Whether you work for a startup or a large corporation, you may be wondering what it’s like to have an office at WeWork.
Disclosure: This was is not a sponsored piece by WeWork, although we did include a link to our referral link to WeWork which gives you a few bucks off and gives us a few bucks too.
In all likelihood, you have heard about WeWork and its phenomenal growth in recent years. WeWork has become a global phenomenon that has redefined not only how we work, but what we expect in any given office space.
But for those of you who don’t know, WeWork is a so-called unicorn company that rents out office space to individuals and companies. It is most known for providing office space to solopreneurs and young startups, but increasingly, larger companies are renting out large blocks of office space in WeWork locations throughout the country. The perks (of which there are many), along with the sense of community, are quintessential features in every WeWork office.
Dubb’s world headquarters is located in a WeWork building in Los Angeles, California. Our office is located on the historic Hollywood Boulevard, just steps away from renowned locations like the TCL Chinese Theatre and the El Capitan Theatre. Shannon, our head video producer, and I wanted to give you a behind-the-scenes look at where we make the Dubb magic happen.
WeWork: Our Initial Impressions
Simply put, I love working at WeWork. It is everything we expected and more. Although lately, there has been a serious shortage of green tea and almond milk (my new favorite drink is a green tea, almond milk latte).
WeWork has essentially every single resource that you need to grow your company (except startup capital, hyper-focused success coaches, and do not disturb signs for the occasional over chatty floaters–you know who you are (or maybe you don’t)).
Let’s start with the real estate itself. Every WeWork building is slightly different. They adapt to every location. The location on LaBrea and Hollywood Blvd. is one of the first locations, so it definitely has some grit to it in places. Not complaining. I think the prices are significantly cheaper than the newer buildings.
For example, at our WeWork on Hollywood Boulevard, we have an awesome balcony that has stunning views of Los Angeles. If you decide to become a WeWork member, I recommend that you check out several locations so that you can find the one location that most inspires you. If you’re a yogi, like me, then find a large balcony and make sure you get a weekly comped group yoga session at dusk. Aside from that, you’ll be spending a lot of time in your WeWork building, so you want to ensure that you are selecting the best building for you.
When you become a WeWork member, you are given a keycard that gives you access to different parts of your WeWork building. The keycard makes you feel incredibly cool (it’s almost like an American Express black card).
Along with the keycard, every WeWork member is given access to the WeWork app. Not only does the app allow you to book conference rooms, but it allows you to connect with fellow WeWork members. You can share ideas, ask for help on a particular task that is tripping you up, or even join weekly lunch groups.
WeWork does an excellent job of making all of its members extremely comfortable. At every WeWork location, there is free La Colombe coffee and free beer on tap—which the Dubb team especially appreciates, as you can see in most of our videos. There are multiple kitchens throughout each building, and those kitchens are also communal spaces where WeWork members can meet and chat.
Often, the WeWork staff (who are always terrific) shares snacks and other gifts so that its members can keep up their energy throughout the day. It is a small, yet highly appreciated treat—especially during stressful moments. Although, I’ve been starting to feel like companies give WeWork unsold leftovers or failed products to give its members for free. Maybe I’m wrong about that. No more “Leave that shitake home” coasters, please.
From there, let’s talk about the actual workspaces. The most basic membership at any WeWork is a “hot desk” membership. This means that you pay a monthly fee to access the open space within your WeWork building.
This, in fact, is how Dubb started at WeWork. I subscribed to a hot desk membership and worked on the many couches and tables throughout WeWork in Dubb’s early days. As a hot desk member, you don’t have a reserved spot, but we never had a problem finding an open space to work. A hot desk membership is a great option for solopreneurs or smaller companies who do not necessarily need a defined office space.
