Coworking, monde normal - une simple vitre entre les deux.
I had heard a lot about it from those of my buddies that work in public relations and commercial events, so as part of The Year of AWESOME I decided it was time to go there and see what all the fuss was about : on Monday the 22nd, I went to La Cantine not to eat but to take pictures and discover the place – and I wasn’t disappointed !
As it happens, I had walked past the place numerous times during my Parisian adventures, without realizing that these big window displays hidden behind an antique postcards store were the street side of the leader in French co-working. The quiet that spreads through the Passage des Panoramas can be found inside La Cantine as well : entering the structure through the coffee-shop area, the whispers of those present and bits of laughter here and there will probably be what you hear first. Another few steps and you’ll find yourself face to face with a big blackboard displaying all the upcoming events, a nice hommage to old-school tech in a place that’s a spearhead for digital technology (La Cantine allows people to use their optical fiber connection to the Internet and, through this, to various co-working spaces across the world partnering through the CoworkingVisa).
Another few steps and you’ll bump into long tables, giant Sumo pillows, a small area for people to chat in a room adorned with posters dedicated to the culture of free (as in beer) software, meeting rooms in the background and on the first and second floor – everything you’d need to make your solo or team projects a reality : if you want to come to work at La cantine, all you need to do is register on the website and book a workspace for half a day, a whole day or grab a monthly pass (which is strangely enough more expensive than a month’s worth of daily passes). Go there, sit down, and do what you want however you want to do it, with the possibility to share ideas and techniques with people working in similar (or completely different) fields – a work style Nathanaël Sorin-Richez, one of the local managers witnesses everyday.
This freedom of action and in management is also, I think, one of its possible weaknesses for those of us organizationally-challenged. You remember Google Wave ? Well it goes a little the same, but in the real world. La Cantine is a tool that can take all the shapes you need it to take : sharing space, work space, writing space – but you’re the one who’ll have to figure out how to use its resources and your time to reach your goals once you get there. Speaking of which, don’t hesitate to ask the people you’ll find there for help on your first time : as far as I could see, there was no obvious way to tell if there’s anyone to welcome the new faces – a good way to put « simple » users and managers on the same level (it might be quite a shock if you’re used to very clear structures).
Anyway, just go and check La Cantine : it’s really worth it for any freelancer, if only to see if the place has anything to offer you, whether that means meeting new people or bettering your technique – and if doesn’t click, at least you’ll have given it a shot !
