Can we talk about working from coworking spaces vs coffee shops?

I used to be all about coffee shops for my remote work. Cheap coffee, free wifi, easy. Then I spent a month in Chiang Mai last spring and tried a real coworking space for the first time. The difference in internet speed alone was huge - my uploads went from 5 Mbps to 50 Mbps. Plus, the quiet zones actually let me focus on client calls without background noise. Now I budget around $100 a month for a coworking pass wherever I go. Has anyone else found coworking spaces worth the extra cost over free spots?

3 comments

3 Comments

finley72923d ago

The quiet zones alone are worth it, I feel that.

jamesm4823d ago

Yeah @finley729 you're not wrong about that. The quiet zones are basically the whole reason anyone pays the premium, right? But then you get there and realize the quiet zone is just a bunch of people side-eyeing you for making a crinkle sound with your snack wrapper, like you just committed a felony. Honestly feels more like a library than a lounge sometimes, but I guess that's the point. Still beats sitting next to someone taking a work call on speakerphone in the general area, that's for sure. Just don't sneeze in there or you'll get the death stare from everyone within 20 feet.

david3714d ago

I was in that exact quiet zone in Chiang Mai last month and someone dropped their laptop charger and got shushed by like six people at once. Do coworking spaces actually enforce the quiet rules or is it basically just peer pressure keeping everyone in line?