With rising rent, teams scaling at unpredictable rates and more and more companies having remote workers, coworking is becoming a popular option for many of Colorado’s startups. But as any coworking space member can tell you, the experience isn’t without its annoyances. We talked to three Colorado coworking members to find out their coworking space pet peeves — and which faux pas they’re guilty of, too.
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The number one pet peeve is sort of a given. We all know not to leave dirty dishes in the sink… but we do it anyway. Let’s all agree to step up our dishes game, eh?
’ Director of People Ops, Kristie Hunziker, has another kitchen-related beef: “When I need coffee, the last thing I want to encounter is an empty pot in the coffee airport,” she said of her all-too-frequent experience at . “Empty pots lead to long loops around the building in the quest for caffeine.”
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Aside from conference calls out in the open, our panel didn’t consider noise complaints a huge pet peeve, but they did confess they’re guilty of causing a bit too much noise from time to time. “Our neighbors might not be huge fans of our victory gong, which we sound to celebrate our team wins,” said Hunziker. “But it’s not likely that we’ll ever retire the gong. Sorry, not sorry.”
And sometimes noise violations can lend to a fit of laughter. “Last week, our SVP of Technology got carried away and was playing 'tight pants' a bit too loudly from his computer,” said Andy Zurcher, SVP of Product at , who works out of ’s Platte location.
Photo via Facebook / Industry Denver
It’s hard not to love all the office dogs roaming around coworking spaces. It’s one of the best parts of working in a coworking space, after all. But they can also be a big distraction — especially when they demand free range of the space.
“I bring my dog occasionally, and while I was on a call she got out and everyone in the general area was chasing after her to put her back in the suite...” said Lauren Wiper, Enterprise Sales Rep for . Wiper, who works out of Galvanize’s Boulder office, added, “Whoops.”
Members of the Dobot team checking out the blizzard at Galvanize Platte
But having a coworking membership isn’t all about the little annoyances — there’s a reason they’re growing more popular, after all.
For Wiper, joining a coworking space helped bring a lively tech-focused environment to the small extension of Ambassador’s Detroit office. “I also really love that we don't have to handle landlord relations, coffee, furniture and can grow naturally,” she said.
Hunziker said she likes working in a coworking space for the connections. “It’s actually fun to come into the office, where I not only hang out with my colleagues but also get to interact with some very cool professionals in the community,” she said.
And those connections can even lead to some interesting chance encounters. “When the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, Jack Lew, came to Galvanize to speak about Financial Inclusion, he stopped by our office and talked for 10-15 minutes,” said Zurcher. “Not only are Dobot's goals aligned with his efforts, but our CEO and Secretary Lew served on the same executive team at Citi years ago. Our location at Galvanize helped us take advantage of such a unique opportunity.”
What coworking space faux pas annoy you? Tweet us @builtincolorado or share a pic on Instagram and tag us — @builtinco.
