Your Space or Mine

I was invited to work for the last few days of 2009 at ThinkSpace. ThinkSpace is a local office complex in Redmond, WA – near the Microsoft Main Campus that has been designed with space for both permanent and drop-in office needs.

I met Peter Chee ( @ThinkSpace) and Alyssa Magnotti (@alyssamag) and Angie of ThinkSpace. Peter gave me the tour of the facilities and showed me what they’ve done to make it a great place to work on a regular basis or just as a drop-in when you need a place to work for a day or just the use of a conference room for a few hours.

Clearly he’s proud of the building, the space, and the people that call it home for the long term or just for a day at a time. And deservedly so. The space is great, the people are nice, and it’s a conducive atmosphere to get things done.

I also ran into a few people I already knew – including Chris Hare (@hareforce1) of Integrated Talent. Chris was doing the same thing I was and just wanted a space to get some work done. We chatted for a few minutes and he showed me what he was working on. I’m always impressed with the incredibly cool videos he and his company produce for Microsoft, K2, and various other companies that need premium quality, highly effective videos.

If You Build It They Will Come

As I spent time with Peter I found out that he’s a builder and that he set up this facility as a way to help startups as well as established businesses.

Peter made a point of building a comfortable work space and he also wanted it to be energy efficient and sustainable so he went for the LEED certification. LEED is the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and requires that the building meet some exacting standards for environmentally sustainable construction.

What was I expecting?

Before I met with Peter and toured the ThinkSpace facilities I had a few questions in my mind about Hours, Ambience, Vibe, and the overall Facilities. I was impressed on all counts. The ThinkSpace facilities are available at hours that suit both startups and established businesses. The ambience and vibe are a perfect and provide the right balance of privacy and connectedness. The facilities are just what I envisioned and was happy to see Peter has created the space for people to feel comfortable to relax, relate, and think.

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Your Space or Mine?

As 2010 charges forward I hope to be able to visit ThinkSpace more than a few times. I will look to utilize the conference rooms on occasion and sometimes just drop in for a day to get a project completed.

If you are looking for a place to get some work done on an occasional basis or on a more permanent basis I recommend you take a look at ThinkSpace. The details about can be found on their web site. Tell ‘em Jeff sent ya. I hope to see you there.

Thanks again to Peter, Alyssa, and Angie for your hospitality.

About The Author:
I have spent the better part of the last 20 years working in various aspects of the ECM industry. I am currently with Kodak as a Director of Business Development. In my past I have spent time at Kofax, Microsoft, FileNet, K2, and at Captaris (which was acquired by Open Text in Nov 2008). Prior to that I was a Unix VAR running my own company. Follow me on Twitter, check my blog, send email or find me on Facebook or LinkedIn.