Coliving Cocktail #21 | Art of Coliving

Hi all,

“It does not matter that 2019 comes to an end - what matters is what we make out of that transition.”

For those who have been following me since earlier this year, you’ve seen the journey of a man in search of his positioning within the coliving industry. I started with exploration - news, resources, industry insights - and am now turning into a new chapter.

This new chapter of 2020 will be around one major topic: how to engineer human connection into coliving. And that transition would not have been possible without your support, trust, and weekly feedback.

So to you: thank you. And to us: let’s have a kick-ass 2020!

With love, Gui

My Christmas gift to you 🎁 —

I want to end this year with a true, naked story.

Some of you might know that I run a coliving space in Barcelona. But I never told how it happened by accident. How it went from concept to opening in 14 days. How we filled it up and broke even on day 1. How we created systems and community organically. And what fuck-ups and learnings we had.

👉so enjoy this personal and insightful read: the true and messy story behind setting up my first coliving (12min)

What I’ve been thinking about —

I spent two weeks in the middle of nowhere in Mallorca writing my book. Here are some major thoughts:

Are communities here to last? Inspired by the cohousing movement, I asked myself if coliving communities can be built to last. My original thought was that it can if the community is able to adapt its culture over time. After reflection, I believe that the coliving communities will remain transient in essence, and only micro-friendships will survive the long-term game.
What common denominator should exist to create a coliving culture? Many operators try to create culture by hosting activities, hence appealing to interests. Another approach is aligning values, such as wellness or creativity. But how can you create a culture if your residents are completely diverse? I came to the conclusion that culture should go beyond the self: it should be based on principles of interaction.
What is the ROI of community building? I haven’t found any information on that and decided to write a 10-page essay, including financial equations. It’ll be published in January - write me if you want to contribute.

Some end-of-the-year reports to not miss out on —

December was packed with insightful stuff:

TheHouseMonk released the 2019 Coliving Report. Highly recommend to read it: while I'd be cautious about the numbers (for example, I believe there are more than 400 operators globally), the team did a great job at representing the big players in Asia. It also shows opportunities and trends in coliving.
PwC released there “Sharing or Paring” report, which explains the sharing economy trend in depth within different industries.
Also read this piece on the 2020 multifamily trends: from deconversion 2.0 to future-proof amenities
And JLL published in cooperation with JOYN their Portugal Coliving report (interesting especially if operating in Portugal)

Quote I’m pondering on —

“Yet having a home that reinforced one’s individuality cannot but help increase the chances that one will act out one’s uniqueness.” - Mihaly Csikszentmilhalyi

And a few personal updates —

I just came back from two weeks of deep book writing at Startup Embassy in Mallorca. In the meanwhile, I’m working on setting the space for the 2020 Co-Liv Summit, and preparing a V2 for the Coliving Insights Magazine.

I’ve also launched the Nomadic Explorers Podcast with NomadX on coliving spaces for digital nomads, exploring how they build community while mostly having short-term guests.

Lastly, if you want to be more closely involved in my upcoming book, let me know and I’ll include you in the inner writing circle.

Until then, wishing you all a gorgeous end of this year 🎄✨

Gui

PS: If you have any thoughts on my writing, please share them with me, I’d love to read them. And if someone forwarded you this email, you can subscribe to my newsletter here.

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