By the time you’re ready to roll I may even be an anchor!

My advise: Take your time and do it right. If it takes you a year or more, but it’s solid and true to your dream, it will be so much better then if you rush it and dilute your vision because of it.

Dans quelques années (et déjà un peu si on lit entre les lignes) quand les gens vont se demander “quel sont les moteurs” derrière cette communauté vibrante à Montréal, il y aura le nom de Patrick Tanguay quelque part sur cette liste non-écrite et sous-estimée mais oh combien essentielle “in the real world context” comme tu dis si bien!

Et ce n’est pas parce que certains startups s’organisent de leur côté (dont le mien, en effet) que les individus ne s’y intéressent pas. Je veux participer à faire arriver ce projet, dans la mesure ou je le peux personellement, et si tu mets en place un “conseil d’administration” ou un “comité aviseur”, count me in, même si c’est très possible qu’avec la poussée de croissance de Praized on soit déjà trop gros pour participer au projet sans l’overloader…

If there are naysayers (I suspect there are, given the tone of the post) let them whine. Keep driving this…

Heri: I do think you’re a bit naive here or at least haven’t thought out how it would work.

The first one might be a good idea and Alex did that in Philly but around here cafes are already packed with wifi using workers and students, they don’t need more. Second, that’s not what we need , we already have 80% of what you’re talking about with Laïka or even, to a lesser degree, Art Java. And third, we already have the critical mass of people to use a coworking space, we don’t need to build a group like Alex did and then see, we already know.

“where every future member is asked to participate.” Participate how? In the running of the space? Try to figure out a business structure where this would work, where people would alternate taking care of it. It’s either complex with loads of people involved or only a few owners and then why would non-owners take care of it for free? Pay them? Whole other ballgame. (I’m talking about actual management here, not opening the thing for a couple of days, I expect members will agree to do that once in a while)

I think that’s like people saying to “just do it” without thinking about the “real world” context. This isn’t a one day conference or a website, it’s something with commitments for a lease, equipment, etc. The truly open models don’t necessarily apply. Chris and Tara in SF are going open and community but they’re still the ones who put up the money and cover the rent.

if there is demand, if the setup seems popular, then grow from there and a “real” coworking space.

also, as you said, you have your freelance work and travels, another idea is to think the project as an open one, à la barcamp, where every future member is asked to participate.

my 2 cents.

As you said you probably have the lead on this in Montreal and anyone who finds it’s not fast enough should just… move his own ass ! Thanks for the time you spend on this and I’m confident you will end up with something great