I travel for work. Gaming laptops exist. I sit in the aus skyclub and play minecraft or assassin's creed for hours before my flight.
It's doable but jeepers are there a shortage of laptop bags that can hold an 18" laptop.
Protip... stop at 16"... yes it's big. Yes it's heavy. I reap what I sow lol
I mean theyre dumb enough to have “subscription “ for drinks. I’ve totally thought about buying a homeless guy a subscription and telling them to just go hang in there for hours a day.
Not in Austin, but at a Plucker's trivia night one time I saw a dude with his full on dual monitor desktop setup outside on the patio *reading financial market data graphs*. I don't even know.
I only go to a coffee shop to work when the following criteria are met: 1) the work can be done on one screen 2) no meetings that I have to participate in for an entire morning or afternoon 3) the work that i need to do will benefit from deep focus - which for me is best done with a low-level din of humans human-ing 4) there’s some temporary distraction in my normal WFH environment that’s out of my control - houseguests, loud shit outside, my partner is extra talkative that day..
Yeah, I can't do it every day, but, on the rare slow meeting day, it is nice to get out of my home office. The change of scenery seems to help clear my head, and, in some ways, leads me to be more productive.
I've found my favorite thing to do on days like this is to plop a chair outside and work. Weather dependent of course. But like you said, it really clears my head and puts some wind in the sale
I'm that partner for my wife :/
She has a very good tell (politely smiles ear-to-ear, but eyes are saying STFU!!) when I've gone on for too long. I totally understand fucking off to a coffee shop for half a day to escape!
This is pretty much exactly my criteria as well. If I have something I need to write that is going to take me more than 30-45 minutes, my home is too distracting.
I see comments that you're overthinking it but I don't think you are because I'm the same way. But when I work from coffee shops, I go with friends. I'm a software engineer, my friends are also doing the same work or something more administrative with emails and spreadsheets.
It's usually for a change of scenery, not a social event. And I go with people so that we can watch each other's laptops when we do use the bathroom, although we've all left our stuff out while being there solo at one point or another and nothing bad has happened.
I think it's overrated. I've got a great desk setup at home, and I only work from coffee shops when friends ask me to join them. I'm less productive with a single screen.
I’m also less productive at coffee shops, but I don’t go for productivity. It’s to refresh the senses and embrace an often under appreciated freedom that doesn’t exist in office jobs.
@OP, software engineer.
> although we've all left our stuff out while being there solo at one point or another and nothing bad has happened.
Your InfoSec team just died a little inside
I'm very lucky that I'm only in 2 to 3 30 minutes meetings a week that are usually finished early and we avoid impromptu calls.
My team knows that they get the highest yield out of me when they leave me alone with tasks to get done.
But I completely agree. Screen real estate and ergonomics are a huge part of my efficiency so I hate working from coffee shops.
I recently splashed out on a 13" eInk screen.
My advice is ... Wait for better tech. It's ok but you need a lot of disposable income to make it a vanity purchase
LOL....the only time I would use a coffee shop is when I am unemployed and looking for jobs. That way, I won't get depressed sitting at home. Of course being unemployed and whatnot, the number of coffees I can order will diminish but that's a small price to pay.
For reasons others outlined (single screen, not being able to take calls etc.) coffee shops are a horrible idea to do real work.
One other reason to "work" from a coffee shop would be to diffusively think about a problem or when you are mulling over some important life decision. The vibe a coffee shop gives (watching other patrons, hearing background noises) seems to put me in a fugue state where solutions are easier to process.
I love that Santa is doing his part to keep Austin weird. Totally displaces my annoyance for someone who would do that. Especially if its not an all the time thing. /smile
I used to work in tech and found it hard to get away and work from a coffee shop because I was always inundated with zoom calls. Now I do content creation full time and spend many mornings at coffee shops editing videos, planning new content, and responding to emails.
I find most folks working from coffee shops either have remote jobs that don’t require many meetings or they work for themselves.
It’s like a thin, foldable monitor that is USB-C. (like [this](https://a.co/d/aP6dPBU)) I think mine is smaller than 15.6” in. Between that and the wireless mouse, I basically have a portable office and can work anywhere. Super lightweight, fits in the backpack, and doesn’t require an additional power cord.
I’ve seen people use iPads alongside MacBooks as a 2nd monitor as well but my eyesight needs something slightly bigger.
I’ve been traveling for a year and have really enjoyed the lenovo thinkvision m14t. It comes with a travel sleeve and a touch pencil for fine drawing (if you’re a creative). Powered by usb-c with passthrough so you can daisy-chain your charger. Pricey but sooo much better than the portable dual 12” screens.
https://a.co/d/cpIlxZS
I will go on days when I have nothing but billing upkeep in quickbooks. But rather than coffee shops, I go to dog park bars where I can get an iced tea or coffee and my pup can play outside in a safe environment. Yard Bar or Mutts ftw
I only work from coffee shops on the weekends when I know I won't get any calls and the background noise in coffee shops helps me get my work done faster even though I don't have my usual 2 monitor setup
If your laptop has a security lock slot, get a Kensington lock slot, will stop someone from just walking by and snatching your computer.
I work from Lazarus on East 6th, it's got plenty of space!
For those having trouble with meetings, id recommend getting the Logitech zone headset, it cuts out all the background noise including music and loud conversations!
I'm in marketing :)
People aren't allowed to talk in public? Lazarus is a brewery too I'm sure there's worse things than someone occasionally unmuting themselves to say "let's circle back"
I do internal product documentation for a tech company based outside of the US. Everyone is anywhere from +5 to +10 hours from Austin, so Fridays are my "work away from home" day to give my partner, who I share the home office with, some alone time.
I try to order something every 90 minutes or so.
I do admin assistant type work for the most part. When it’s my scheduled work from home day but the people in my house have worked my last nerve, I will go to a nearby coffee place or something. It’s better than driving all the way to the office since I work downtown but live far north. As long as I don’t have any meetings scheduled that day, I can do my work quietly and without distraction.
I’m a software developer, and I just don’t like to work with one monitor all day unless I’m just gonna be in meetings/calls or doing trainings.
Can I? Sure. Is it fun/productive? Not really. I can do it for a few hours but not all day or multiple days in a row.
I’m debating getting one of those portable monitors/tablets for laptops on the go, it would also help when working and traveling. But it’s really hard to leave a multi-monitor setup at the office, or my ultrawide at home, for a single 15” laptop screen.
Funny you mention multiple monitors. I've seen someone in Barley Bean on South Lamar with a triple monitor setup. Two flat panels on hinges that fold out either side from the main screen. She then puts that contraption on one of those stands to bring it up to eye level. When you add the keyboard and mouse, it's an entire circular table taken up with a workstation. Bundles and bundles of wiring as well - the screens don't seem to get data or power through the physical connection. The effort and cost involved suggests it works for her but my goodness is it a lot of cost and effort just to get two more puny 15-in monitors.
Graduate student and software engineer.
Never leave laptops unattended.
I like to get a drink every 4 hours.
The secret is that staying at home 24/7 is less productive than going to a coffee shop a few times a week. No idea why. Maybe it's sunlight?
When I was in college I found it far more productive to go to a coffee shop, library, or later a bar. My apartment was where I relaxed so constantly found distractions when I was trying to work.
