DemoCamp meets Coffee Shop

This blog post is part of a series about Coworking around North America & is sponsored by The Network Hub. To learn more about The Network Hub, visit www.thenetworkhub.ca.

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Ideally suited for the freelancer, self-employed, or small start-up, coworking is a way to work independently or collaboratively alongside other like-minded individuals. The aim of coworking spaces is to provide independent workers with the benefits of the social interaction that occurs from working in a typical office. And since everyone in a coworking space chooses to be there, it also reduces the typical office politics that workers have to deal with.

This week, we’re focusing on The Code Factory, a coworking space founded by Ian Graham. As a former home-based consultant, he met with a lot of clients in coffee shops, and liked its relaxed and informal atmosphere. So, after various coffee shop meetings and running a number of DemoCamps, Ian combined them in the same place. In 2008, The Code Factory opened its doors in the heart of our nation’s capital and aimed it towards the technology sector.

We asked what the motivation was for starting The Code Factory, and Ian responded like a true entrepreneur: “Honestly, I wanted to. I tend to be a bit goal oriented and just decided that this is what I wanted to do.”

He applied that same energy at The Code Factory by hosting events geared towards software user groups that allowed individuals to gain support. These events encourage collaboration between the clients at The Code Factory who vary between a combination of start-ups and creatives in media, communications and service-based consultancy. The collaboration and feedback that occurs between the different members serves as one of the major benefits of working in a coworking space. “There are quite a few examples of companies starting to work together on projects, people getting hired and even a couple of companies going from idea to launch within the facility. There was an iPhone web app for the Olympics that was coded in a weekend hackathon by the Ottawa/Gatineau Cocoaheads group (who also meet here on a monthly basis). There is a new segment on our blog called “Collaboration Corner” and Tweety10, the Olympic iPhone App, is our first post. Plenty more really great stories being written as we speak.”

When asked about the privacy concerns some people may have about working in a coworking space, Ian ensures that their members are respectful of each other’s privacy, but meeting rooms and private offices are also available.

Ian says he has his pondering cap on in regards to the future of The Code Factory. “I would love to help someone open The Code Factory in a second city this year and beyond that who can say.”