If you’ve been around Project Spaces a while, you’ve probably heard us talk about being “founder-friendly.”

But if you’re new here or checking us out for the first time, the term might make you scratch your head. And if you're not a founder yourself (maybe you're a remote worker fighting the WFH blues) you might be wondering if Project Spaces is for you.

The answer, friend, is yes - provided you are authentic, you work hard, and don't take yourself too seriously.

"Founder friendly" is the philosophy that drives us. It's a mindset that brings founders and non-founders together based on a common set of values.

So, with it being our 10th anniversary this month, we thought we’d take a minute to explain why “founder-friendly” has been our mantra since day one, and how it’s become part of the Project Spaces DNA.

What Does “Founder-Friendly” Mean? 

To us, being founder-friendly is everything. It’s our mantra. Our essence. Our certain je ne sais quoi. ‍

Because we’re entrepreneurs to the core—to a fault, even! 

The literal reason we started Project Spaces (aside from growing tired of working in Jeff's living room) was that we couldn’t imagine not doing our own thing and not writing our own story. All that ever mattered to us was doing something we loved. 

And that evolved into a mission to empower other people to do what they love, too. 

That’s why, since the idea for Project Spaces emerged in our brains like Leonardo DiCaprio had crept into our dreams and Inception’d it there himself, we’ve been designing the office that we want to work from.

It also so happens to be the office we still do work from. So, in a sense, we’re members of Project Spaces just like all of our members are.

And that’s where founder-friendly comes from: Project Spaces was built for founders, by founders, and everything we do revolves around that. 

What Makes Project Spaces Founder-Friendly? 

Let’s get this out of the way right now: you can think of us as the anti-corporate workspace. We don’t believe in stuffy, traditional ideas about what the office should look like.

Strong opinions? Maybe. But buckle up, because they don’t stop there. 

We also can’t stand pretenders. Our members are real people doing real work in the real world, just like us. 

If you ask us, that’s the epitome of what it means to be a founder. 

And that’s what we cater to. That’s who we serve. We’ve made Project Spaces founder-friendly by design.

First of all, we know the founder’s hustle never ends. The same can be said for a remote worker, putting everything they have into smashing their goals. That's why we were the first coworking space in Toronto to offer 24/7 access for our members. To us, it just made sense.

We also don’t offer private offices, in the traditional sense. It’s our belief that 99% of founders don’t need one. They’re too expensive and they’re typically ego-driven anyway, more about having your name on the door than actually needing the space itself.

So, we focus instead on putting up less walls, not more, while making sure our members still have rooms available by the hour, day or half-day, when they really need them.

On top of that, we’re creative in how we design and furnish the space. For example, we build our own dedicated desks. Time consuming? Yes.

So why do such a thing?

Because if we don’t waste money, we can keep our prices affordable so that founders don’t have to spend unnecessary money on their workspace. That's money you can invest back into your business instead. 

There’s no pretentiousness here. Just a workspace created to help founders knock it out of the park. 

Because to a serious business owner, keeping money in the bank is far more important than having a $1,500 office chair.

But we also know that founders need to blow off steam every now and again. So, we work hard to foster an environment that strikes a fine balance between serious productivity, good vibes, and the ability to meet a ton of great people—many of whom end up becoming real friends.

So, there you have it: the definition of “founder-friendly” and why it means so much to us.

At Project Spaces, it’s more than just a buzzword. It’s a way of life.

And if that sounds like it aligns with your way of life, then we want to have you here. So, get in touch today and come see what we’re all about.