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I'm really excited to see more companies like this. While the economics are interesting, I think the real value that co-living brings is community. People used
by caser 11y ago
I'm really excited to see more companies like this. While the economics are interesting, I think the real value that co-living brings is community.
People used to get their feelings of belonging from their church and religion. As religion takes a backseat, people are finding that sense of community in new areas (like Crossfit).
I personally felt really lost toward the end of university. Due to injury, I was unable to play sports, which is where I'd found my "tribe" growing up. I also was doing a lot of soul-searching after shutting down my last company, and so was feeling disconnected from a lot of the people in the startup world.
Anyways, through a series of random events, I ended up starting a coliving experiment for developers & entrepreneurs in Costa Rica.
I thought the value would be having interesting people around while abroad, but the best part was getting thrown into a collegial atmosphere, where people would just hang out and shoot the breeze about anything they found interesting. It was a really profound experience for me, and I've since spent 11 out of the last 14 months in various co-living arrangements around the world through Hacker Paradise.
There are definitely drawbacks to intense levels of community. You have a bit less privacy, and interpersonal friction will arise.
Still, I think it can be a really remarkable experience for people in their "Odyssey years," while they're still trying to figure out what they want to make their life's work. I know I've made closer friends through co-living than I would have otherwise.
- archagon 11y agoI had the exactly the same experience with student co-ops in college, as did many of my peers. Honestly, I think it's just a better way of living in general, Odyssey Years or not. I'd love to still live in a self-sufficient, close-knit community when I'm 70 years old. (Maybe structured as a bit more of an eco-village than a giant house, maybe not.)
- metasean 11y agoI'd like to have semi-eco-villages that could also support a more mobile community. In particular, I'd like to be able to travel and live in an RV, moving between "villages" as desired.