[iRail] The Hub - an idea

Miet Claes miet at mietclaes.com
Fri Aug 17 13:05:37 UTC 2012


Hello

I would love to have something available like that in Ghent. I need
something non-hipster where I get to work with creative individuals. Not
just coders or designers, we need a mix of people. This can create a
positive and inspiring environment.

   - 2 to 3 times a week would be nice for me.
   - I would help organise workshops.
   - Other spaces ask about €300 a month, students join in for free.
   Everybody pays drinks and food. I wouldn't call it a membership fee,
   because it feels like there are strings attached to people who aren't a
   member yet. Keep it open to everyone.

Toedels!

On Mon, Aug 13, 2012 at 1:22 PM, glenn at irail.be <glenn at irail.be> wrote:

> Hello, I think it's a great idea but there's something alike in Ghent.
> It's called IBBT garage(
> http://www.ibbt.be/nl/ondernemerschap/student-ondernemerschap/start-up-garage ).
> It provides workspace for small startups. They get there money by taking a
> little percentage on the income of the startups so that's also something
> you can consider.
> grts
>
>
> On Mon, Aug 13, 2012 at 12:55 PM, Sander Van der Maelen <
> sander.vandermaelen at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Hi Pieter,
>>
>> Following your replies to my remakrs:I will call it "the Hub" then ;-) I
>> suggest somewhere along tram 1 then, because the GSP neighbourhood isn't
>> really sparky to walk about after office hours. Maybe in 10 years, but
>> we're still not there yet...
>>
>> The most classic ways to generate revenue for a place where people come
>> together: membership fees, sponsors, partners, selling booze/food,
>> obligatory drinks, renting out, asking €€ for extras, ... Mostly a
>> combination of the previous.
>>
>> A more interesting way that might work: crowdfunding, maybe through
>> Kickstarter? We make the financial structure of the Hub open, transparant
>> and even hackable: how to get the best out of the €€ we have?
>> Also interesting is working with some financial U-shaped curved: you pay
>> less (for drinks, paper, ..) when there's just a few or when there are a
>> lot of people working in the Hub.
>>
>> I think it depends of how much your fixed costs for the venue will be.
>> Then you can start working out a financial plan.
>>
>> Cheers,
>>
>> Sander.
>>
>> (PS: I'm not a financial expert, please correct me if I'm wrong)
>>
>>
>> ---
>> Sander Van der Maelen
>> GSM: +32 (0)474 05 79 12
>> Twitter: @sandervdm <http://twitter.com/sandervdm>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Mon, Aug 13, 2012 at 12:30 PM, Pieter Colpaert <pieter at irail.be>wrote:
>>
>>> Hi Greet,
>>>
>>> That's indeed a good remark. We need to find an honest and for
>>> everyone affordable solution. I don't want anyone to be left out
>>> because he or she cannot or doesn't want to pay a certain fee.
>>>
>>> Do you see any good (existing) options? Should we try a new model?
>>> Anyone any idea?
>>>
>>> Maybe we can make The Hub something that generates a revenue somehow
>>> so we can host our members for free?
>>>
>>> Pieter
>>>
>>> On 8/13/12, Greet Derudder <greet at pimpajoentje.be> wrote:
>>> > I like the idea, too!
>>> >
>>> > This way I could come do some schoolwork but still stay in touch with
>>> iRail
>>> > people and keep up to date with what's going on, which I'd like.
>>> >
>>> > I don't know if you could make a "membership fee" work, for example
>>> would
>>> > everyone pay the same if some people used the facilities daily and
>>> others
>>> > only once a month, ... But I understand there needs to be money to
>>> maintain
>>> > the place of course.
>>> >
>>> > Also great idea to have it somewhere easily accessible by public
>>> transport!
>>> >
>>> > Groetjes,
>>> > Greet
>>> > On Aug 12, 2012 11:12 PM, "Pieter Colpaert" <pieter at irail.be> wrote:
