We started with WeWork when they were still GreenDesk, or WeWork 1.0.There were several benefits that you get going with WeWork:Flexibility / Month-to-month with no contractImmediate occupancyGreat designServices (mainly conference rooms, coffee & printingEase of use (bring in your laptop/desktop and plugin)Vibrant environment - glass walls letu2019s you see other people which is great when you are a small companyEasy expansion (up to a point)We were in an under utilized 2023 sq ft office in Dumbo at the time when it was annoucned that the building was rezoned for residential use so we had to find office space rather quickly. GreenDesk had just opened in Dumbo about 1 block away, we checked it out, and design of the space felt great so we decided to pack up our computers and move over.Ease of SetupThe biggest advantage is the ease of setup. We literally moved our entire office just by grabbing our work machines and some chairs. We didnu2019t need anything else.Flexibility / Month To MonthBecause everything is month to month without a contract the decision on our end was much faster because we didnu2019t have to worry about a long contract or what would happen if we outgrew the space.Great DesignIf you visited other coworking spaces like Regis at the time you truly understood how great their design was. It was open, airy, but at the same time giving you privacy. It allowed you to to feel connected to other people working there and most importantly the space felt great so you really felt like you could be productive.Services & Conference RoomsThe main services we used were conference rooms, printing, and coffee. The most critical of the three were conference rooms. If you are a small team of ten, and move into a dedicated office you need a conference room. Thatu2019s immediately 25% of usable square footage that is wasted on a room that isnu2019t occupied 100% of the time. But here you get that as an amenity which is great. We never really had too much issue with booking even as the floor we were on continued to fill up.ExpansionWe expanded three times while there. Basically we were fortunate that the offices next to ours became vacant and we snatched them up. Usually over a single weekend the wall that was separating the offices was taken down and we immediately had more office space. This can be especially critical during an early growth phase when it is hard to figure out how large you are going to be and if you donu2019t want to go through an office build out or efuture usage.PriceThe price per sq ft is higher for sure, but there are several key benefits that you receive that make it worth while. First of all you are paying mostly for what you use. Because it is more modular even as you are growing, you donu2019t end up having to get a 5,000 sq ft office when you can only fill 2,500 sq ft of it.You also save on the build out costs as more often than not you will not find a new office to move into that fits your needs ideally. This saves time and money.And without a large contract, you donu2019t have to worry about what to do with your lease when you outgrow the space.Moving OutWe decided to move out of GreenDesk/WeWork primarily because Dumbo isnu2019t a great location for food. I know it sounds silly but really it was challenging to find something to eat every single day. On top of that it wasnu2019t ideal for mass transit as it really was serviced by only one train line conveniently and the rest had a 10 minute walk.We ended up getting a 2,000 sq ft office as we had grown and then had to go through the build out, getting the internet setup, getting desks and everything else.And of course a coffee machine.We had a conference room we needed to build out and so forth.We expanded in that building twice, first moving to a different floor, and then taking the office next to ours which again required more build out, taking a wall down, and working through construction.From there we went to a full floor and a half at a different building in Soho, and now we are up to three floors there.ConclusionWhile I donu2019t have the costs with this because itu2019s been years I can say that if you are up to about 12u201315 people WeWork is probably a better choice overall when you factor in true cost of ownership of the space, build out, time, etc.Once you start growing beyond 12u201315 people, you probably want something that is more dedicated and also because WeWork kind of crams you on top of each other and you probably want a little extra dead space to just not feel like you are on top of each other.If I was to do it all over again, we would definitely go and use them for the initial part of our journey without question.At the 12u201315 person mark we would consider moving out, or see if WeWork has something more dedicated that can accommodate us. The real challenge is planning for future growth and trying to be predictable about it and then finding an office location where you can get the right amount of space but still hopefully find space that you can annex as you grow over time.