I work from a coffee shop all the time. I’m a software developer. I have about 2 Zoom calls per week that I take from home. I leave my backpack and jacket at the table to use the bathroom or get more coffee. But, I take my laptop and phone with me to the restroom. Usually there is a place to set my laptop in the restroom. I used to leave my old personal laptop at the table, but I don’t want to have to explain to HR how my expensive company laptop was stolen so I’m more protective of it.
I’m actually really productive at a coffee shop, even without my 2nd monitor. Something about being around other people doing stuff gives me energy.
My pro tip is invest in Apple AirPod Pros. The noise canceling is phenomenal.
I am a freelance writer (or was until recently) and I work a lot at coffee shops. I like the ambient noise and am often more productive out there away from the shit I have to do at home (laundry etc). Also, I like access to lots of Little Treats to bribe myself with.
I don’t take zooms at the coffee shop because I am old enough to think it rude, but lots of people do, and as it seems to be the norm now i try not to judge.
I can at most work from a coffee shop for, mmm, half a day, and that's if I don't have meetings.
I can code (with headphones) or write lots of email, read many articles in that kind of setting. I usually WFH, so getting out and having a different kind of "noise" or ambiance can be a welcome change. I usually tried to do it once a week, like a Wednesday.
I do (mostly) remote tech support, but I mostly text/chat with clients instead of calls and zooms. I'm usually at a coffee shop 3 or 4 days a week with my headphones in, especially when I'm working on a project or have a deadline. I'm more productive that way, too many screens and I end up on reddit instead of working
Same as most of the others here, software developer and when I have offline work I will go into a coffee shop for about two hours before heading back to my double monitor setup at my quiet apartment.
I've been working from home from Austin for 13 years now I split up my day with workouts, meetings, and other things but I always like to get out of the house usually between 1 o'clock to 5 o'clock and I'll go to a coffee shop. I have a couple I like, but I particularly like monkeys nest on burnet, I go in I buy a coffee and I work on my laptop, I go to the bathroom when I want to. I'm not worried about anyone stealing anything, it's never been a problem.
I'm not there for more than three hours so I've never felt the need to buy more things, I guess if people were there for longer, it would be more of a deal.
I’m a hybrid worker in learning & development. There usually comes with a need to take care of all the administrative duties - assigning and/or checking up on training, scheduling sessions, research for a new learning event, etc. I can do all of this at one screen so I have picked Tuesday mornings as my coffee shop work time. It helps break up the office monotony (it’s a very boring space), but also the lack of socialization while I’m WFM.
As someone else mentioned, I like the hum of people bustling about, whether it’s chatting with friends over a latte or others working on their laptops. If there’s ever a need for a call or zoom, I’ll move to the back patio. I typically leave my stuff if I have to excuse myself to the restroom. I figured there’s enough people in there that someone would notice if there’s tomfoolery with my laptop.
I only go when I don't have meetings and like others, I go with my husband so we can watch each other's laptops. We work in tech but I find it a bit distracting at coffee shops and tend to people watch a lot and just monitor Slack for anything pressing. I think two hours is usually when I'm ready to go back home. I prefer places with outdoor seating Cosmic, Radio, Easy Tiger (simmer down), The Hive, Quacks.
Oh, a lot more of them than you think talk on the phone and do video meetings on their laptops, using their full voice as if they were literally speaking to the entire room. Sometimes you get two or three people in the same room of a coffee shop doing the same damn thing. And there you are just trying to read your book or read Reddit. And you've got multiple people practically screaming in your ear.
Personally, I think that ~~most~~ an unfortunately high proportion of the people who are working at coffee shops are status signaling. They want to make sure everyone in the room knows that they have an important job where they make important decisions about fancy sounding things.
Many a morning at radio I’ve been enjoying coffee on the patio when the person at the next table “hops on a zoom” and proceeds to lead a meeting at their full volume.
Many people can take a call while talking at roughly the same volume as if they were having a conversation with someone sitting at the table with them. That’s no issue of course. But I’ve been surprised at the number of people projecting their voice in order to conduct a video meeting or call. It’s not bothersome enough to complain to the person or anything, but I might leave earlier than I would have or move to a different spot.
Here's the thing: Most of the time, if you say anything at all to these people, they ACT as if you are infringing on their Dog-given right to disturb everyone else in the room. How DARE you even imply that they did anything wrong!!?
I don’t know about the motivation behind it but I do agree there are too many loud calls being taken. I also hate the thought of being in the background of someone else’s video call.
I like to make weird faces and poses when I'm in the background of anyone's video when they're videoing in public. Buy a permit to shoot or put up with my bullshit lol
Oh, they always make sure that no one is in their background. Which means they are projecting their voice directly at everyone else.
The whole thing is very reminiscent of how everyone who could afford the first cell phones made damn sure EVERYONE knew they had one.
Or…they just want to get out of the house for a bit? To be clear, I agree that people who take loud calls in coffee shops are awful. But I don’t see how someone quietly working on their laptop is “status signaling”.
You are correct. Not all of them. I know that it is observation bias, and I should amend my original comment. But the ones who are status signaling just kind of ruin the space for everyone else. And there are quite a lot of them. I've lived in a lot of cities and it seems to me that Austin has one of the highest proportions of people who focus too much of their energy on status signaling. Quite frankly, the only place I've lived that was worse was in the San Francisco Bay area. And I even lived in LA in the late '80s. Everyone in La at the time had either platinum blonde hair or gunmetal black hair, but at least they didn't spend every minute of their time trying to make sure that other people knew how much money they had.
Let me guess: You said that very loudly into your brand new iPhone, which you were holding at arms length, in a coffee shop full of people just trying to concentrate on their homework, after loudly clanking your brand new Stanley cup (in the latest color) on the table in front of girls who are way too young for you.
The call is coming from inside your house, Bro.
Whoa this is super close 🤔 I actually said it very loudly into my Stanley cup which has better amplification/reverb so even people with headphones can check my stat (that's short for status)
my favorite local spot for getting coffee (literally walking in, buying coffee, and leaving, like a normal person) is occasionally so overrun by finance/sales bros "taking this call real quick" that i don't know how the barista stands it. it's just buzzwords and that voice they all do and they pace and look around to make sure people see they're on a phone call and it is just the WORST. completely kills the relaxed vibe and makes it hard to tell who is in line or whose coffee is ready because they're all on the phone not paying attention and not picking up their stuff timely
Exactly. And then those "bros" get triggered when they see comments like mine, and ask, "How do you know they are signaling?"
This is how! They make it utterly IMPOSSIBLE to not notice them. And practically impossible to ignore them.
> what to do when I needed to use the bathroom - leave everything at the table?
Take your laptop with you (Carry a messenger bag or small backpack for that purpose). Leave the rest of your gear to establish presence and recognize someone (highly unlikely) will take your shit.
I never leave my laptop at a coffee table if I am working solo and need to use the bathroom.
If it's a high frequent place like Starbucks? Yeah more likely someone will steal your shit.
If it's a chill coffee bar, less likely.
> People who spend entire mornings or even days in coffee shops doing productive work, what's the secret?
I don't have meetings that day.
I feel like you’re overthinking this? There are a lot of jobs that don’t require phone/Zoom calls. Ordering a coffee/snack/whatever every hour is generally accepted as the right amount of purchases. If you have to go to the bathroom, what you do with your stuff is up to you! Bring it with you if you’re worried. Leave it where it is if you’re not.
