Had a chat with a fellow nomad in Chiang Mai yesterday that totally shifted how I think about coworking spaces

Tbh I've always just picked the cheapest coworking spot with good wifi and called it a day. But this guy I met at a coffee shop told me he pays $150 a month for a higher-end space because the community there actually helps him land clients. He said 'your network is your net worth' which I always rolled my eyes at, but he showed me three gigs he got just from chatting by the water cooler. It hit different because I've been solo for 8 months and honestly I'm getting lonely and stale. He recommended a spot called Punspace near the old city that has a mix of freelancers and remote workers. Has anyone else moved to a more social coworking space and seen actual career wins from it?

3 comments

3 Comments

avery_jackson13d agoMost Upvoted

Yeah that pitch night thing sounds smart. Might try starting one at Punspace.

the_mary12d ago

Three months into my time at a coworking spot near Ubud, I ended up in this weird weekly critique circle (not even a pitch night, just people roasting each other's landing pages). Someone’s grandma happened to visit and sat in, and she pointed out my font was basically unreadable on mobile. Fixed it that week, and my bounce rate dropped like 15%. Point is, you never know who's gonna wander through those doors. Punspace has that Austin weirdness vibe too, so you might get some random tourist who actually runs a successful Shopify store or whatever.

elizabethmason13d ago

Oh nice is this the spot with the green tables and the chill rooftop? I switched to a similar place in Medellin last year and it was a total game changer. I was stuck in my Airbnb grinding alone for months, then moved to a coworking that had these weekly pitch nights. Met a guy from a startup who literally handed me a contract for some copywriting work week two. Not gonna lie I thought the community stuff was overhyped too, but just having someone ask 'what are you working on' actually got me out of a creative rut. Plus I started grabbing lunches with people who were in totally different fields and that sparked ideas I never woulda had alone. Go for it, worst case you lose a few bucks but best case you actually make some real connections.