As Dubb has grown, however, we decided that we needed some dedicated office space in our WeWork building. That has turned into Dubb’s production headquarters. As some of you know, however, Dubb is a somewhat virtual company with employees all over the world including China, Philippines, Bangladesh, and New York City. As you sometimes see in our Daily Dubb videos, our office is all about creativity and organization. We have quite a few desks in our office, but we also take advantage of the open space that our WeWork building offers.
The Benefits of WeWork
My team and I are extremely happy working at WeWork. It perfectly suits our company. In fact, having an office at WeWork provides a significant number of benefits to my team and my company.
The Community
One of the best parts about working at WeWork is the community. We see it every day at our office. We are surrounded by talented, hungry entrepreneurs who are truly changing the world. Even though our WeWork peers are driven and love to work, they aren’t afraid to get away from their computers and meet their colleagues.
WeWork understands this part of their valuation proposition. They strive to make their locations more than simple offices. They are ecosystems of talented individuals who are motivated and ambitious. From weekly networking events to WeWork members’ educational lectures on topics like marketing and sales, there are always chances to interact with the talented community. There are little things too, like a chalkboard in our WeWork location where members share the best business advice they ever received. Tons of cameos of this one in our videos.
While we may not be working together on the same product or service, we are together in the mission of doing what we love. It truly is a family within WeWork, as we choose to take the reins on pursuing our passions.
And who knows? Some of the best talents can be found in some of the most unexpected places. As a WeWork member, you may come across that one person who may become a critical member of your team.
Without WeWork, you may not come across that talented person that can take your company to the next level.
The Positive Mindset
Along with the stellar WeWork community, it’s hard not to be positive as a WeWork member. The positivity is so real and so present that you can almost feel it throughout the office.
Simply put, it is inspiring to come into work every day.
The positivity emanates not only from WeWork members but from the building itself. You can see WeWork’s motto of “Do What You Love” throughout the building. Even the coffee and beer mugs have the saying “Always Half Full” on them to subtly nudge members to think on the bright side—no matter how stressed they are. Admittedly, however, hustle porn is starting to get a bit old since its floods every third Instagram wall, t-shirt display, and tech office lobby. #nevergiveup #hustle
Being a part of such a positive community is extremely beneficial. Not only does it make it more fun and relaxed place to work, but it can be helpful when we’re going through difficult or stressful moments. If we ever need a dose of inspiration, we just take in a positive environment. Usually, this will right the ship and inspire us to keep working.
Passing Off Boring Tasks
This is one of the most valuable parts of being a WeWork member. Building and scaling a company is hard enough. There are so many tasks to complete, whether it is speaking with current or potential customers, determining the most effective video marketing strategy, or recruiting new team members.
It can be all-consuming.
Because of this, one of the last things that I want to do is worry about refilling the water cooler or making sure that our printers are working. This problem only becomes more difficult as your company grows, as you likely would have to hire an entire team just to manage the office environment itself.
WeWork takes care of all of these issues. They make sure that there is always enough coffee and that the building is clean. If you have any issues with any of the technology or equipment in your office, WeWork staffers can help. They can even find your personal items in a hurry, like a toothbrush or a razor.
Knowing that the WeWork staff has your back, you can devote your attention to the really important stuff—your actual work. It gives you peace of mind and allows you to make fewer decisions per day.
A Terrific Opportunity
Ultimately, I can’t say enough about WeWork. From the free coffee and beer on tap to the positive vibes emanating from the building, it is a terrific place to do your work. This is true whether you are a small, scrappy startup or part of a larger corporation.
I hope you have learned about what it is truly like to have an office at WeWork. If you have read this and are interested in becoming a WeWork member, recognize that there are several membership options that you can select. Like I said above, you can start with a “Hot Desk” membership or you can sign up for a permanent space. From there, you can either make a month-to-month commitment or sign on for a longer-term deal.
Finally, if you want to move forward and purchase a WeWork membership, feel free to use Dubb’s affiliate code! Visit this page and use the code “Dubb” to not only help Dubb but to receive a discount in becoming a member.
I look forward to seeing you at a future WeWork event!
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