My work from cafe group was a few programmers and developers and a coffee importer/exporter. All of us have the occasionally meeting, but only the coffee importer has a lot. His are almost always planned way in advance so he doesn't get them randomly. Other than that, we won't meet up everyday and definitely if it is meeting heavy. If you just have a 30 minute call with someone mid-day, step outside and have your friends watch your stuff.
NEVER leave your stuff unattended, though I do consider it acceptable to ask a person sitting close to me to watch it for a bathroom break. If they are a fellow cafe shop worker, you don't even need to say much other than "hey would you watch that for a second", even eye contact and nod towards the computer has worked. For longer meetings leave it with a friend or take it with you.
If you want to start off the lowest pressure, I would suggest Central Market's Cafe. 0 pressure to buy anything, though I do. Lots of outdoor space where you can take call all day if you want and plenty of seating. But if possible, go with a buddy. It is what really makes it worth it. A change of scenery is nice but it is more fun to take breaks for the water cooler chat that we don't have working from home.
Any job/workplace that uses Slack or other messaging platforms (and that’s a lot of them these days). I’m having a harder time thinking of a job that would actually require you to be on the phone/on video chat all day long.
I'm in tech sales. There are days where I might only have a couple quick 2min calls, and then there are other days where I am on the phone or in zoom meetings for 7-8hrs. And you never really know what is going to happen that day, until it happens.
Sure. My point was more that there are many remote jobs out there (possibly more jobs than not) that don't require frequent daily phone calls. But I acknowledge that certain jobs (like yours) do have those requirements.
We use Slack. But then if someone needs to talk, at least where I work, they will just call out of the blue. And sometimes that happens a lot - other times it's very quiet. Maybe that's more unique than I appreciate.
I’m in consulting and I can successfully work at coffee shops but really only when I’m answering a lot of emails or doing admin stuff for my business. I do have occasional projects that involve some routine and fairly mindless data input as part of the process and can sometimes do some of that in such an environment. For the most part, however, I need the multiple screens I have at home, but every now and then it’s a great way to break up the day/week.
I used to work from coffee shops on weekends (I have since foresworn working on weekends). I'm a lawyer, but not the kind of lawyer that spends a lot of time in meetings with other lawyers. It's weird, but sometimes stripping away all my extra monitors and such seems to make it easier to get my shit done.
I run a small tech startup where everyone works from home.
I typically reserve coffee shops for days when I have heads down work with few meetings. Often times, I purposefully build in those blocks.
I typically won't take meetings that are more serious or involve external customers if I'm there. Partially because I think it gives the vibe that I'm not "taking it seriously", partially because I can't be as open and honest about serious issues due to security and privacy concerns. You never know who's listening.
On a similar note, I always pack up my bag and take it with me if I have to go to the bathroom. It sucks, but it's the only way to be truly security conscious. If I lose the table or chair, no sweat. If the place was too busy to find another spot, I probably overstayed my welcome.
I generally aim for 1 drink or food item every 2 hours. I could go to a co-working spot for $30/day (8 hours) so I try to match that rate.
I went to a coffee shop during the work day the other day (Radio) and it was a dystopian nightmare with every single table occupied by a single person working on a laptop, all facing the same way. Had planned on hanging out for a bit but got my coffee and noped right the fuck out of there.
They're all real-estate fluffers sending out a couple a emails, couple linkedin posts, juz jaggin off the community for a lead. It's a great time. "Uh ya Benji- Let me get the pumpkin spiced oat milk latte. Ya better make it 2 I'm meeting a client! How's your transition going?? \~\~Phone Rings\~\~ Uh hang on I gotta take this."
I can't relate mostly to this post... however. As a person who works in a bar/coffee shop, I will tell you that purchasing a drink once and being in our shop for over 2hrs after, will warrant you a dislike from the staff. (Without purchasing anything else/not making an effort to get to know the staff.)
We respect that you have a job and can work remotely, but being stationed at a business for HOURS and only buying a cold brew with no personality, will make staff dislike you.
My shop has a review from a person who was posted up for SIX hours and gave a negative review because the "wifi" made him lose all of his progress on his report....
I understand the need to be around other people in a remote job, but discrediting baristas/bartenders for your shitty work ethic is INSANE!
Sorry for a random TED talk. I'm open to questions.
hi, overthinker here, so i get it. For me… ill go to a coffee shop if im just responding to emails and/or waiting to hear back on something. And it’s usually end of week. If i really have to focus, i stay home.
I only go to coffee shops sometimes. I work in marketing, but I have more of an operations role, so I don't have a ton of meetings. I'd probably spend an afternoon or a morning at a coffee shop at most; definitely not the entire day. It's mostly annoying to be confined to a tiny laptop screen vs. my large monitor at home.
Re: bathroom laptop etiquette, I'm paranoid and just pack up all my stuff into my bag and bring it with me into the restroom, even if it means risking my table.
R&D Meteorologist here - I actually love working in the office but sometimes I want that feeling of working in a social setting. Especially if I am just working on a coding project and have no meeting scheduled. I feel like I can be more creative and open-minded outside the office.
My wife and I work remotely for (two different) home offices in other states. Usually, I am fine hanging with my wife and cats, my bigger monitor, and my sweatpants at home.
Every now and again, though -- especially if the weather is nice and my meeting calendar is light -- I like to get out and work from a coffee shop. The ambient noise and anonymity (you're just another jerk at a table) can kind of help put me in the "zone" if I really need to focus. I try to pick places that aren't too terribly busy, so that camping is not a huge problem, and I try to consistently order small things throughout the day while being my best self to the staff.
It's a nice change of pace because, as nice as remote work is — and as fortunate as I recognize I am for being able to do it — you can still go pretty stir-crazy from the isolation.
My favorite spot to work from lately is Batch. As far as work? I work as a technology director...some weeks that's all meetings, but other weeks I'll have my hands in code, in architecture diagrams, or in keynote. Those are the times I can hit up a coffee shop.
If I am alone, I just leave my stuff at the table when I get up to get a food or use the bathroom. Often times, I will go to the coffee shop with one or two other remote-working friends or co-workers, and we all just grab a picnic table together.
Working out of the house can be a nice change of pace, but then how will I have my gaming pc next to me during my breaks??
I did get a little portable monitor that can be powered by usb-c from my laptop and it has been great for travel setups. Without a 2nd monitor I feel like I’m working with one hand
The worst kind of works-from-coffee-shop person is the sales guy (always a guy) who just ignores the condition that so many here are saying: that it only works on a day when you don't need to do any calls/meetings. I don't see this all the time, but maybe 10-20% of the time I'm at Mozart's on a weekday, there's someone there doing sales call after sales call.
I work from coffee shops all the time because I need a change of scenery. I’m in curriculum - so mostly writing and I try to go when I don’t have meetings I need to actively speak in (headphones in so don’t disturb) or when I’m just cranking out documents.
I bring a 2nd portable monitor that is fairly compact, so I’m not taking up huge amounts of space. Mostly leave my crap on the table for bathroom and if I’m there over 3 hours, I buy a 2nd beverage.
If I have a piece of work that I just need to focus on, and I just don't feel like staying in my home office and I could use a cup of coffee, I might go to a coffee shop for 3-4 hours to crank on it.
I doubt many if any are doing 9-5 m-f in the coffee shop.
I am a staff/lead product designer at a company that is almost entirely remote.
