Loosecubes is shutting down

http://blog.loosecubes.com/post/35620635475/dear-loosecubers-friends-and-fans-we-are

by zaiste • 14 years ago

43 28 14 years ago

blog.loosecubes.com

ahc• 14 years ago

What a shame... I really loved their service. Also, quite surprising given they raised a pretty big Series A just a few months ago. http://techcrunch.com/2012/06/05/loosecubes-series-a/

johnabowen• 14 years ago

I agree that it’s surprising. I hope we get a postmortem; I’d like to know why they are closing the doors. Lack of traction (seems like they had some though)? Trouble monetizing?

skreech• 14 years ago

Yeah, a "why" is definitely lacking. They must have had either a monetization plan or an aggressive growth plan when they raised that money, and 5 months is a short time to prove either.

Could be internal struggles or personal reasons.

otakucode• 14 years ago

I'd like to know why they had 16 employees. I'm probably just overlooking something, but it doesn't seem to me that you'd need more than a handful.

looseaway• 14 years ago

From what I understand, this is an example of why tranched VC investments are bad. (See: http://cdixon.org/2009/08/15/the-problem-with-tranched-vc-in...)

It's not an investment until the money is in the bank.

colinbartlett• 14 years ago

Interesting read!

rwhitman• 14 years ago

So sad to hear this. Everyone should take a spin through their product and marketing screens before they close up shop, the design is a real work of art.

I had some time to sit down with Campbell a few times when she was just launching the company - so much positive energy and a real dedication to community building

Sadly I think it may have just been a little ahead of its time...

bmac27• 14 years ago

Agreed. I don't think the market for non-coffee shop workspaces is still that sizable, particularly in non-city environments. It's definitely growing though and I think in five to ten years, this market will be able to sustain a more viable business model once the shift in work patterns from full-time cubicle farm dweller to freelancer takes place in greater numbers.

I personally used Loosecubes to find a great space in midtown NYC and built some solid friendships with a few of the folks there as a result. They'll definitely be missed and I wish them well.

francesca• 14 years ago

Campbell is a rock star. Really disappointed they will be shutting down. Their product and culture were so uplifting! It's a great idea, but the market didn't pick up in the way they expected. I agree the market was a little ahead, but there were a few corners they could have cut. AirBNB did it well and it's possible they could have galvanized support for the co-working movement in the same way that AirBNB made it happen for travelers.

nlh• 14 years ago

Disappointing! I just signed up a few weeks ago and have happily used Loosecubes several times to find some great coworking spaces. They introduced me to the good folks at PARISOMA in SF and Buro in Miami.

So sorry to hear about this. Of course, I didn't pay them anything for those intros (and I would have, btw) but I imagine that in general has something to do with their decision to close up shop.

I'd be interested to learn a few things: 1. What was the story behind their (hoped?) business model, and why did they decide to close the doors? 2. I wonder if someone will pick up the mantle where they left off -- perhaps not at the same scale -- but there is absolutely a need for this sort of coworking directory.

Perhaps a side-project-in-waiting for someone...?

ovi256• 14 years ago

Have a look at http://www.coworfing.com, saw some cool public places with wifi around me.

coworfing2• 14 years ago

I'm cofounder of Coworfing, thanks for mentioning us. We're still under development but working hard to provide you the best service. The best comment I found on the topic is over here: http://happymonster.co/2012/11/13/what-loosecubes-shutdown-m... and especially this paragraph "Because for LooseCubes, it was never about the physical features of the facilities. All that stuff is irrelevant now. The name of the game in the workspace sharing world is the people you have a chance to meet. Nobody ever said they loved coworking because they got to sit in a fancy chair. LooseCubes got that better than most, and was putting that first and foremost in the direction they took." We respected and watched closely Loosecubes because they put a real focus on being social, while most of the other players are only directories. Loosecubes understood that the purpose of the tool is to help people share their workplaces. It's more about coworkers than listings of coworking spaces.

andersaa• 14 years ago

There are a few alternatives, like https://www.deskwanted.com/ and http://www.opendesks.com/.

We're actually building an MVP for a similar site with focus on the market in northern Europe, it would be interesting to hear where it went wrong for Loosecubes. They looked like the best kids in class.

NikP• 14 years ago

Loosecubes, they are great team, shame it did not work out. And as others I hope we get some insight on what actually happened.

1.There is some insight on a comment from "Chris Di Fonzo" on TechCrunch article. Though it may be just his own opinion http://techcrunch.com/2012/11/13/loosecubes-shutdown-casts-a...

2.I am ready to pick up the mantle..if I find a developer, have been researching this sector for 2 months and have got a good understanding on what kind of product is required, how to launch it and carry it forward.

3.It is not a side project, this is full time, just came back form the Paris coworking europe conference and after meeting numerous space owners, software providers I feel there is huge gap in what people want and what is being provided. Secondly end users, people like you and me, are not even the focus on most of these products.

4. Someone said below the space owner can mange their marketing, space bookings etc on thier own, that is not the case, I have had completely opposite feedback.

karakurt• 14 years ago

why? :'-(

subpixel• 14 years ago

Sorry to hear this, but in my experience, coworking spaces are able to manage their own marketing (web) and payment (square) systems, rendering the LC discovery/reservation/transaction model a tenuous one.

On top of that, I think there's just less demand for short-term, drop-in work space than LC seems to be predicated upon.

I'm sure LC learned a ton of valuable lessons and I hope they'll share.

pavel_lishin2• 14 years ago

I always imagined that LC was looking to cater to businesses that happen to have a few spare desks or offices, but don't want to open a side business having to manage a coworking space; much like AirBNB allows me to rent out my couch without having to put up a neon SuperMotel9 sign in my window.

shoeless• 14 years ago

I think this is true. However, the LC model was sharing - for free. So, I'm in the LC network, I can use any other space in the LC network. It's predicated on those folks being on the move quite a bit. Not sure how they could have monetized that.

haberdasher• 14 years ago

Is there any kind of service that broadcasts just that you're working on a project and that there's space to sit nearby, whether it's your apartment or a cafe?

morewillie• 14 years ago

Sad to hear this. The Loosecubes team was always amazingly friendly and helpful. They built a beautiful service, it's a shame to see it shuttered.

web64• 14 years ago

If they got $7.8M in June then they must have more money in the bank, so does this mean they are going to pivot?

jeffreylo• 14 years ago

FWIW, I heard the funding didn't come through.

bravoyankee• 14 years ago

Interesting how a startup can be a success (like loosecubes) yet still fail.

All the best to those involved.

ryankals• 14 years ago

Really sad to hear them closing up shop! I used Loosecubes a few times to find space at TheAlley in midtown. Perhaps they had trouble monetizing? They certainly had loyal regulars such as myself posting reviews... shocking to hear they went under.

coworfing2• 14 years ago

As a more open alternative (we're open source and trying to build a common listing of places), I'm wondering what will Loosecubes team do with their db & their code. Moreover, I'm sure they know and understood many things that would help everyone if shared.

ALee• 14 years ago

I'm quite surprised this happened. I recently used their services in NYC for the first time. There was a lot they could have done to increase growth for their service and to optimize for revenue. I would have paid money for the service (and I rarely pay for any services), but alas, I don't think they're able to do that.

It is possible that their price tests just didn't yield a very high margin for them, which is essential in these AirBnB type of companies.

manjupapa• 14 years ago

Currently looks like the largest platform for shared workspaces is ShareDesk http://www.sharedesk.net/

It says they have over 950 priorities and they have a very impressive UI.

Loosecubes is shutting down

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