5 Questions With

5 Questions with Marc Navarro

Jun 12, 2018

Marc Navarro, Coworking Expert & Space Director at Utopicus

Hey Marc, thanks for finding the time to answer our 5 questions! Let’s dive right in!

What does coworking mean to you?

(A) coworking (space) is a shared work space in which the manager brings value to the community. — Marc Navarro, Nov 2015

This is my definition ;)

What’s a best practice that you learned while running a coworking space?

I will go on better! These are my 10 community management tips.

There is strength in numbers: work in pairs like in a relay race.
Never reply immediately if you are not sure.
Be coherent.
First, listen to people; then YOU decide.
Do NOT take things for granted.
Explain what is necessary so that things are understood (≠ justify yourself)
Always think in terms of coworkers’ needs, but think of yourself too.
Summarize that conversation and send it by email (it will help both sides in the future).
1% inspiration, 99% perspiration.
Common sense is (always) your best ally.

What’s a great coworking project or initiative we should be aware of? Something that inspired you recently?

Last February I first attended CUAsia in Penang. It’s a great event during which I got in touch with the vibrant Asian coworking scene: they have the energy and amazingly quick output of a young sector. I absolutely recommend attending.

What makes the Spanish Coworking scene special? What do you love about it?

The Coworking Spain Conference was celebrating its 7th edition, which makes it one of the oldest coworking conferences everywhere. When you come to CWSC you can feel that energy. Most of the attendees have been friends for 5 years or more. It’s a community that stays connected all year long through a WhatsApp group in which people share their experiences and solutions almost on a daily basis. They celebrate their differences: the Spanish scene is a mix of spaces of different sizes, locations and people. More than half of them are concentrated in Barcelona and Madrid, the other half is located in medium or small cities from Galicia to Andalusia.

I love that Spaniards are quite authentic and this makes the conference sincere. Sometimes, when you’re attending other conferences, people are posing: they are pretending to always be the best and biggest versions of themselves. Although we have not been taught to talk (and celebrate) failure, we have a (proud) three-year history of sharing our mistakes. But what I like most is that everyone is still embracing newcomers and helping them no matter where they come from.

My website and social media profiles are:

Utopicus’ online profiles are:

Thanks Marc for finding the time to answer our questions and sharing some of your coworking knowledge!

If you aren’t already using Cobot as your coworking management software, give it a go! You’ll find that our features can help you run your coworking space more effectively and grow your community. Just sign up for a free trial or a live demo session. And if you have questions, our support team is all ears!

Happy Coworking!

Cobot

The leading management software for coworking spaces worldwide, trusted by coworking spaces, office hubs, and flexible workspaces of all sizes to grow and manage their communities.