Blog
Silicon Valley: It’s Not the Garage, Stupid!
Why I believe that local ecosystems should start coliving spaces as centers of high performance for entrepreneurs.
It’s not easy to run a coliving
Sit Down, Let Mama Carlos Tell You About Coliving OK, so you’re starting a coliving. Great! I’m sure you’re excited about that. I know how it feels, but I also know what your fears are. Believe me, I’ve been there. However, it’s never been a better time to
A Sense of Family – A Hidden Look at How to Achieve This in Coliving
A Personal Look at the Perfect Coliving Manager Mindset This is the third and last intro post about coliving. Before we get our hands dirty about coliving management starting next week, I want to stop and take some time to talk to you about something personal. What I’m
Smart coliving: Technology and coliving
The best tips on how technology can be used in coliving. Hint: It’s not only about saving energy. There are several phases that pop into your head while running a coliving. The first one is, “will I fill the space up?” I have a firm opinion on why
No community, no coliving
Be vertical: The future of coliving. The Ground Floor of a Future Multi-Billion Dollar Industry It’s 2021, and after 8+ years, there’s finally a word to define my passion: Coliving. In my growing years, it was “hacker house,” a term that would raise people’s eyebrows and is a
My first House Manager almost destroyed my coliving business
Coliving Horror Stories – “How to Delegate Your Coliving” Edition This post starts a mini-series I’ve titled Horror Stories in Coliving that show what can go wrong when operating a coliving. Perhaps you can learn something and avoid such situations. I started Startup Embassy in 2012 with $200
Coliving: Revenue from beds should be anecdotal
How One Niche Can Change Your Value Proposition Since the first time the idea of starting a coliving crossed my mind, it was obvious that Startup Embassy had to be for startup founders only. At the time, my complete vision wasn’t fully realized. What I did realize
Coliving Community Building: The Fine Line Between Exclusive and Inclusive
The untold story of the startup castle in Silicon Valley, and how lack of diversity in a coliving poisons culture Let me tell you a true story. Back in 2013, Startup Embassy had been open for over a year; and at the time, I naively thought it was
Coliving: How People Become Territorial
How Ownership Can Poison a Community Community lies at the core of a successful coliving, and maintaining a healthy one is already demanding. However, one thing seldom discussed is that even if you have a healthy community, situations arise that will challenge its survival. One of these mechanisms,
Your Fridge Stinks! And Other Disasters From My Coliving
One Quick Fix for Any Communal Kitchen In a coliving career, you’ll soon find out why it’s dynamic, interesting, and ultimately a rewarding life. However, you’ll probably want to pull your hair out first. While there are more complex issues like what I’ve called “territoriality” or being puneeted,
Coliving: Don’t Be Puneeted! A Cautionary Tale
How to identify the worst community members in your coliving before they bring huge trouble. (*) New verb – to puneet: the act of being the worst coliver possible. I’ve said it many times, running a coliving can be demanding. On top of managing the physical property, you’re
7 Stages to Perfect Your Coliving Guest Journey
Maximize Your Community With a Coliver/Asset Strategy I hope that at this stage, there is a consensus that a healthy community is the cornerstone of your coliving. Either because you genuinely believe it or because it has already become common knowledge, and you’d look stupid by denying it.
Communities and cycles (I)
Coliving Foundations – Recognizing Destructive Cycles Your community is alive, and it will be in constant change. Learn what events trigger a change in the energy of your community and what consequences you might face. Let’s start at the foundation— there’s consensus that community is at the heart
Communities and cycles (II)
Who is Your First Line of Defense? In this second part of coliving communities and cycles, we’ll learn how to deal with events that will either disrupt your space’s energy, your community DNA, or both. Read the first part here if you haven’t already. The best weapon against
I once had rats in my coliving
One Embarrassing Secret I Will Share With You We all know how it goes in interviews with successful entrepreneurs. The questions focus on their success and how they achieved it. But most often, they spend little to no time remembering those “struggling” periods. When they do, it goes
Coliving Horror Short Stories to Add Some Spookiness to Your Weekend
Can You Remember Any of These Happening to You? If you are genuinely wondering, here’s mama Carlos to tell you some stories. I’ve already written about the infamous Startup Castle in Silicon Valley, how my first House Manager almost screwed my business, and even about that time I
Did it occur to you that your coliving might be a cult?
7 Clear Signs That Your Coliving is Actually a Cult My friend Damiano Ramazzotti and I frequently have long discussions about how, if you are not careful, your coliving might turn into a cult—even when you have the best of intentions. I’ve seen some communities like the Startup
Coliving: the room should spit you out
You’re Selling Community—Not Isolation! Coliving is a new industry taking shape, and as such, an ecosystem is still in early development. There are operators, each with their own model and value proposition (and most of them, in my opinion, very shallow in their value proposition). There are designers,