Carrboro Creative Coworking

For me coworking is physical evidence of a serious work trend. Freelancers and other workers thrive on variety in their work environment. So its fun to read about a very successful young person who works this way.

From a Washington Post article about Jon Favreau, the 27 year old senior speech writer for President Elect Barack Obama.

[Jon] Favreau believes he will transition well if he focuses exclusively on writing, which is why he has buried himself in the inaugural address. He moves while he writes to avoid becoming stale -- from the Starbucks, to his windowless transition office, to his new, one-bedroom condo, where the only furniture in place is a blow-up mattress on the hardwood floor. He sometimes writes until 2 or 3 a.m., fueled by double espresso shots and Red Bull. When deadline nears, a speech consumes him until he works 16-hour days and forgets to call home, do his laundry or pay his bills. He calls it "crashing."

In part its this unconventional work style that helped create the amazing speech Obama gave on Race last year.

One Saturday night in March, Obama called Favreau and said he wanted to immediately deliver a speech about race. He dictated his unscripted thoughts to Favreau over the phone for 30 minutes -- "It would have been a great speech right then," Favreau said -- and then asked him to clean it up and write a draft. Favreau put it together, and Obama spent two nights retooling before delivering the address in Philadelphia the following Tuesday.

"So," Obama told Favreau afterward. "I think that worked."

Lots of different factors lead to this accomplishment. Yes Obama's mind has something to do with it. But the fact that young people like Favreau are rising to such positions of influences proves it. We've seen the future of work and its Coworking! (or something related to it) :)