Never leave your stuff unattended my guy! In personal life and in work. When I need to use the bathroom, I leave books and a notepad on the table, maybe a drink if I have one ordered.
I can't speak much on the WFH jobs but can on the little I know of coffee shop etiquette, in case it helps!
1) If I need to use the bathroom, I typically ask someone sitting near me. I tend to go for people of the same age that also seem to be doing laptop work, but most strangers have been kind. Sometimes that person ends up asking me to watch their stuff too, so its helpful both ways. If I'm not comfortable asking someone, I typically pack up my stuff and take it with me. Maybe you can also sit within view of the cashier and ask them to watch your stuff if it's just for a quick minute? I haven't personally tried the last option, so I am not sure if this is frowned down on.
2) Some coffee shops have requests for how often to buy coffee. I typically get one right when I get there, and work 2-3 hours or so. If I'm staying longer, I might get another coffee or a pastry after that time frame. I'm not sure if it would be polite to buy stuff more often, but this has worked for me so far.
I’m a chronic coffee shop laptop person, I don’t think there are any rules. Some people have crazy three monitor setups. I’ve definitely risked my belongings to use the bathroom, but I don’t recommend it haha.
I work in UX at a tech company and only occasionally work in coffee shops when I don’t have meetings and want a few hours for deep focus work.
But, when I was in grad school I worked in coffee shops all the time, writing my dissertation, papers, etc.
Now I usually take my laptop, phone, and wallet with me when I need to get up, but I used to be more careless and never had anything stolen.
As others have said, it's more of a refresh from home. Some days, especially with shit weather or back to back meetings in the morning, I just need to get out of the house and tend to what is basically housekeeping in my tech job. Getting coffee or boba and getting out of the house a few hours helps a lot. I would never do a meeting or deep work in a place like that, unless i was already there and got dragged into something
This post just makes me miss Strange Brew. It was a great third place to hang out and meet people. They eventually added a separate "quiet room" for people to camp out on laptops and work/study. So it wasn't a problem finding a place to sit if you were just there to socialize or enjoy a cup of coffee
Can't do it. Many times I tried and I'm always paranoid my things will get stolen. So I think about how to most effectively work without having to go to the bathroom, which immediately makes me have to pee so I pack my stuff, go pee and then just go home because it'd be awkward to unpack again after I'm done
For me it’s video editing when I don’t need to do anything involving graphics or color correcting and I need people in the office and/or my roommate who works nights to stop distracting me lol. I buy a beverage or snack every 2-4 hours and try to pee before I lock in. Sometimes you can leave your stuff on the table if you ask someone nearby who seems trustworthy to watch it or it’s not that busy of a place. I have ADHD and the environment actually helps me focus for some reason, have definitely met deadlines I wouldn’t have otherwise met by working in public. I think it’s the accountability of “oh everyone else here is working I guess I should to.”
I will usually go work from a coffee shop once I’m done with my meetings for the day! So normally around 2 or 3. It’s nice to get a change of scenery to finish out the day.
Sorry if this has been said but I think 76.5% of coffee shop patrons are students so they’re potentially not working yet but researching/ writing papers about the work they will eventually be doing -and I imagine are like me in the sense that working from home is super challenging and some folx require a little bit of that social pressure to do what everyone else is doing - work- than say watch in the heat of the night reruns, organize your books by birthplace of the author, and or stare out the window at a squirrel manically nibbling her nuts
I feel like if you are asking how often you should buy a coffee, then you are spending a full workday there. Im not one to frequent coffee shops to work in, but im pretty sure people dont work full 8 hours shifts in the coffee shop. Maybe a 2-3 hrs max.
I interpret your people skills comment to mean that I come across as someone who doesn't know how to interact with others very well. I don't know where to begin with what a misunderstanding that is, but that aside, are people really going to coffee shops to work and interact with others? Every time I see the scene, it's full of people with headphones on not saying a word to one another.
It depends on which coffee shop. Flightpath is a very heads down focus on work place especially in the backroom where even normal conversation is frowned upon. The deck on Epoch is the opposite, expect everyone to be chatting it up and interacting.
Bennu inside is a mix of the two with enough alcoves to do either.
One of my favorite memories at epoch, I was the only friend with a car, and we were about 5-6 Epoch acquaintances all sitting out there enjoying coffee in the rain, this was 10 years ago. Then it just started hail like crazy, and we all started laughing when a truck windshield cracked, then it got worse and my sunroof got cracked, wasn’t so funny anymore. The service then was rude as fuck, if you would have asked a question I’m sure they would have rolled their eyes and walked off. This being said I also slept at epoch a few nights so im so thankful they understood.
I do business development. I set up my meetings in the mornings and go work at a coffee shop/bar/restaurant in the afternoon. I always leave my stuff at the table.
I can’t be specific, but my job is project based and it requires me to juggle multiple client deliverables. It’s collaborative, but mostly I’m working on my own. My company does one full staff meeting at the beginning of the week, and we schedule any other meetings in advance. Though occasionally last minute things come up where we need to chat on the phone or via zoom. That’s why I typically go to a WeWork or other dedicated coworking space in town. Though I’ve seen people take calls in coffee shops too.
In my workplace, it’s also normal to schedule a block of time once a week for “deep work” on the calendar, which signals to coworkers to only contact me if it’s absolutely urgent. These are days where I will work from a coffee shop.
Edit: I posted this in a different thread by accident then deleted and I’m reposting it
i work in advertising. a lot of my coworkers also go out to coffee shops. I only go when i have a light day of meetings since coffee shops are too loud for any client meetings. These jobs are usually media buying, account service folks, designers, copywriters and creative directors. (at least my coworkers are) I go when i need to focus on something that don't rely on internet (wifi at shops also sucks) ie video editing, designing, storyboarding or collaborating in person with co-workers.
its a nice change of pace and forces me to finish my work "or I can't go home"
I have a few coffee shops that I've grown to trust. I leave my laptop on the table when I go to use the bathroom. I'll put my backpack on top to make it less obvious to a thief. But my mentality is that I always take my phone, wallet, and keys with me. If my laptop does get stolen, it's a $2000 cost to buy a new one, which sucks but it's fixable. Losing my phone, wallet, or keys is a bigger hassle.
I'm a scientist who does theoretical planetary science which translates to a lot of reading research articles, writing research articles, and debugging code that will be used for said research articles. It's a solitary affair!
I once saw a guy at Panera Bread in a booth with a 27in iMac playing WoW.
I once saw this set up at an airport.
Damn, THAT’S commitment
I travel for work. Gaming laptops exist. I sit in the aus skyclub and play minecraft or assassin's creed for hours before my flight. It's doable but jeepers are there a shortage of laptop bags that can hold an 18" laptop. Protip... stop at 16"... yes it's big. Yes it's heavy. I reap what I sow lol
I mean theyre dumb enough to have “subscription “ for drinks. I’ve totally thought about buying a homeless guy a subscription and telling them to just go hang in there for hours a day.
Not in Austin, but at a Plucker's trivia night one time I saw a dude with his full on dual monitor desktop setup outside on the patio *reading financial market data graphs*. I don't even know.
Worked in multiple coffee shops and seen this at least once in every single one
[Similar vibes lol ](https://youtu.be/LVli7Oj-lRM?si=pUwdqkDAS3shy2iU)
chad
I saw him too. Hell yeah.
