A note from Tony, after the GCUC Canada conference:
Amy and I just got back from a coworking conference in Montreal, where I had the privilege of meeting some amazing leaders from around the region and the world. (See video of my talk here!)
As I settle back in here in Boulder, I find myself reminded why I got into this coworking thing in the first place: to help people see what’s possible in this new way of work.
We’re in a huge state of transition as a society, so it’s important to create every opportunity possible for people to connect with peers who can help them make the transition. So now let’s talk about where we’re going to go from here!
Super short version: I’m making a fresh push to continue improving the free resources tthat power the coworking movement. If you’d like to help, give me feedback / support / spread the word on our new fundraiser and let me know if you’re interested in creating new content for your city or language on coworking.org!
Quick update
It’s now just over a year since I stepped in to help out here at OC, and just a few days before GCUC Canada convenes once again. I’m using the event as an opportunity to take stock of what we did and where I’d like us to go.
Last year, I was just a few months out from closing up New Work City and searching hard for my next paying gig. I wanted Open Coworking to become something that could employ me full time, but I failed to raise the funds we’d need to support that. As a result, I spent most of 2016 doing whatever I could to find the security I needed to be able to act from a place of strength and not desperation.
I’m happy to report that I’ve now achieved that security, which means I can approach all of this free of the personal pressure that I brought last time around.
While I’d still love for Open Coworking to be something I can work on full-time, I’ve realized that it’ll only happen if I focus on stacking one brick at a time to make it into something that is mature enough to employ people.
This year and going forward, I’d like to focus less on big goals and more on continuous small steps forward.
What we’ve done so far
All of that can be found in detail in the 2016 Open Coworking Impact Report.
In short, we made a lot of progress, and have much work still left to do.
2016-17 Agenda
I want to build on all the good work we did in the past year. In particular:
Implement multi-language support on coworking.org, so people interested in the movement can find resources in any language we can find a volunteer to help us with.
- Overhaul the Coworking Visa program, finally!
- Create resources in multiple languages. Most of the coworking world doesn’t speak English, so we’ll work with bilingual friends to create pages on coworking.org that connect people to the resources that are available to them in their native tongue.
- Work on replacing the wiki. The wiki is horribly outdated, but still super valuable. With the help of volunteers, we can slowly start re-imagining this thing.
- Raise some more funds! We’ve got a new draft campaign up on Patreon, so it will be easier for people to contribute and get regular updates.
I want to go much further, of course, but I’d rather aim for things I realistically believe we can tackle and build on those successes first. Generally speaking, I’d love to continue working to mature the organization.
What you can do to help
- Become a patron on our campaign! If you’re not already an OC Supporter, any contribution would be a huge help. Sign up here and let me know any feedback you have on your experience!
- Spread the word! Send people to our campaign and tell them why their support is important.
- Volunteer! I’m recruiting folks to contribute to the new coworking.org. Reply to this email if you’re interested in learning more!
Thanks for all of your help. Keep being awesome!
Cheers,
Tony