Watch and listen to Brad Neuberg talk about where coworking came from.

He explains that he felt like he was forced to choose between working for a company and working for himself. That simple need is actually more reflective of a bigger problem with society, and why I think that Coworking has become a petri dish of experimentation and garnered a whirlwind of interest.

One of the key elements of the coworking movement that I see is choice. Prior to coworking, people like Brad (and me and maybe you) had to choose from working at a job or working alone.

Now a third choice is being presented in coworking, with many of the good parts and fewer of the bad parts of each.

I like zooming in on individual experiences and then out to the global patterns in how industries are evolving, and considering the value being placed on entrepreneurship. I think that this all comes down to choices and the introduction of more options for people to choose from.

Further, I think that coworking is helping show people that they can choose based on the things that motivate them intrinsically, like happiness and friendship, vs. the extrinsic motivators, like wealth and ownership. I also see related patterns in an increased priority being put on relationships – which not surprisingly, is what Brad and other early coworking catalysts prioritized in the inception of coworking.

This is what makes great coworking spaces tick, and what I think is going to fix what’s broken in the world of business.

Interesting times are ahead.