This app helps you find the perfect out-of-office work space that fits all your needs
On a recent snowy morning, Smelly Cat was the only place open in NoDa, and I had to get out of the house to work. Out-of-school kids are not conducive to thinking, writing or even staying sane. I clocked in on Workfrom – an app that works as a search engine for places to work nearby.
I found out about Workfrom when I met Sean Rogers at Hygge Coworking, during my week away from the home office research. Rogers is a software developer and was recruited to Workfrom a year ago when his roommate, a Workfrom user, read about a call for engineers familiar with specific mobile app technology.
Darren Buckner launched Workfrom in 2014. Like many remote workers, Buckner, a Portland, Oregon resident, worked from different coffee shops. He created a spreadsheet that tracked the amenities he looked for in a coffee shop, such as WiFi, seating, power outlets and food. Although he was doing it for himself, he realized others could benefit from his research.
Four years later, several thousand use the app daily, and new users are added every day. In Charlotte, there are more than 1,000 registered users, and 65 locations listed by more than 30 scouts. Scouts are users willing to add new locations to the app; including photos and detailed information about the space.
“Anyone can scout a location,” Rogers said. “If you find a spot that’s not already listed on Workfrom, you can scout it and fill in all the information.”
Locations listed in Workfrom will have information about WiFi – speed, public SSID and password, operating hours and an address with a link to Google maps, noise level, parking, access to power and whether it’s pet and child friendly. A scout has the option to add types of seating available (couch, tables, desks, indoor and outdoor seating), food and beverage options and capacity. If the scout is connected to the WiFi, Workfrom can test the speed, and list it in the app.
Buckner has been a software engineer, product designer and user experience expert for most of his career. He’s driven to make experiences better for people.
“Our mission is the work and life betterment of remote and independent professionals,” he said. “We help people find great local spaces to get their work done, and we make it easier to connect with the community.”
Like Yelp, Workfrom allows users to make a comment or add a pro tip in its “Leave a Note” section, but the focus is different.
“We do monitor comments, and we call them insights since they are very specific to the workability of a space,” Buckner said. “We don’t allow people to leave disparaging or derogatory insights. We allow all insights that are helpful for others in the community. Business owners are not able to moderate insights at this point.”
Rogers is working on an update for Workfrom, to be released at the end of this month.
“We are paring things down to make it as easy as possible,” Rogers said. “It’s grown into quite a large international community of remote workers who are always looking for good spots to sit down and crank out some work.”
Photos: Vanessa Infanzon
This story was originally published January 21, 2018 at 11:00 PM with the headline "This app helps you find the perfect out-of-office work space that fits all your needs."