Category Archive

We geeks are social. Ideas are everything, and we love to share them, riff on them, bounce them off the ceiling until we can make out that crack that we can just jimmy it through. And there’s nothing more deflating than explaining an idea you’re really excited about and being met with a blank face and the comment, “You’re so weird.”

We’re better together, and we’re becoming more aware of this.

We are also independent. We make enough money that we don’t need to be anyone’s slave. We have less respect for boundaries, virtual or geographical. We know that our limits are in our minds, so we make a habit of pushing these. Some of us have figured out the value of a change of context to spur a crucial change in perspective.

Coworking

Coworking aims to create a collaborative environment for freelancers and independents. The idea is to provide a place for like-minded people to be in an atmosphere specifically designed to be conducive to productivity and creativity. Coworking spaces are springing up all over, mostly in cities with thriving techie communities.

Geek nomadism

The geek nomad idea is based on the twin observations that a change of scenery can be great for the brain, and that there are plenty of places in the world that are beautiful, cheap, and well-connected (to the internet, anyway). If you are working on a mid- to long-term project, or building that app for your start-up, why not go off somewhere beautiful and cheap to do it? You’d need to have established a good relationship with your client or be working for yourself, but with skype and a fast connection, why not?

What they have to offer each other

Coworking and geek nomadism have a lot to offer each other:

Coworking is a great idea, but not always cost-effective. It can cost you hundreds of dollars or pounds a month. For that same money, you can live like a king somewhere exotic and beautiful, and still get your work done.

Geek nomadism is adventurous, but it would take quite a lot of discipline to impose enough structure on yourself to be as productive as you would in an office in your city of normal residence. And what if everyone you’re surrounded by is in holiday or gap year mode? Or what if you’re completely on your own, with no one to bounce ideas off of or help you stay focussed or get unstuck?

Knowing you can spend your time in a collaborative environment devoted to productivity definitely increases your chances of making geek nomadism work.

Other potential benefits

One great feature of geek nomadism for freelancers is its tax advantages. If you’re not resident in any country for more than 6 months, then you can see real savings. (Sorry, but I can’t do more than generalize here because it is such a broad topic.) This is especially good if you’re trying to keep expenses down so that you don’t need to look for VC money. In fact, if you let out (lease) your house or flat, you could be making money.

American businesses are notoriously stingy with vacation time, but working from home is becoming more accepted. Working from the Caribbean would be a bit easier to get your boss to accept if you can guarantee him that you’ll be working in a semi-conventional office, not some dodgy internet café. This way, you could still get your sun and your change of scenery, even if you don’t have the vacation time available. This would be ideal for those projects where you need to hide away from your coworkers’ interruptions anyway.

Coworking spaces can function as a local hub, full of people who have been there a month or two and really know the area. This knowledge can be passed on as people leave and new people come in. You won’t need to be spending time figuring out the logistics of the place, like where to sleep, drink, or skype. You can spend the time instead on your work, and know that you’ll still be able to find someone interesting to hang out with once it’s playtime.

Part of the idea behind coworking is the incubator effect. How much would this be magnified in a tropical environment?

This is still a new idea, sparked by Simon’s comment on my geek clustering post and his post on the incubator effect.

I’d love to know what you guys think of coworking abroad!

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