On the surface, it seemed like a cool idea. Get a bunch of smart engineers, designers and artists in one room and let them see what they can create. At least that was the general concept behind Giraffe Labs, a 1,200 square foot Pioneer Square co-working space led by software developers Brian Dorsey and Anders Conbere.
But a dwindling membership base -- not to mention a lack of windows and an expiring lease -- sealed the fate of Giraffe Labs. Dorsey and Conbere are pulling the plug on the concept later this month, but not before one last bash.
Dorsey said he's still a big believer in the concept of office sharing, allowing smart people to work together and share resources.
"Actually, I think this is a great time for coworking. But, things are changing fast and you have to keep focused. We haven't," said Dorsey.
Since Dorsey and Conbere both held day jobs, it became tough for them to devote time to the community. The club peaked at about 15 members, with a lot of turn over as people moved on to new projects or jobs. Dorsey also said he got lazy on recruiting new members.
Another big downer? The office space didn't have any windows.
"We started this whole project in a large part because we stumbled upon a VERY affordable space right in Pioneer Square," he said. "But, no windows. I didn't think it was a big deal at the time, but just for the record: Windows are vital."
As an example of how a co-working space should operate, Dorsey points to Seattle's Office Nomads. (In a sign of the times, Office Nomads is currently offering a 'Pink-Slip Special" where laid off workers get a free month of membership.)
Anyway, what about the going away party? That's slated for April 27 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
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