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WeWork isn’t a tech company; it’s a soap opera

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141–150 of 199 posts

Re: WeWork isn’t a tech company; it’s a soap opera

#141

I wonder when this trend of calling companies "tech companies" — just because they happen to use technology — will end. WeWork clearly is a real estate company; Uber is a taxi company with an app; etc.

Yep, at some point in the past every business started to use cars to bring supplies or delivery products. Are they all car companies?

And before were all companies horse companies?

Re: WeWork isn’t a tech company; it’s a soap opera

#142

I wonder when this trend of calling companies "tech companies" — just because they happen to use technology — will end. WeWork clearly is a real estate company; Uber is a taxi company with an app; etc.

I agree on WeWork, but Uber is clearly not a taxi company. They're closer to being a mobile app developer, though that still feels like it falls short of an accurate description.

Because they develop their app in house they are an app dev and not a taxi co? Are all taxi companies that have apps and develop them in-house app companies and not taxi companies?

Are their revenue coming from apps or from rides? That's the clue.

Re: WeWork isn’t a tech company; it’s a soap opera

#143

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it would be amazing to see a co-working brand have locations absolutely everywhere, like 24 hour gyms. One price gets you into any of them and they're all the same. It would help with customer retention because they've already paid $300/mo to get in, so if they move or travel they're not paying someone else. They're sticking with you. I'm surprised WeWork locations are so few and far between, while Snap Fitne…

I'm surprised WeWork locations are so few and far between Where are you located? They have 562 locations, In many large cities, (SF, NYC, Phil - in Mexico City too) at least you can't go a more than a few blocks without getting a WeWork. Its pretty ubiquitous for me when I travel, but I've got a limited circle of cities I hit

I live in the Midwest. There are two locations in Detroit, 12 centered in downtown Chicago, and one in Columbus. That's it for the entire Midwest.

Re: WeWork isn’t a tech company; it’s a soap opera

#144

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It seems like their isn't much benefit to brand loyalty here - I would imagine it is easy to simply do a google search for a short term work place in a new city if you need a change of scenery from the coffee shop!

I think it would be amazing to see a co-working brand have locations absolutely everywhere, like 24 hour gyms. One price gets you into any of them and they're all the same. It would help with customer retention because they've already paid $300/mo to get in, so if they move or travel they're not paying someone else. They're sticking with you. I'm surprised WeWork locations are so few and far between, while Snap Fitne…

> I'm surprised WeWork locations are so few and far between, while Snap Fitness has a location on every other corner. There can't be that much more overhead to a co-working space versus a 24 hour fitness center.

Different business models. The gym gets you to pay your monthly fee based mostly on the aspiration that you'll go to the gym. Most people would ditch their coworking subscription if they don't use it almost every day, since there are plenty of alternative options (unlike the gym, which is the only place to get that kind of equipment).

Re: WeWork isn’t a tech company; it’s a soap opera

#145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It seems like their isn't much benefit to brand loyalty here - I would imagine it is easy to simply do a google search for a short term work place in a new city if you need a change of scenery from the coffee shop!

I think it would be amazing to see a co-working brand have locations absolutely everywhere, like 24 hour gyms. One price gets you into any of them and they're all the same. It would help with customer retention because they've already paid $300/mo to get in, so if they move or travel they're not paying someone else. They're sticking with you. I'm surprised WeWork locations are so few and far between, while Snap Fitne…

Gyms have many more members than capacity. They would have to dramatically raise the price if people actually used their memberships. OTOH co-working spaces likely have much higher utilization since pretty much everyone goes to work.

Re: WeWork isn’t a tech company; it’s a soap opera

#146
post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If your revenue isn't driven by your technology, then you aren't a tech company. If it is, then you are. There's tons of software companies that make money by selling (directly, or by charging licensing, usage fees, etc) for their software. WeWork isn't selling software, or any other form of technology. They're renting property.

So if Uber's model was subscription-only software that enabled ~unlimited~ fair usage many rides, it would be a tech company, but as it is it isn't? I'm not disagreeing with the conclusions about WeWork and Uber, I just think it's hard or not possible to define what it is, and what does it really mean anyway: to varying degrees any company in any sector is enabled by 'tech'.

>if Uber's model was subscription-only software that enabled ~unlimited~ fair usage many rides

I have no idea what this sentence means. But if Uber was a company that sold software to taxi companies then they'd be a tech company. As it is they sell car rides, not software, and so are a taxi company more than they are a tech company.

Re: WeWork isn’t a tech company; it’s a soap opera

#148

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In theory, the board. The board represents investors. And usually the big investors will have a seat on the board. The board should have intervened here.

That's my point. The LLC owners / WeWork shareholders should have recused themselves due to conflict of interest and the board should have shot it down. This seems really sketchy to me, an end run to get money out of the company.

Definitely seem sketchy and should give some people second thoughts about investing.

Re: WeWork isn’t a tech company; it’s a soap opera

#149
post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most universities and schools have a similar setup. No idea how WeWork works but I assume you have some sort of user account already (how do you pay them otherwise?) that you can use to authenticate yourself. Then your AP just needs to talk to a auth gateway (usually RADIUS) which then talks to your actual auth backend (LDAP, AD, or whatever online login form they use). For guests you either generate guest account or…

Fair enough. Although I'm familiar with quite a few situations where most people just use a single network for wireless (whether employees or guests) and confidential company resources are put behind SSO and/or VPN using 2FA. Others do have separate networks of course and maybe that makes sense in the case of something like WeWork that probably has more people who aren't employees/paying customers coming in and out a…

I think the problem is that providing internet access is part of WeWork's core product. It doesn't matter if your accountant's office just has one shitty wifi connection for everyone -- you'd still go visit them even if they didn't have wifi. But literally the entire point of WeWork is renting space to work, with internet. They should be held to a higher standard in this regard, IMO.

Re: WeWork isn’t a tech company; it’s a soap opera

#150

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not everybody knows or appreciates the use of a VPN. I don't think yours is enough justification for WeWork for not having built a proper service.

Application layer security doesn't just mean VPNs. What websites are you connecting to with sensitive information that don't use HTTPS with HSTS preload nowadays?

Here's one from just yesterday: the password reset form for sched.com, which the Linux Foundation uses for schedules, is HTTP. I had to follow this link to upload my slides for a talk I'm giving at a LF conference next week.

Yes, the ideal, which we should all be actively working towards, is HTTPS. That doesn't mean that the world is already there.

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