>>> >
>>> >> Hi Sander,
>>> >>
>>> >> On 08/12/2012 10:54 PM, Sander Van der Maelen wrote:
>>> >> > Hi guys,
>>> >> >
>>> >> > Pieter: great idea. Gent needs more affordable and low-brow
>>> co-working
>>> >> > spaces, and it sounds as if you could make it happen :)
>>> >>
>>> >> Aw. I don't want to call it a co-working space. It's a hub. A hub is
>>> >> where people come together for a while to work and cross pollinate.
>>> >>
>>> >> As we're working together you could indeed call it a co-workingspace,
>>> >> but you could call it a coffee bar as well as you will be able to have
>>> >> coffee there. Or you will be able to call it a hackerspace as people
>>> >> will change the use of already existing things, or you can call it a
>>> lab
>>> >> as we're doing professional experiments. Just stick with "hub" - a
>>> place
>>> >> where it all comes together for a moment ;)
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>  I'm not entirely
>>> >> > sure if it needs to be in the city centre (plenty of cool spots in
>>> >> > Dampoort, Ledeberg, Brugse Poort, etc), but a good connection is
>>> >> > definitely a must.
>>> >>
>>> >> I am. The place I have in mind is either close to Gent Sint Pieters or
>>> >> close to Tram 1. I want public transport to be as good as possible so
>>> >> iRail members from all over Belgium can get there by train.
>>> >>
>>> >> >
>>> >> > Will you be managing the location yourself, or will it be part of
>>> >> > something 'bigger'? Maybe it's worthwile to discuss possible joint
>>> >> > ventures with the Hackerspace Gent?
>>> >>
>>> >> It will be part of something bigger. We might work together with
>>> >> Hackerspace Ghent but if you paid attention during iSoc12 you know we
>>> >> have cooler partners ;)
>>> >>
>>> >> Kind regards,
>>> >>
>>> >> Pieter
>>> >>
>>> >> >
>>> >> > Cheers,
>>> >> > Sander.
>>> >> >
>>> >> > --
>>> >> > Bericht verzonden vanaf mijn gsm. Sorry voor de spel- en typfouten.
>>> >> >
>>> >> > Op 12 aug. 2012 20:13 schreef "Pieter Colpaert" <pieter at irail.be
>>> >> > <mailto:pieter at irail.be>> het volgende:
>>> >> >
>>> >> >     Hi Thomas,
>>> >> >
>>> >> >     You're welcome to work on both projects of your own (freelance
>>> >> > work)
>>> >> as
>>> >> >     projects related to iRail (eg iRail 3.0, PlugID, The DataTank,
>>> >> BeLaws,
>>> >> >     etc). The payment would be a subscription I have in mind. See
>>> it as
>>> >> > a
>>> >> >     membership fee.
>>> >> >
>>> >> >     Kind regards,
>>> >> >
>>> >> >     Pieter
>>> >> >
>>> >> >     On 08/12/2012 07:11 PM, Thomas Tuts wrote:
>>> >> >     > Sounds like a cool idea! However, could you clarify these two
>>> >> >     things please:
>>> >> >     >
>>> >> >     > ** How many times per week/month would you come join us to
>>> work
>>> >> > on
>>> >> >     > your own project in the center of Ghent? *
>>> >> >     > By own project, do you mean projects appointed to you by
>>> iRail or
>>> >> >     actual
>>> >> >     > own projects that don't really have anything to do with iRail
>>> >> > (for
>>> >> >     > example, I do a lot of freelance webdesign and front-end
>>> >> development,
>>> >> >     > would it be okay for me to work on stuff like this?)
>>> >> >     >
>>> >> >     > * * Would you be willing to pay something in order to make
>>> this
>>> >> >     > happen? If yes, how much at max? *
>>> >> >     > Are we talking about a one-time payment here, or something
>>> like a
>>> >> >     > monthly "subscription"?
>>> >> >     >
>>> >> >     > In any case, this definitely sounds really interesting!
>>> >> >     >
>>> >> >     > Thomas
>>> >> >     >
>>> >> >     > 2012/8/12 Jan Vansteenlandt <vansteenlandt.jan at gmail.com
>>> >> >     <mailto:vansteenlandt.jan at gmail.com>
>>> >> >     > <mailto:vansteenlandt.jan at gmail.com
>>> >> >     <mailto:vansteenlandt.jan at gmail.com>>>
