Rant: Coworking spaces keep selling "community" but nobody actually talks to each other

I've been bouncing around Southeast Asia for about 8 months now, and every coworking space I try in Chiang Mai or Bali promises this big community vibe. But here's what actually happens: everyone sits with their noise-cancelling headphones on, stares at their laptop, and barely even nods when you walk in. Last week I paid $180 for a month pass at a place near Nimman that bragged about weekly networking events. I went to two of them and it was just people awkwardly standing around their desks waiting for free coffee. The only person who actually said more than two words to me was the receptionist asking if I wanted a refill. Why do these places advertise community when the real setup is basically a library with better wifi? Has anyone actually made a friend or client at a coworking space, or is that just marketing hype?

2 comments

2 Comments

nathan54523d ago

I get what you're saying but I actually see it a little differently. You mentioned the place near Nimman, I was at a spot in Chiang Mai last year called Punspace and yeah the first week was exactly like you described, headphones on, nobody looking up. But I started just leaving my headphones off and saying something dumb like "this iced coffee is way too sweet" to whoever was next to me at the kitchen sink. Ended up talking to a guy who runs a small Shopify store for pet stuff, we got lunch that week and now I help him with some basic ad stuff. The community thing is more about the people who are also open to it, not the space itself. Most folks are just deep in their own grind and you gotta break that ice yourself.

kelly_hill23d ago

Huh, so what happens when you're the one who's not really looking for business connections though? Like, what if you're there just to focus on your own project and you don't have the energy or desire to be the one breaking the ice every day... It's kind of a lot of pressure to put on the person who just wants to get their work done without awkward small talk. I wonder if that approach ever backfires on people who are more introverted or just in a different headspace.