Every time I share the story about how we started our coworking space (Indy Hall) by building our community first, someone asks me, "So when are you going to write a book?!"
Well I wrote that book. Kind of.
Turns out that the best way to tell the story was to tell the damn story, and record it as audio first. Like an audiobook, but in reverse!
Which makes me wonder: is a book still a book when it goes from written to audio form? Is listening to an audiobook a way to read with my ears? I digress...
Our version of an audiobook "reads" more like a campfire story meets behind the scenes interview, including stories I've never told before about:
- how I met the people who would eventually become our founding members, and the most important relationships we formed us along the way
- the kinds of events we ran to grow our community & bring people closer together
- how I approached forming a partnership and business decisions
- how our community played a crucial role in opening the space itself
- and how I use the lessons I learned in that first year to make decisions and avoid mistakes as we add more members, more space, and grow a team
For the first time, the most valuable lessons I learned while opening our coworking space are all in one place.
We're calling this reverse audiobook "The First Ten" because this story really shows the impact that the first ten members of your community really can have...if you know what to look for.
Which you'll learn in ~8 hours across 11 chapters including:
1. Before there was coworking
2. Just the two of us
3. Creating our first community building event
4. Community life happens online, too
5. Regulars at a watering hole
6. Becoming the first follower
7. Let's talk money
8. Partnership & payoff
9. The "perfect space" is a lie
10. A modern day barn raising
11. Preparing for the long game
Until 11:59 on July 1st (that's today!), I'm doing a $10 off launch discount. If you're into building your offline tech/creative community wherever you live, I think you'll really get a lot out of our story.
Happy ear reading :)
p.s. if you work at a coworking space, or run one, I'm gonna answer questions about coworking & community building here in the comments today so ask away!
Alex has made something awesome with Indy Hall. He truly understands that "bigger does not always mean better" and that coworking is about the community, not the "space". I highly recommend checking this out!
Alex is a world-class community builder and what he's done with Indy Hall in Philadelphia is nothing short of amazing.
By the way Alex, it's not terribly uncommon to write a book this way. It's especially true of auto-biographies and non-fiction stories. I suppose that it's somewhat ironic that those books are transcribed only to be re-read into audiobooks by professional narrators!
The First Ten
Guru
The First Ten
IOpipe
The First Ten