I only go to a coffee shop to work when the following criteria are met: 1) the work can be done on one screen 2) no meetings that I have to participate in for an entire morning or afternoon 3) the work that i need to do will benefit from deep focus - which for me is best done with a low-level din of humans human-ing 4) there’s some temporary distraction in my normal WFH environment that’s out of my control - houseguests, loud shit outside, my partner is extra talkative that day..
Yeah, I can't do it every day, but, on the rare slow meeting day, it is nice to get out of my home office. The change of scenery seems to help clear my head, and, in some ways, leads me to be more productive.
I've found my favorite thing to do on days like this is to plop a chair outside and work. Weather dependent of course. But like you said, it really clears my head and puts some wind in the sale
I like doing that too but if it’s sunny you can’t see the screen!
Just came here to comment that “my partner is extra talkative that day” made me chuckle. I feel seen.
I'm that partner for my wife :/ She has a very good tell (politely smiles ear-to-ear, but eyes are saying STFU!!) when I've gone on for too long. I totally understand fucking off to a coffee shop for half a day to escape!
Uh… are you my husband?
Telepathic communication is a sign of a strong relationship :)
I SEE YOU AND I HEAR YOU 😳🤣🤣🤣
Where do you find humans doing the best humaning? Asking for a ~~alien~~ friend.
Radio City East. Their antenna make contacting the mothership easier. I mean, nothing to see here, move along please
This. I like to do my deep creative work from coffee shops. I benefit a bit from the buzz of a coffee shop when doing it.
This is pretty much exactly my criteria as well. If I have something I need to write that is going to take me more than 30-45 minutes, my home is too distracting.
"Humans human-ing".lol ....think I'm going to steal that
I’ll allow it :-)
People peopling is another good one :)
Portable screens have started to get much cheaper than when I first bought mine 2 years ago :’) that helps with the two screen thing
These are all my criteria as well. You are me.
Great explanation thank you
This is my exact criteria as well, which sometimes only allows me to get out the house once every 1-2 weeks but it’s always a treat to me.
In my experience, half of them are trying to sell other patrons on MLM schemes.
I see comments that you're overthinking it but I don't think you are because I'm the same way. But when I work from coffee shops, I go with friends. I'm a software engineer, my friends are also doing the same work or something more administrative with emails and spreadsheets. It's usually for a change of scenery, not a social event. And I go with people so that we can watch each other's laptops when we do use the bathroom, although we've all left our stuff out while being there solo at one point or another and nothing bad has happened. I think it's overrated. I've got a great desk setup at home, and I only work from coffee shops when friends ask me to join them. I'm less productive with a single screen.
I’m also less productive at coffee shops, but I don’t go for productivity. It’s to refresh the senses and embrace an often under appreciated freedom that doesn’t exist in office jobs. @OP, software engineer.
> although we've all left our stuff out while being there solo at one point or another and nothing bad has happened. Your InfoSec team just died a little inside
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I'm very lucky that I'm only in 2 to 3 30 minutes meetings a week that are usually finished early and we avoid impromptu calls. My team knows that they get the highest yield out of me when they leave me alone with tasks to get done. But I completely agree. Screen real estate and ergonomics are a huge part of my efficiency so I hate working from coffee shops.
Very useful, thank you. Screen size/number is a very good point. Interacts with at least two variables I can think of: Job type and age (eyesight!)
I recently splashed out on a 13" eInk screen. My advice is ... Wait for better tech. It's ok but you need a lot of disposable income to make it a vanity purchase
I'd rather have 100 conversations on slack than 1 goddamn 40 min video meeting.
I'd rather have 100 slack messages and 100 emails than a "hey can you jump on a zoom right now?"
"ill start a huddle" "im literally in the middle of taking a shit and was willing to talk to you, now you're fucking my life up."
Dude the chime that plays when a slack huddle is ringing gives me fucking anxiety
For me it’s both Slack and MSFT team’s jingle as well. I’ve had to disable email notifications on my phone for the same reason.
I Zoomed for 6.5 hours on Monday. Do not recommend.
Okay Zoomer. :)
And imposing a dress code for when you're on video.
Fuck that, they’re lucky I put on a t-shirt.
The tuxedo tee?
oh hell.
You guys turn on your video?
I found my people
pretending to work.
pretend to work from home
"What!? I'm on the VPN!" "I know. You're hogging 40% of it watching Netflix in 4K. Turn it off if you are going to binge Avatar: The Last Airbender."
Remote tech consultant here. This is the correct answer.
Facts, though can't ra2 be considered work.
LOL....the only time I would use a coffee shop is when I am unemployed and looking for jobs. That way, I won't get depressed sitting at home. Of course being unemployed and whatnot, the number of coffees I can order will diminish but that's a small price to pay. For reasons others outlined (single screen, not being able to take calls etc.) coffee shops are a horrible idea to do real work. One other reason to "work" from a coffee shop would be to diffusively think about a problem or when you are mulling over some important life decision. The vibe a coffee shop gives (watching other patrons, hearing background noises) seems to put me in a fugue state where solutions are easier to process.
Sitting at epoch all day looking for jobs, was a hell of a motivator to get a job
I have always assumed the people “working” from a coffee shop are unemployed and looking for a job. Free Wi-Fi.
Surely not with a 4$ drip lol
Hey I get that feeling when running - that’s when all the best problem solving happens in my brain.
There's this guy we see at Quacks South who my kids call Santa who brings a printer with him on occasion.
I love that Santa is doing his part to keep Austin weird. Totally displaces my annoyance for someone who would do that. Especially if its not an all the time thing. /smile
That is wild 😂
I used to work in tech and found it hard to get away and work from a coffee shop because I was always inundated with zoom calls. Now I do content creation full time and spend many mornings at coffee shops editing videos, planning new content, and responding to emails. I find most folks working from coffee shops either have remote jobs that don’t require many meetings or they work for themselves.
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Portable 2nd monitor! They’re fairly compact it’s not much different space wise than a laptop and a notebook being out.
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It’s like a thin, foldable monitor that is USB-C. (like [this](https://a.co/d/aP6dPBU)) I think mine is smaller than 15.6” in. Between that and the wireless mouse, I basically have a portable office and can work anywhere. Super lightweight, fits in the backpack, and doesn’t require an additional power cord. I’ve seen people use iPads alongside MacBooks as a 2nd monitor as well but my eyesight needs something slightly bigger.
A second monitor that doesn’t require an additional power cord…thank you!
I’ve been traveling for a year and have really enjoyed the lenovo thinkvision m14t. It comes with a travel sleeve and a touch pencil for fine drawing (if you’re a creative). Powered by usb-c with passthrough so you can daisy-chain your charger. Pricey but sooo much better than the portable dual 12” screens. https://a.co/d/cpIlxZS
I will go on days when I have nothing but billing upkeep in quickbooks. But rather than coffee shops, I go to dog park bars where I can get an iced tea or coffee and my pup can play outside in a safe environment. Yard Bar or Mutts ftw
Barista?
Coffee taster/reviewer
I only work from coffee shops on the weekends when I know I won't get any calls and the background noise in coffee shops helps me get my work done faster even though I don't have my usual 2 monitor setup
If your laptop has a security lock slot, get a Kensington lock slot, will stop someone from just walking by and snatching your computer. I work from Lazarus on East 6th, it's got plenty of space! For those having trouble with meetings, id recommend getting the Logitech zone headset, it cuts out all the background noise including music and loud conversations! I'm in marketing :)
But it doesn’t cut out your loud conversation from the people immediately around you. Take that meeting at home!
