In an era of hybrid work, Slack threads, and Zoom fatigue, it might feel counterintuitive—or even regressive—to challenge the dominant narrative about flexibility and autonomy in today’s workplace. But here it is: Coworking spaces, despite their trendy allure and post-pandemic relevance, contribute to the quiet erosion of something critical—true creative collaboration.
This isn’t a nostalgic tribute to cubicles or micromanagement. I support evolution. However, as someone who has built, managed, and collaborated with creative teams for over two decades, I believe we need to pause and ask: Are coworking spaces truly fostering the kind of innovation we claim to value? Or are they simply a Band-Aid over a deeper issue—the fragmentation of team identity and purpose?
The Coworking Mirage: Flexibility Without Unity
Coworking spaces experienced significant growth in the 2010s for good reason. They provided startups and solo entrepreneurs with an affordable, community-driven alternative to traditional leases. They offered remote workers a place to plug in, away from the distractions of home. However, as these spaces gained popularity, especially among small to mid-sized companies, we began to conflate flexibility with effectiveness.
The truth is, coworking isn’t built for teams. It’s built for individuals—independent goals, independent routines, and often, independent outcomes. And when teams work in spaces not designed for them, the results are predictable:
- Culture gets diluted. How do you build a shared mission when your team is scattered across open-concept rooms filled with people working on completely unrelated things?
- Communication becomes tactical, not creative. You might get the job done, but the spark—the hallway ideas, the after-lunch breakthroughs, the momentum of collective problem-solving—rarely survives in environments where your nearest teammate might be sitting five desks away… or not there at all.
- The infrastructure is inconsistent. From Wi-Fi speed to desk layout to security protocols, coworking spaces vary wildly. What should be a consistent experience becomes a logistical puzzle, and creative flow doesn’t thrive in chaos.
In short, coworking might support a kind of productivity—but not the kind that builds lasting innovation, high-trust teams, or meaningful culture.
Real Collaboration Needs a Shared Space—And a Shared Purpose
Let’s be honest: Slack is not a substitute for shared energy. Nor is a Zoom brainstorm the same as reading the room during an impromptu whiteboard session. Remote tools have their place, but they flatten creative nuance. They reduce collaboration to mere communication. Yet, communication is a tool; collaboration is a culture.
Even if only a few days a week, centralized offices give teams something coworking cannot: immersion. You’re not just working near your team in a real office—you’re building with them. You’re absorbing subtle cues, learning through observation, and reinforcing shared values simply by showing up in the same space.
- In-person interaction fosters trust. You see how your colleague reacts under pressure. You hear the hesitation in a pitch. You develop instincts that can’t be taught through a screen.
- Ideas move faster. The best solutions don’t always emerge from structured meetings—they happen in hallway chats, over coffee, or while looking at the same problem from two different desks.
- Culture becomes tangible. Offices can—and should—reflect your brand, your ethos, your values. Coworking spaces? They reflect everyone and no one.
In Secondary Markets, the ROI Just Isn’t There
In cities such as Akron, Dayton, or even Cleveland, the appeal of coworking diminishes more rapidly. Monthly fees ranging from $150 to $500 per person may initially appear affordable, but when compared to actual team cohesion or business development opportunities, the value proposition falls apart.
Too often, these spaces host a mix of freelancers, remote employees, and solopreneurs—each doing good work, no doubt, but rarely collaborating. Community events often fall flat. Networking happens sporadically. And the promise of serendipitous collaboration never fully materializes.
If you’re managing a team—even a small one—your money is better invested in a space that truly supports your objectives: consistent infrastructure, privacy, security, and an environment that strengthens your shared identity.
The Winds Are Shifting—Again
In 2025, the federal government made headlines by calling its workforce back to physical offices. Say what you will about the motives, but the implications are clear: the pendulum is swinging back toward in-person work, at least in part. And when government policy shifts, private industry often follows.
This trend represents a challenge for coworking providers that they aren’t built to meet. Enterprise clients are shrinking. Drop-in memberships are no longer enough. And teams that crave genuine connection are quietly—but steadily—returning to purpose-built environments.
When Flexibility Becomes a Liability
It’s also important to consider the other end of the spectrum: remote work. Yes, remote arrangements saved us during the pandemic. They provided us safety, continuity, and a crash course in digital tools. However, in our collective rush to prove that remote work “works,” we’ve overlooked a hard truth: sometimes, it doesn’t.
The promise of flexibility often comes with a hidden cost—diluted accountability.
When work becomes disconnected from a specific place, it can rapidly lose its sense of purpose. Deadlines begin to slip. Meetings turn into mere performances. Team members who once flourished in collaborative settings start to withdraw, not out of laziness, but because the system no longer energizes or inspires them.
And yes, sometimes remote work is simply abused. There are more than a few stories of employees juggling multiple jobs, logging ghost hours, or quietly disappearing into the background. These aren’t just isolated incidents. They signal that we’ve leaned too far into autonomy without reinforcing responsibility.
Without intentional structure, remote work can obscure underperformance and disconnection. The very flexibility intended to empower individuals can sometimes undermine the collective rhythm that successful teams depend on.
This isn’t an indictment of remote work as a concept. It’s a reminder that how we work matters just as much as where we work. And for many organizations, especially those that depend on creativity, speed, and trust, that “where” still matters greatly.
It’s Time to Be Honest About What Teams Really Need
The coworking boom served a purpose; it provided options during uncertain times and allowed us to keep moving. However, we now face a choice: do we continue patching together a hybrid experience that benefits no one, or do we reinvest in spaces—and strategies—to put teams back at the center?
This isn’t about rejecting flexibility; it’s about refining it. True flexibility isn’t about avoiding the office altogether, it’s about creating work environments that meet human needs: connection, clarity, and collaboration.
If you’re serious about creating something bold—something that needs more than checklists and Zoom calls—then it’s time to reconsider where your team invests its most valuable time.
The coworking era isn’t dead. But for many teams, its usefulness may have quietly expired.