>>> >> >     >
>>> >> >     >     Hm this is a really cool idea, certainly for the datatank
>>> as
>>> >> well.
>>> >> >     >     Problem is that I wont be in Ghent from september till
>>> >> >     January, and
>>> >> >     >     I'm guessing it wont be in Bruges or near Bruges ;). But
>>> >> depending
>>> >> >     >     on the expiration date of this location's offer, I'd feel
>>> >> > like
>>> >> >     that
>>> >> >     >     would be a great idea. The different synergies of
>>> >> teams/community
>>> >> >     >     would certainly florish like it did in iSoc.
>>> >> >     >
>>> >> >     >     So for me personally great idea, but more I don't see
>>> myself
>>> >> going
>>> >> >     >     to Ghent more than a few times a month to code on TDT and
>>> do
>>> >> some
>>> >> >     >     work-shops.
>>> >> >     >
>>> >> >     >     Best regards,
>>> >> >     >
>>> >> >     >     Jan
>>> >> >     >
>>> >> >     >     On Sun, Aug 12, 2012 at 5:52 PM, Pieter Colpaert
>>> >> >     <pieter at irail.be <mailto:pieter at irail.be>
>>> >> >     >     <mailto:pieter at irail.be <mailto:pieter at irail.be>>> wrote:
>>> >> >     >
>>> >> >     >         Dear all,
>>> >> >     >
>>> >> >     >         I believe that, at iRail, we have a very particular
>>> mix
>>> >> > of
>>> >> >     hackers,
>>> >> >     >         professionals, free-lancers, students,
>>> entrepreneurs...
>>> >> which
>>> >> >     >         are all
>>> >> >     >         enthusiastic about creating a better comfort for
>>> >> > day-to-day
>>> >> >     >         tasks (such
>>> >> >     >         as of course, daily mobility). Correct me if I'm
>>> wrong,
>>> >> but I
>>> >> >     >         think we
>>> >> >     >         may call «our community» something unique, and that's
>>> >> >     something we
>>> >> >     >         should cherish.
>>> >> >     >
>>> >> >     >         Since our organisation is a mix between a living lab
>>> and
>>> >> > an
>>> >> >     >         incubator
>>> >> >     >         for start-up ideas, I got to think we should move our
>>> >> office
>>> >> >     >         from the
>>> >> >     >         cloud to somewhere physical. Maybe we should have a
>>> real
>>> >> >     >         location where
>>> >> >     >         we can meet, do work-shops, help others, work, have
>>> >> meetings,
>>> >> >     >         volunteer,
>>> >> >     >         organise iRail Summer of code and so on.
>>> >> >     >
>>> >> >     >         This is an idea that can become reality rather
>>> quickly. I
>>> >> even
>>> >> >     >         have a
>>> >> >     >         pretty cool opportunity for a location that I will
>>> keep
>>> >> > to
>>> >> >     >         myself until
>>> >> >     >         I know there is enough interest from you guys and
>>> girls.
>>> >> Would
>>> >> >     >         you be so
>>> >> >     >         kind to answer these three questions in private/public
>>> >> (your
>>> >> >     >         choice)?
>>> >> >     >
>>> >> >     >          * How many times per week/month would you come join
>>> us
>>> >> > to
>>> >> >     work
>>> >> >     >         on your
>>> >> >     >         own project in the center of Ghent?
>>> >> >     >          * Would you attend or organise workshops concerning
>>> >> >     >         mobility/apps/...?
>>> >> >     >          * Would you be willing to pay something in order to
>>> make
>>> >> this
>>> >> >     >         happen?
>>> >> >     >         If yes, how much at max?
>>> >> >     >
>>> >> >     >         Kind regards,
>>> >> >     >
>>> >> >     >         Pieter
>>> >> >     >         --
>>> >> >     >         iRail vzw/asbl
>>> >> >     >         +32 (0) 486/747122<tel:%2B32%20%280%29%20486%2F747122>
>>> >> >     <tel:%2B32%20%280%29%20486%2F747122>
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-- 
— Miet Claes • mietclaes.com
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