The History of Coworking

Where flexible office space started, and how it has changed over the years.

According to coworking resources, shared workspaces have grown at a rate of 21.3% year over year and are projected to be at 40,000 spaces by 2024- but where did it all start? Let's go back in time and see.

1995

Starting in Berlin, Germany- the first coworking space called C-Base was used by computer engineers as a hackerspace. The goal was to provide them with a facility in which they could collaborate and obtain knowledge from their peers.

1999

Bernard DeKoven coins the term coworking, while defining it as more of a way to work versus a place to work.

2002

Two Austrian entrepreneurs open up Schraubenfabrik in Vienna- where consultants, start ups and freelancers could go to work and get out of their homes, going into a fresh and productive environment.

2005

Brad Neuberg opened a coworking space at a feminist collective called the Spiral Muse in San Francisco's Mission District. Operating at two days a week, Neuberg had to pay $300 per month and was told he could keep whatever was left. In the first couple of months, not a single person showed up to work.

2010

On August 9th, five years after the opening of Neuberg's coworking space in San Francisco, an official coworking day is celebrated. Now, August 9th is officially International Coworking Day.

Our Pick of Best Books for Business

We chose five of our favorite books that we think every business professional should read (don't worry, we're not expecting you to read them all at once).

As 2021 is coming close to an end, I think we can all collectively agree that we had some time on our hands to really think about what we want to do with our time, whether it be starting that pottery class, where in Europe we want to travel to next, and for some of us, what we want our next business venture to look like- maybe you decided to start that Etsy shop you have always wanted, or the dog walking business so you can be surrounded by pups all hours of the day, or you finally got started on developing that app you have been putting off.

What ever it is, some of us have ideas, but we just need a little motivation- a push in the right direction; and we think these books can do just that.

#1 - Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek

In this book, Sinek explains to us the biggest strength behind a company- its people. Companies cannot solely rely on the product or service it's selling, they also must have a good team of individuals to rally behind them. When things get tough, nothing is more important than having a loyal group of people to help you get out of the ruts.

Not only does Sinek tell us how important your people are, but he gets into how to make them feel safe and valued within their environments, so that they want to stay. Leaders Eat Last offers many examples of leaders from all sorts of different industries, so readers can find connections where they see fit.

Who will you take with you?

#2 - Atomic Habits by James Clear

The main focus of Atomic Habits is the concept of habit stacking; James Clear explains to the reader how successful we can be in any aspect, whether it be in business, in our home lives or even at the gym.

This book gets down to the nitty gritty of what's going on in our head, Clear talks adult brains vs. newborn brains, neurons, synaptic pruning and how it all relates to strengthening connections and building new habits.

To be successful at starting something new, you must stack it with a habit you are familiar with and James Clear shows us exactly how to do it.

“All big things come from small beginnings. The seed of every habit is a single, tiny decision"

#3 - Lead From the Outside by Stacey Abrams

Former member of the Georgia House of Representatives- Stacey Abrams, tells us all about how knowing what you are passionate about is the key to success, what or who do you want to stand up for and how can you integrate it into your goals or your business?

Abrams gives us a look into her own story and how if you are dedicated enough, you can use your experience from your own personal struggles to have an advantage over others and rise to the top.

#4 - Range by David Epstein

David Epstein's tag line gives us a good intro into what we are in for, "Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World". We all know the belief to start young, stay focused on one thing and don't stop if we want to be a professional in our field- Epstein tells us, that might not be the case.

For those of you that feel like there isn't enough time to get it done, or you are too late to get started, this is the book for you. Range, keys us in on the fact that generalists, who have multiple interests, are the same people who "end up with the most fulfilling careers".

#5 - How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

You didn't think we were going to leave this one out, did you? Published in 1936 this book is still infamous for anyone going into business.

The book gives off "self-help" vibes and mainly focuses itself around 4 main principles: Fundamental Techniques in Handling People, Six Ways to Make People Like You, How to Win People to Your Way of Thinking, and Be a Leader- How to Change People Without Giving Offence or Arousing Resentment.

“When dealing with people, let us remember we are not dealing with creatures of logic. We are dealing with creatures of emotion, creatures bristling with prejudices and motivated by pride and vanity.”

Well. That's it!

Now it is up to you to decide which book you want to read first and how you think it will help you in your next journey.

Until then, follow us on Instagram @warriorworkspace to keep up with upcoming events, blog posts or just the casual stuff :)