The big picture
What’s a reboot?
A reboot is a shutting down and restarting. We’re borrowing the term from the tech world (i.e., “reboot your computer”) and the idea from other highly successful coworking spaces. Yes, we’re going to shut down briefly, take Cowork Frederick apart, clean it, reorganize it, fix what needs fixing, and put it back together. We may even do some upgrades along the way.
Why reboot?
Because if we’re doing this right, Cowork Frederick should be ever-evolving and becoming something better. Reboot is a time to work together as a community to fix problems, make improvements, and adapt our shared space to match the needs of our always-changing community. If you’re among our dedicated desk members and it’s been while since you’ve seen your desk, this will be your chance to find it. J Finding ways to pitch in helps Cowork Frederick feel like YOUR home, no matter how long you’ve been a member. You know that feeling when you stand back and look at the car you just washed, the room you decorated, or garden you planted? Yeah – we want to give you a chance to feel that way about Cowork Frederick.
What gets rebooted?
The space. We’ll clear out the furniture, clean all the nooks and crannies, make repairs, touch up the paint, and maybe more depending on what we see that needs to be done. Then we’ll put everything back. How it gets put back is up to you. Have an idea for something new? Join the space reboot team.
The music. Odds are, we’ve been listening to the same Pandora music stations on the same schedule for a year. Tired of it? Join the music reboot team and create a new music schedule.
The member handbook. The member handbook is your guide to using Cowork Frederick. Does our member handbook need to be updated? Are some pages out of date? Do you know something about how things work that you want to share? Join the member handbook reboot team.
Cowork Slack. Just like topics in our member handbook, the useful life of Slack channels can reach an end. The Slack reboot team will review the existing channels, decide which ones should stay and which should go. They’ll also add new channels that would be useful.
How does the reboot work?
We’ll start messaging about the reboot two months in advance. Teams should start forming and making plans right away. It’s up to the team how and when they communicate ahead of the event. The reboot will happen over a three-day weekend (Friday-Sunday). Members with dedicated desks need to pack up their things before that Friday. We’ll provide boxes. Cowork Frederick will be closed for business all three days. Depending on the work needed on the building, we may hire some contractors to handle some of the heavy lifting.
Details for this year’s reboot
Building renovations
You may recall past conversations about changes in store for our building. Some of those are going to happen this year. Some are being saved for next year. Fitzgerald’s Heavy Timber Construction is going to remove the bay window that’s falling apart and build a new wall in its place. They’re also going to take out the arched wall that separates the room with the lockers from the “sun room”. The building has some bad settling in that area and removing the weight of that wall is part of the fix. The change will also pave the way for some new things we’re considering. That work is scheduled to start October 22. Our reboot will start shortly after they’re done.
Because the renovations will be pretty disruptive to work in the Community Room, we’re going to block the Conference Room off as a workspace. We’re also going to move tables and chairs next door to 120 E Patrick St so people can work there.
Our inaugural reboot
While we’ve made minor changes along the way, this will be our first proper reboot. We’ve wanted to do this for a while and are super excited to finally initiate this new tradition. Because it’s our first, we expect to learn a lot as we do it. Your input during the process and feedback afterwards will be especially important this year.
Important Dates
The schedule for our 2018 (year 6) reboot is still being determined. More on this later. The process will look something like this, which is subject to change after we start talking to you all about all this.
DATE: Reboot member meeting
DATE: Finalize project planning & discussions, scheduling, prioritizing
DATE: Boxes available for packing (more about packing details below)
DATE: Teams & shifts available for signup
DATE: Everything must be packed in a box and ready for Reboot the following day!
DATES: Reboot Weekend! Cowork Frederick is CLOSED for normal work, including Friday
DATE: Cowork Frederick re-opens for work