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by aorloff 2928 days ago
The actual data business is pretty thin margins.

So unless WeWork can use that data to be a better real estate company, it doesn't much matter.

And I have a hard time believing that WeWork needs all that data to create their coworking spaces these days, especially since lots of competitors come real close without the data.

2 comments

They would have a ton of data points on how all the "free beer" runs out constantly, as well as the "free cold brew coffee".

They'd get data on how they don't have enough bathrooms for their capacity, there are often broken items in these bathrooms, and more.

They'd have data on how there's never enough mugs and how they're at <60% capacity in one building, yet opening up 2 more in a city :).

Hah!
I think there's a bigger picture here. I'm not suggesting that selling the data is lucrative. From what I've heard, WeWork and SoftBank have plans for the data that goes far beyond coworking spaces or data brokerage.

I'm thinking of it as a lab for quantitatively studying human behavior in a candid setting. When you go into a WeWork space, you're a specimen.

Like Westworld. Heh.