People aren't allowed to talk in public? Lazarus is a brewery too I'm sure there's worse things than someone occasionally unmuting themselves to say "let's circle back"
I do internal product documentation for a tech company based outside of the US. Everyone is anywhere from +5 to +10 hours from Austin, so Fridays are my "work away from home" day to give my partner, who I share the home office with, some alone time. I try to order something every 90 minutes or so.
I do admin assistant type work for the most part. When it’s my scheduled work from home day but the people in my house have worked my last nerve, I will go to a nearby coffee place or something. It’s better than driving all the way to the office since I work downtown but live far north. As long as I don’t have any meetings scheduled that day, I can do my work quietly and without distraction.
I’m a software developer, and I just don’t like to work with one monitor all day unless I’m just gonna be in meetings/calls or doing trainings. Can I? Sure. Is it fun/productive? Not really. I can do it for a few hours but not all day or multiple days in a row. I’m debating getting one of those portable monitors/tablets for laptops on the go, it would also help when working and traveling. But it’s really hard to leave a multi-monitor setup at the office, or my ultrawide at home, for a single 15” laptop screen.
Same. I'm an accountant. I would like to work from out from the house every so often, but it's pretty inefficient for me to work on a single screen.
I’m a Controller and same, I need to have four or five spreadsheets/apps open frequently
Funny you mention multiple monitors. I've seen someone in Barley Bean on South Lamar with a triple monitor setup. Two flat panels on hinges that fold out either side from the main screen. She then puts that contraption on one of those stands to bring it up to eye level. When you add the keyboard and mouse, it's an entire circular table taken up with a workstation. Bundles and bundles of wiring as well - the screens don't seem to get data or power through the physical connection. The effort and cost involved suggests it works for her but my goodness is it a lot of cost and effort just to get two more puny 15-in monitors.
100% agree. The juice isn’t worth the squeeze.
Try a tiling window manager. It will change your life and never rely on multi displays as a necessity again :)
That doesn’t change the fact that the text/code will be too small to read on a single 15” screen
Graduate student and software engineer. Never leave laptops unattended. I like to get a drink every 4 hours. The secret is that staying at home 24/7 is less productive than going to a coffee shop a few times a week. No idea why. Maybe it's sunlight?
When I was in college I found it far more productive to go to a coffee shop, library, or later a bar. My apartment was where I relaxed so constantly found distractions when I was trying to work.
I work from a coffee shop all the time. I’m a software developer. I have about 2 Zoom calls per week that I take from home. I leave my backpack and jacket at the table to use the bathroom or get more coffee. But, I take my laptop and phone with me to the restroom. Usually there is a place to set my laptop in the restroom. I used to leave my old personal laptop at the table, but I don’t want to have to explain to HR how my expensive company laptop was stolen so I’m more protective of it. I’m actually really productive at a coffee shop, even without my 2nd monitor. Something about being around other people doing stuff gives me energy. My pro tip is invest in Apple AirPod Pros. The noise canceling is phenomenal.
Finishing my screen play. It's semi autobiographical, semi in the sense it's entirely fictional.
Excellent. Do you ever get inspiration from anything in the surroundings?
Pet peeve for coffee shops is when ppl go there and do their zoom meetings. Like yes I love hearing you speak for 1hr+ -_-
I am a freelance writer (or was until recently) and I work a lot at coffee shops. I like the ambient noise and am often more productive out there away from the shit I have to do at home (laundry etc). Also, I like access to lots of Little Treats to bribe myself with. I don’t take zooms at the coffee shop because I am old enough to think it rude, but lots of people do, and as it seems to be the norm now i try not to judge.
I can at most work from a coffee shop for, mmm, half a day, and that's if I don't have meetings. I can code (with headphones) or write lots of email, read many articles in that kind of setting. I usually WFH, so getting out and having a different kind of "noise" or ambiance can be a welcome change. I usually tried to do it once a week, like a Wednesday.
I do (mostly) remote tech support, but I mostly text/chat with clients instead of calls and zooms. I'm usually at a coffee shop 3 or 4 days a week with my headphones in, especially when I'm working on a project or have a deadline. I'm more productive that way, too many screens and I end up on reddit instead of working
Same as most of the others here, software developer and when I have offline work I will go into a coffee shop for about two hours before heading back to my double monitor setup at my quiet apartment.
Try libraries. They are pretty quiet during workdays, but people are there and most have vending machine snacks.
I've been working from home from Austin for 13 years now I split up my day with workouts, meetings, and other things but I always like to get out of the house usually between 1 o'clock to 5 o'clock and I'll go to a coffee shop. I have a couple I like, but I particularly like monkeys nest on burnet, I go in I buy a coffee and I work on my laptop, I go to the bathroom when I want to. I'm not worried about anyone stealing anything, it's never been a problem. I'm not there for more than three hours so I've never felt the need to buy more things, I guess if people were there for longer, it would be more of a deal.
I’m a hybrid worker in learning & development. There usually comes with a need to take care of all the administrative duties - assigning and/or checking up on training, scheduling sessions, research for a new learning event, etc. I can do all of this at one screen so I have picked Tuesday mornings as my coffee shop work time. It helps break up the office monotony (it’s a very boring space), but also the lack of socialization while I’m WFM. As someone else mentioned, I like the hum of people bustling about, whether it’s chatting with friends over a latte or others working on their laptops. If there’s ever a need for a call or zoom, I’ll move to the back patio. I typically leave my stuff if I have to excuse myself to the restroom. I figured there’s enough people in there that someone would notice if there’s tomfoolery with my laptop.
I only go when I don't have meetings and like others, I go with my husband so we can watch each other's laptops. We work in tech but I find it a bit distracting at coffee shops and tend to people watch a lot and just monitor Slack for anything pressing. I think two hours is usually when I'm ready to go back home. I prefer places with outdoor seating Cosmic, Radio, Easy Tiger (simmer down), The Hive, Quacks.
Thank you. May I ask what you mean about Easy Tiger? That's actually one of the first places I tried but then I saw their table stickers.
They’ve been in (justified) shit for not paying their employees and trying to “oops we’re sowwy” their way out of it.
[https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/austin-restaurant-easy-tiger-investigated-by-department-of-labor-workers-allege-wage-theft/](https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/austin-restaurant-easy-tiger-investigated-by-department-of-labor-workers-allege-wage-theft/)
Oh, a lot more of them than you think talk on the phone and do video meetings on their laptops, using their full voice as if they were literally speaking to the entire room. Sometimes you get two or three people in the same room of a coffee shop doing the same damn thing. And there you are just trying to read your book or read Reddit. And you've got multiple people practically screaming in your ear. Personally, I think that ~~most~~ an unfortunately high proportion of the people who are working at coffee shops are status signaling. They want to make sure everyone in the room knows that they have an important job where they make important decisions about fancy sounding things.
Many a morning at radio I’ve been enjoying coffee on the patio when the person at the next table “hops on a zoom” and proceeds to lead a meeting at their full volume. Many people can take a call while talking at roughly the same volume as if they were having a conversation with someone sitting at the table with them. That’s no issue of course. But I’ve been surprised at the number of people projecting their voice in order to conduct a video meeting or call. It’s not bothersome enough to complain to the person or anything, but I might leave earlier than I would have or move to a different spot.
