One of the things I love about New York is having the opportunity to work alongside like-minded entrepreneurs. So when I first got to New York, I joined a large coworking office space where hundreds of entrepreneurs and startups shared an entire floor. It was great. I met lots of smart and driven people and some members of the space even became clients. Life was great.
But as more and more folks joined the space, it became harder to focus on getting work done. I found myself socializing with folks in the space, the Internet speed slowed down, and I just wasn't focusing and getting work done.
Segue into this space that you see above (and below). After about a year at the old place, my colleague and I decided to migrate to a more intimate space. Less noise, better location, and most importantly more focus. We now have 8 like-minded folks from all walks of life working in this space. Architect, designer, photographer, coder, and more. It's a great space with an amazing location overlooking Union Square. There is socializing, but not so much that it gets in the way of work. We even have a small conference room for meetings and phone calls. It's great. I've been working out of this office for more than two years now and it's still perfect.
Sometimes smaller is better.
Bonus: Seth Godin's blog post (and later book) on small is the new big.
Daily musings
Cup a Joe at La Colombe /
Inside La Colombe, great for freshly brewed coffee and people watching in Manhattan.
Some folks go to the gym 2-3 times a week. I go to La Colombe, a coffee shop situated in Noho on Lafeyette. Their coffee is made from earth conscious ethically traded beans. But the coffee is not gets me coming back everyday. It's the mugs. And the humans. I never get take-out at this spot. Always get it in the mug (see below photo). Something about that mug just brings out the soul of the coffee. And the people. Beanies seem to be a prerequisite for working as a barista here. That and facial hair it seems. I met Malcom Galdwell here once, we talked about his upcoming book at the time. It was great. Great people watching spot if you have a few minutes to spare.
And finally the interior design. Just look at that circular arrangement of ceiling lights! And the slabs of wood. And that gigantic vent tube apparatus thing running adjacent to the ceiling. It's perfect.
Oh and did I mention a cup a joe here is $2.50 flat? Like I said, perfect.
I die for these mugs. So much character.
You better not apply for a job here if you can't pull off a beanie.
A quick style check from the entrance.
Hand and Terry /
Met Anthony (above) a few nights ago at the Founderscard event at the Gansevoort. Only dude at the event other than myself dressed in quasi-stylish clothing. He was sporting an Everlane chambray shirt and scuffed up John Varvatos kicks. Clearly had his clothing game together. We talked menswear. He told me about the sock line he cofounded, Hand and Terry. Kickstarter link here. We met up earlier today for tea at Argo in Flatiron. The socks feel great, I'm a fan. Go check them out!
