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Show HN: A Global Co-Living Subscription for Nomads

thecaravanserai.co

121–130 of 168 posts

Re: Show HN: A Global Co-Living Subscription for Nomads

#121
post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can you explain how its visa abuse? I'm not working for a business in that country, I'm working for a business in my home country. As an accepting country, you're getting all of the benefits of me being there, spending money on services and goods, without having to provide me with employment or unpaid government services.

In the same way a drivers license does not grant you the right to pilot a ship or aircraft, a tourist visa doesn't allow you to work. A government is allowing you in because you stated your intentions to be a tourist, spend money, and then leave. They are under no obligation to allow you in, so it is a privilege being extended to you. Working without the correct type of visa could subject you to imprisonment or depor…

In general, many nations' laws still remain blissfully unaware of the existence of remote work. But ask politicians of nearly any stripe the following question.

"I'm already working a remote project that took away no jobs from any of your citizens, and can do this from anywhere in the world with an Internet connection. Can I come into your country for a few months and spend some money there as a tourist while continuing my remote work?"

And the vast majority will throw their arms open. While not realizing their nation's laws are written such that work, any work whatsoever, is disallowed by their visas, as these laws were written back when even the notion of remote work as we know it didn't exist. And even then, there were grey, murky areas; a trader could conduct his offshore business over telex and saunter around the hotel otherwise, and not run afoul of visa rules enforcement despite not meeting compliance, because it wasn't very obvious.

Today there is much more transparency and outward manifestations of "work" like co-working spaces so many traveling coders can more easily run afoul of letter-of-the-law applications of the visa laws. If you are a traveling doctor/lawyer taking phone consultations and charging for them though, then technically you are also running afoul, even though it is extremely unlikely you would run into visa enforcement.

You are technically correct, but more progressive nations like Thailand with their visa laws that reflect an acknowledgement of the existence of nomadic workers with remote work will continue to attract that small demographic until the comparative advantage is erased by adoption of similar legislation nearly everywhere else. In the meantime, it is such a small demographic, and generally relatively frugal, it is arguable that positions like yours are really worth the effort to act out into actual enforcement, or to get worked up over.

That demographic's largest economic impact is likely the advertising and marketing benefits their glowing blog posts deliver to their host nations, and in aggregate they are not really adding all that much to the overall tourist industry nor taking jobs away from the local populace. And unless a significant fraction of the global population makes the highly unlikely shift to nomadic working, that demographic's immediate cash-value economic impact won't change all that much for the foreseeable future.

Re: Show HN: A Global Co-Living Subscription for Nomads

#123

While not sure about this particular business model, it is the first good use case for container hotel rooms I've ever seen. Standardized rooms all over the world, run as a network of independent providers adhering to the international code of practice, advertised and paid for on AirBNB (because we already have hassle free hotel check in experience, why build another one). ... and stuffed with IKEA furniture we all k…

Containers are indeed a great idea for less permanent locations, otherwise solid constructions beats containers after a few years.

Re: Show HN: A Global Co-Living Subscription for Nomads

#124

This is a really interesting idea, though maybe a bit too expensive and, ah, "hip" for my tastes. (Currently hopping from Airbnb to Airbnb flatshare, paying $1000 or less a month for housing with internet and utilities included. Would be even cheaper if I wasn't in Western Europe.) I've been thinking lately of where I would like to live for most of my late twenties and early thirties. I'm definitely a bit of a loner,…

I saw a documentary and just this sort of place in the scandinavian countries. I can't find the specific links, but some quick googling turned up the term co-housing and this interesting overview:

http://www.cohousing.org/node/1537

Re: Show HN: A Global Co-Living Subscription for Nomads

#125

This is a very nice idea already. What should they do to make me really happy? Be able to invest some sum of money (or an existing property?) and enjoy a lifetime of co-living (they need much more destinations, of course). This can be a nice mode of rapid growth, property in exchange to co-living promise.

I wish there was a "really, really upvote this comment" button on HN.

Re: Show HN: A Global Co-Living Subscription for Nomads

#126
post #76

I can't wait to do it. Definitely in. It's awesome that you're taking the leap to make your spaces connected across countries. And a +1 for the idea of moving boxes around from country to country. As an aside I can't understand why, as a first step, co-working spaces in different locations haven't partnered up to offer this to people looking to move around and sort out their own accommodation. Having the availability…

Hi Tony, thanks! WeWork is working on this, in Europe you have things like https://copass.org/ launched by Betahaus and others.

Co-working is extremely interesting for us, as there are many lessons why some worked and scaled, and why most of it didn't. A lot to learn.

Re: Show HN: A Global Co-Living Subscription for Nomads

#127
post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hey archagon - you should check out our group: hackerparadise.org We've already run a co-living, co-working trip in Costa Rica and are about to begin another one in SE Asia.

Hey Caser, Very interested in applying - are you still accepting applications? I saw the first trip starts this month.

Hey Jay - yes we're still accepting applications. You can join us part-way through.

Re: Show HN: A Global Co-Living Subscription for Nomads

#128
post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hey archagon - you should check out our group: hackerparadise.org We've already run a co-living, co-working trip in Costa Rica and are about to begin another one in SE Asia.

Have you ever had anyone with a physical disability apply?

We haven't yet, but if you shoot us an email we're happy to talk more about your situation.

Re: Show HN: A Global Co-Living Subscription for Nomads

#129
post #76

I can't wait to do it. Definitely in. It's awesome that you're taking the leap to make your spaces connected across countries. And a +1 for the idea of moving boxes around from country to country. As an aside I can't understand why, as a first step, co-working spaces in different locations haven't partnered up to offer this to people looking to move around and sort out their own accommodation. Having the availability…

Hey Tony! We're starting to work on this too - check us out: hackerparadise.org

Re: Show HN: A Global Co-Living Subscription for Nomads

#130
post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the same way a drivers license does not grant you the right to pilot a ship or aircraft, a tourist visa doesn't allow you to work. A government is allowing you in because you stated your intentions to be a tourist, spend money, and then leave. They are under no obligation to allow you in, so it is a privilege being extended to you. Working without the correct type of visa could subject you to imprisonment or depor…

In general, many nations' laws still remain blissfully unaware of the existence of remote work. But ask politicians of nearly any stripe the following question. "I'm already working a remote project that took away no jobs from any of your citizens, and can do this from anywhere in the world with an Internet connection. Can I come into your country for a few months and spend some money there as a tourist while continu…

Yes, exactly. These laws were put in place well before remote work became possible. My mom still has a tough time understanding how I can do work without being in an office. I'm sure many politicians who make the laws still don't understand this concept.

Where does the line get drawn? If a CEO goes on holiday and is on a tourist visa but has a few phone calls back to his company, is that breaking the law? Should he be kicked out of the country?

If a programmer goes to San Francisco to visit but happens to go to a few meetups, is that now "work"?

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