Yes, the Pandemic Could Ultimately Save the Coworking Industry
Dropbox, WeWork, and Google all think they have the playbook for the part-time office
Aside from religion and politics, it’s hard to think of another topic in recent memory that has provoked more fierce debate than the concept of remote work. For years, “future of work” enthusiasts would quibble over how some people are more productive by cutting out commutes and working in a pajama-friendly home office, while others prefer the camaraderie and water-cooler small talk that only a bustling office could provide. Lurking beneath these discussions around worker productivity and engagement was perhaps a bigger underlying issue: the potential dismantling of one of corporate America’s longstanding cultural mainstays—the IRL office. Now, with vaccines in sight, companies are being forced to decide what shape their post-Covid office will take.
Last fall, Dropbox drew its line in the sand when it announced that it would indefinitely become “virtual first,” ushering in the next iteration of the brick-and-mortar office economy. To be clear, Dropbox isn’t abandoning in-person work or switching to a pure work-from-home model. Instead, it’s shifting the default from the office to remote, while setting up Dropbox Studios, where employees can collaborate and hold in-person…
