, Roussel explained just how diverse coworking spaces can be, catering to unique needs of different industries, from manufacturing startups to doctors and dentists. Coworking spaces can empower individuals, aid innovation, and offer specialized resources to professionals.
With the advent of technology and the soaring popularity of freelancing and remote work, the traditional office environment has evolved. Now, a great number of entrepreneurs and professionals are reaping the benefits of coworking spaces.
“I would even say that we can argue that coworking spaces are becoming the most important social spaces for work globally,” Roussel said.
These communal work spaces not only provide a dynamic environment to work in, but also foster the spirit of community, collaboration, and innovative thinking. The advantages extend beyond the professional realm and have implications on personal life, too. It’s about striking the perfect balance between work and social interaction — that’s why choosing the right coworking space is crucial.
Here are the key steps in choosing one:
- Understand the Concept of Coworking Spaces: Get acquainted with the history of coworking spaces and how they have evolved over the years. Research about their popularity in different cities and countries.
- Identify Your Needs: List out what you want from a coworking space. This could range from a quiet environment, to networking opportunities, to specific amenities like a kitchen or gym.
- Research Options: Look into different coworking spaces that cater to your needs. Consider factors like location, pricing, community, and culture.
- Visit Spaces: Before making a decision, visit multiple spaces to get a feel for the environment. This will help you find a space where you feel comfortable and productive.
“My advice in general is, like I always tell people: first, ask yourself ‘what’s your primary reason for wanting to join a coworking space?’ Do you want to join because you want to work away from home? Do you want to join because you want to connect with people? Or maybe you want to have just meetings there in a better setup than home,” Roussel said on the podcast.
It’s clear that the journey toward finding the perfect coworking space is a journey within ourselves. It’s about identifying our needs, understanding what fuels our creativity, what environment fosters our productivity, and then finding a space that matches those requirements. These are all stepping stones to finding a coworking space that feels like a second home.
What does the future of coworking look like?
Roussel said she wishes she could predict the future to answer this question.
“But what I can see, and what we can see now looking daily at industry movements are a few different things,” she said. “I think today we see, for instance, coworking becoming more and more an amenity to many other concepts. We hear more and more about coworking being used to activate a building. I think this activation component is becoming very important and that can happen in residential or even commercial buildings.”
“That also means that we see more and more commercial real estate brands or larger real estate companies looking into coworking,” she elaborated. “Either they start their own coworking brands from scratch or they would acquire existing ones. We also now see coworking operators developing more and more offers for larger companies where they develop, run and activate a space for them. So the company basically just comes in and the operator takes care of the rest.”
She also thinks that coworking spaces will develop more outside of large cities.
“I think prior to the pandemic, everything was happening a lot in London, New York or Paris. I think in the second to third year cities were not catching up, but I think that’s also something the Pandemic really shifted,” Roussel said on the podcast. “We see that more and more coworking spaces in smaller towns are opening and obviously also in rural areas, which is really interesting. I think rural coworking, that being said, still has a lot of challenges ahead, particularly on developing a sustainable business model.”