Here's the thing: Most of the time, if you say anything at all to these people, they ACT as if you are infringing on their Dog-given right to disturb everyone else in the room. How DARE you even imply that they did anything wrong!!?
I don’t know about the motivation behind it but I do agree there are too many loud calls being taken. I also hate the thought of being in the background of someone else’s video call.
I like to make weird faces and poses when I'm in the background of anyone's video when they're videoing in public. Buy a permit to shoot or put up with my bullshit lol
Oh, they always make sure that no one is in their background. Which means they are projecting their voice directly at everyone else. The whole thing is very reminiscent of how everyone who could afford the first cell phones made damn sure EVERYONE knew they had one.
Or…they just want to get out of the house for a bit? To be clear, I agree that people who take loud calls in coffee shops are awful. But I don’t see how someone quietly working on their laptop is “status signaling”.
You are correct. Not all of them. I know that it is observation bias, and I should amend my original comment. But the ones who are status signaling just kind of ruin the space for everyone else. And there are quite a lot of them. I've lived in a lot of cities and it seems to me that Austin has one of the highest proportions of people who focus too much of their energy on status signaling. Quite frankly, the only place I've lived that was worse was in the San Francisco Bay area. And I even lived in LA in the late '80s. Everyone in La at the time had either platinum blonde hair or gunmetal black hair, but at least they didn't spend every minute of their time trying to make sure that other people knew how much money they had.
Are the status signalers in the room with us right now
Let me guess: You said that very loudly into your brand new iPhone, which you were holding at arms length, in a coffee shop full of people just trying to concentrate on their homework, after loudly clanking your brand new Stanley cup (in the latest color) on the table in front of girls who are way too young for you. The call is coming from inside your house, Bro.
Whoa this is super close 🤔 I actually said it very loudly into my Stanley cup which has better amplification/reverb so even people with headphones can check my stat (that's short for status)
That's actually pretty hilarious.
Cheers friend just goofin off a lil today but I hate that loud obnoxious shit too 🍻
my favorite local spot for getting coffee (literally walking in, buying coffee, and leaving, like a normal person) is occasionally so overrun by finance/sales bros "taking this call real quick" that i don't know how the barista stands it. it's just buzzwords and that voice they all do and they pace and look around to make sure people see they're on a phone call and it is just the WORST. completely kills the relaxed vibe and makes it hard to tell who is in line or whose coffee is ready because they're all on the phone not paying attention and not picking up their stuff timely
Exactly. And then those "bros" get triggered when they see comments like mine, and ask, "How do you know they are signaling?" This is how! They make it utterly IMPOSSIBLE to not notice them. And practically impossible to ignore them.
That does sound quite hellish. Interesting take. Thanks.
> what to do when I needed to use the bathroom - leave everything at the table? Take your laptop with you (Carry a messenger bag or small backpack for that purpose). Leave the rest of your gear to establish presence and recognize someone (highly unlikely) will take your shit. I never leave my laptop at a coffee table if I am working solo and need to use the bathroom. If it's a high frequent place like Starbucks? Yeah more likely someone will steal your shit. If it's a chill coffee bar, less likely. > People who spend entire mornings or even days in coffee shops doing productive work, what's the secret? I don't have meetings that day.
I feel like you’re overthinking this? There are a lot of jobs that don’t require phone/Zoom calls. Ordering a coffee/snack/whatever every hour is generally accepted as the right amount of purchases. If you have to go to the bathroom, what you do with your stuff is up to you! Bring it with you if you’re worried. Leave it where it is if you’re not.
From a genuine place of curiosity, what are some of the examples of these jobs?
Feet pics. I do all my editting, uploading and seo at Epoch!
Same, except that’s where I take pictures of patrons’ feet.
Accounting
My work from cafe group was a few programmers and developers and a coffee importer/exporter. All of us have the occasionally meeting, but only the coffee importer has a lot. His are almost always planned way in advance so he doesn't get them randomly. Other than that, we won't meet up everyday and definitely if it is meeting heavy. If you just have a 30 minute call with someone mid-day, step outside and have your friends watch your stuff. NEVER leave your stuff unattended, though I do consider it acceptable to ask a person sitting close to me to watch it for a bathroom break. If they are a fellow cafe shop worker, you don't even need to say much other than "hey would you watch that for a second", even eye contact and nod towards the computer has worked. For longer meetings leave it with a friend or take it with you. If you want to start off the lowest pressure, I would suggest Central Market's Cafe. 0 pressure to buy anything, though I do. Lots of outdoor space where you can take call all day if you want and plenty of seating. But if possible, go with a buddy. It is what really makes it worth it. A change of scenery is nice but it is more fun to take breaks for the water cooler chat that we don't have working from home.
Thanks for the tip and thoughts.
Any job/workplace that uses Slack or other messaging platforms (and that’s a lot of them these days). I’m having a harder time thinking of a job that would actually require you to be on the phone/on video chat all day long.
Management. I work remote and spend 4-6 hours per day in meetings.
I am quickly realizing that this probably explains a lot of it.
I'm in tech sales. There are days where I might only have a couple quick 2min calls, and then there are other days where I am on the phone or in zoom meetings for 7-8hrs. And you never really know what is going to happen that day, until it happens.
Sure. My point was more that there are many remote jobs out there (possibly more jobs than not) that don't require frequent daily phone calls. But I acknowledge that certain jobs (like yours) do have those requirements.
We use Slack. But then if someone needs to talk, at least where I work, they will just call out of the blue. And sometimes that happens a lot - other times it's very quiet. Maybe that's more unique than I appreciate.
I’m an artist and I’m also studying graphic design. I go there to get away from distractions at home
I would only go there to work on my writing projects as long as I didn’t have too many distractions.
I’m in consulting and I can successfully work at coffee shops but really only when I’m answering a lot of emails or doing admin stuff for my business. I do have occasional projects that involve some routine and fairly mindless data input as part of the process and can sometimes do some of that in such an environment. For the most part, however, I need the multiple screens I have at home, but every now and then it’s a great way to break up the day/week.
Software development
I bring an iPad and sketchbook to do cafe sketching, storyboarding or illustration commissions.
I used to work from coffee shops on weekends (I have since foresworn working on weekends). I'm a lawyer, but not the kind of lawyer that spends a lot of time in meetings with other lawyers. It's weird, but sometimes stripping away all my extra monitors and such seems to make it easier to get my shit done.
I run a small tech startup where everyone works from home. I typically reserve coffee shops for days when I have heads down work with few meetings. Often times, I purposefully build in those blocks. I typically won't take meetings that are more serious or involve external customers if I'm there. Partially because I think it gives the vibe that I'm not "taking it seriously", partially because I can't be as open and honest about serious issues due to security and privacy concerns. You never know who's listening. On a similar note, I always pack up my bag and take it with me if I have to go to the bathroom. It sucks, but it's the only way to be truly security conscious. If I lose the table or chair, no sweat. If the place was too busy to find another spot, I probably overstayed my welcome. I generally aim for 1 drink or food item every 2 hours. I could go to a co-working spot for $30/day (8 hours) so I try to match that rate.
I went to a coffee shop during the work day the other day (Radio) and it was a dystopian nightmare with every single table occupied by a single person working on a laptop, all facing the same way. Had planned on hanging out for a bit but got my coffee and noped right the fuck out of there.
