Ask HN: Startup idea – disconnected, physical space charged by hour

I'm mostly answering these questions, but most of the questions are valuable things to consider before trying to start a business.

> - Who is realistically experiencing enough pain that they would pay for this service? > - What psychological or social customer needs are not satisfied my the market?

I've tried to digital detox at home by leaving all of my devices away in another room. I find myself reaching for my phone to take a picture, ask someone a question, or search for some answer to a question. I tried a half hour and a whole hour. I wasn't trying to meditate; I just wanted to be where I was without distraction. I started counting how many times I reached for my device. I would instinctively try to use my phone a least 10-15 times an hour. Having my always on phone and watch has changed the way I think and act. Since I always have my phone, it feels like an extension of myself. The smartwatch is similar. If I'm not wearing it, I'll still instinctively look at my arm for the time, date, weather, etc.

I imagine there are other people like me, looking for a 3rd space to either do some deep work, meditate, or try to get away to fight burnout and other related issues (not always work burnout). The obvious competitor for the deep-work side is WeWork. I can rent personal workspaces in various styles: working in a shared room, finding an available private booth (and trying to work) that is not much bigger than a portable restroom, or renting and working in a conference-type room. Each gets more expensive, except the booths. Those are usually free to use for a brief period (30m?) if you have paid for common room space, but finding an available booth is challenging. None of those are for non-work. Common areas are noisy and busy enough to distract a monk. I can't get deep work done there unless I hide in a booth if one is available, and they are not time bound (I think they recommend 30m before letting someone else use the booth.

If there were screens or just pre-programmed audio for guided meditations, that would be helpful for those trying to disconnect truly. Otherwise, they sound like nap pods or a coffin-type hotel.

Real estate can be costly, especially when renting instead of buying the space (and building equity). I don't consider home or coffee shops a reliable 3rd space for deep work, as they are too noisy and distracting (even with headphones). Going into the office is hit or miss, as it can be productive to be around other people working, but it isn't always conducive to deep work. We have booths at work for something like this, but there's no sound isolation or door.

I've experienced enough burnout and not feeling productive to pay for a place to go and meditate. I can also probably find a meditation class or maybe a quiet but shared space at my local community center or community gym (I'm in Austin, TX, USA).

I could probably go to an internet-enabled library for deep work, but not all libraries provide booths (most I've seen is in college libraries, which means being an enrolled student). Library solo space is hit or miss. A lot of libraries have reading areas that are shared, which can be distracting.

Re: making it non-profit: Starting and running a not-for-profit corporation is as much work as a regular corporation, possibly more (I've started a nonprofit, which folded, and sat on the board of another). The upside is you may be lucky enough to find wealthy donors, so not all of the money would rely on making enough space rental revenue to cover expenses (beyond just rent). The downside is you need to know where to find wealthy donors.

Thanks for digging up the link - it was how I knew about it in the first place.

Historically, this is what people have used public libraries and university libraries for. They're typically not internet-free spaces, but a little discipline on the user's part solves that.

>I've tried to digital detox at home by leaving all of my devices away in another room. I find myself reaching for my phone to take a picture, ask someone a question, or search for some answer to a question. I tried a half hour and a whole hour. I wasn't trying to meditate; I just wanted to be where I was without distraction. I started counting how many times I reached for my device. I would instinctively try to use my phone a least 10-15 times an hour. Having my always on phone and watch has changed the way I think and act. Since I always have my phone, it feels like an extension of myself. The smartwatch is similar. If I'm not wearing it, I'll still instinctively look at my arm for the time, date, weather, etc.

Get a box with a time lock.

Put ALL your devices in it.

Set the timer to 1/2 hour.

Find EVERY day a half hour to dedicate to this exercise.

After 1 week increase the timeout to 1 hour ...

There's actually a surprising numbers of things one can do without connectivity. My usual routine at a staycation is to (1) first write out everything that comes to my mind -- "emptying" my thoughts. This usually takes up an hour. Then (2) do strategic planning, such as prioritizing to-dos on a 3- to 5-year timeline. (3) do creative work such as writing. Finally (4) rest, or read.