UPDATE from June 2025: With the addition of Notes and lives has Substack cracked the code? It's delivering the novelty and discovery of social media, alongside the quieter spaces of paid, niche communities. So much of what I wrote here still rings true. (There's a follow up article where I spoke about Substack, too.)
Some years ago, when I opened my first Coworking space, I struggled to explain what we actually offered.
I would start by saying, "We're not just about space and infrastructure."
As time went on, I realized what we really loved was being together, sharing coffee, lunches, and conversations. It started to feel like, "We belong to each other."
Later, I understood something: the Coworking space was solving a problem—loneliness.
Now, a decade later, and especially over the past two years, I see it everywhere: most new members come because they need to be around others that can understand them. Many even say they aren't alone—they have friends, they’re surrounded by people, but no one really gets them, what they do or what they want to achieve.
And that's what they’re looking for: a place where they feel seen and understood.
At this point, there are so many communities for so many things, that I think the future of communities IS niche ones.
I couldn't agree more! My next article focuses on how niche communities can thrive and what I suspect we'll see more of in 2024 and beyond...
UPDATE from June 2025: With the addition of Notes and lives has Substack cracked the code? It's delivering the novelty and discovery of social media, alongside the quieter spaces of paid, niche communities. So much of what I wrote here still rings true. (There's a follow up article where I spoke about Substack, too.)
Some years ago, when I opened my first Coworking space, I struggled to explain what we actually offered.
I would start by saying, "We're not just about space and infrastructure."
As time went on, I realized what we really loved was being together, sharing coffee, lunches, and conversations. It started to feel like, "We belong to each other."
Later, I understood something: the Coworking space was solving a problem—loneliness.
Now, a decade later, and especially over the past two years, I see it everywhere: most new members come because they need to be around others that can understand them. Many even say they aren't alone—they have friends, they’re surrounded by people, but no one really gets them, what they do or what they want to achieve.
And that's what they’re looking for: a place where they feel seen and understood.