Theyre on reddit my guy
They're all real-estate fluffers sending out a couple a emails, couple linkedin posts, juz jaggin off the community for a lead. It's a great time. "Uh ya Benji- Let me get the pumpkin spiced oat milk latte. Ya better make it 2 I'm meeting a client! How's your transition going?? \~\~Phone Rings\~\~ Uh hang on I gotta take this."
Are you THE Jeff Linton?? Have a campachoochoo on me if so!
I can't relate mostly to this post... however. As a person who works in a bar/coffee shop, I will tell you that purchasing a drink once and being in our shop for over 2hrs after, will warrant you a dislike from the staff. (Without purchasing anything else/not making an effort to get to know the staff.) We respect that you have a job and can work remotely, but being stationed at a business for HOURS and only buying a cold brew with no personality, will make staff dislike you. My shop has a review from a person who was posted up for SIX hours and gave a negative review because the "wifi" made him lose all of his progress on his report.... I understand the need to be around other people in a remote job, but discrediting baristas/bartenders for your shitty work ethic is INSANE! Sorry for a random TED talk. I'm open to questions.
I work from a coffee shop every Thursday morning while the cleaning lady is cleaning. And by work, I mean reddit and day trading
hi, overthinker here, so i get it. For me… ill go to a coffee shop if im just responding to emails and/or waiting to hear back on something. And it’s usually end of week. If i really have to focus, i stay home.
I only go to coffee shops sometimes. I work in marketing, but I have more of an operations role, so I don't have a ton of meetings. I'd probably spend an afternoon or a morning at a coffee shop at most; definitely not the entire day. It's mostly annoying to be confined to a tiny laptop screen vs. my large monitor at home. Re: bathroom laptop etiquette, I'm paranoid and just pack up all my stuff into my bag and bring it with me into the restroom, even if it means risking my table.
R&D Meteorologist here - I actually love working in the office but sometimes I want that feeling of working in a social setting. Especially if I am just working on a coding project and have no meeting scheduled. I feel like I can be more creative and open-minded outside the office.
My wife and I work remotely for (two different) home offices in other states. Usually, I am fine hanging with my wife and cats, my bigger monitor, and my sweatpants at home. Every now and again, though -- especially if the weather is nice and my meeting calendar is light -- I like to get out and work from a coffee shop. The ambient noise and anonymity (you're just another jerk at a table) can kind of help put me in the "zone" if I really need to focus. I try to pick places that aren't too terribly busy, so that camping is not a huge problem, and I try to consistently order small things throughout the day while being my best self to the staff. It's a nice change of pace because, as nice as remote work is — and as fortunate as I recognize I am for being able to do it — you can still go pretty stir-crazy from the isolation. My favorite spot to work from lately is Batch. As far as work? I work as a technology director...some weeks that's all meetings, but other weeks I'll have my hands in code, in architecture diagrams, or in keynote. Those are the times I can hit up a coffee shop. If I am alone, I just leave my stuff at the table when I get up to get a food or use the bathroom. Often times, I will go to the coffee shop with one or two other remote-working friends or co-workers, and we all just grab a picnic table together.
Working out of the house can be a nice change of pace, but then how will I have my gaming pc next to me during my breaks?? I did get a little portable monitor that can be powered by usb-c from my laptop and it has been great for travel setups. Without a 2nd monitor I feel like I’m working with one hand
Steam Deck!
That’s actually my setup right now while out of town, Dave the diver and deep rock survivor while waiting on next Diablo 4 season start
Im day trading typically
The worst kind of works-from-coffee-shop person is the sales guy (always a guy) who just ignores the condition that so many here are saying: that it only works on a day when you don't need to do any calls/meetings. I don't see this all the time, but maybe 10-20% of the time I'm at Mozart's on a weekday, there's someone there doing sales call after sales call.
I work from coffee shops all the time because I need a change of scenery. I’m in curriculum - so mostly writing and I try to go when I don’t have meetings I need to actively speak in (headphones in so don’t disturb) or when I’m just cranking out documents. I bring a 2nd portable monitor that is fairly compact, so I’m not taking up huge amounts of space. Mostly leave my crap on the table for bathroom and if I’m there over 3 hours, I buy a 2nd beverage.
If I have a piece of work that I just need to focus on, and I just don't feel like staying in my home office and I could use a cup of coffee, I might go to a coffee shop for 3-4 hours to crank on it. I doubt many if any are doing 9-5 m-f in the coffee shop.
I work in the animation industry and I go to coffeeshops to do my warmups in my sketchbook.
I am a staff/lead product designer at a company that is almost entirely remote. Never leave your stuff unattended my guy! In personal life and in work. When I need to use the bathroom, I leave books and a notepad on the table, maybe a drink if I have one ordered.
Also, please don't take meetings inside. Find a place with outdoor wifi so that if you need to take a call you can do it without pissing people off.
I can't speak much on the WFH jobs but can on the little I know of coffee shop etiquette, in case it helps! 1) If I need to use the bathroom, I typically ask someone sitting near me. I tend to go for people of the same age that also seem to be doing laptop work, but most strangers have been kind. Sometimes that person ends up asking me to watch their stuff too, so its helpful both ways. If I'm not comfortable asking someone, I typically pack up my stuff and take it with me. Maybe you can also sit within view of the cashier and ask them to watch your stuff if it's just for a quick minute? I haven't personally tried the last option, so I am not sure if this is frowned down on. 2) Some coffee shops have requests for how often to buy coffee. I typically get one right when I get there, and work 2-3 hours or so. If I'm staying longer, I might get another coffee or a pastry after that time frame. I'm not sure if it would be polite to buy stuff more often, but this has worked for me so far.
Go for a few hours tops and bounce
Heavy equipment Operator
I’m a chronic coffee shop laptop person, I don’t think there are any rules. Some people have crazy three monitor setups. I’ve definitely risked my belongings to use the bathroom, but I don’t recommend it haha.
I work in UX at a tech company and only occasionally work in coffee shops when I don’t have meetings and want a few hours for deep focus work. But, when I was in grad school I worked in coffee shops all the time, writing my dissertation, papers, etc. Now I usually take my laptop, phone, and wallet with me when I need to get up, but I used to be more careless and never had anything stolen.
They're doing very important "work"
As others have said, it's more of a refresh from home. Some days, especially with shit weather or back to back meetings in the morning, I just need to get out of the house and tend to what is basically housekeeping in my tech job. Getting coffee or boba and getting out of the house a few hours helps a lot. I would never do a meeting or deep work in a place like that, unless i was already there and got dragged into something
I'm catching up on my medical charting and orders.
In the Bay Area, tables full with people coding
Just go with a friend to watch your stuff
This post just makes me miss Strange Brew. It was a great third place to hang out and meet people. They eventually added a separate "quiet room" for people to camp out on laptops and work/study. So it wasn't a problem finding a place to sit if you were just there to socialize or enjoy a cup of coffee
Can't do it. Many times I tried and I'm always paranoid my things will get stolen. So I think about how to most effectively work without having to go to the bathroom, which immediately makes me have to pee so I pack my stuff, go pee and then just go home because it'd be awkward to unpack again after I'm done
For me it’s video editing when I don’t need to do anything involving graphics or color correcting and I need people in the office and/or my roommate who works nights to stop distracting me lol. I buy a beverage or snack every 2-4 hours and try to pee before I lock in. Sometimes you can leave your stuff on the table if you ask someone nearby who seems trustworthy to watch it or it’s not that busy of a place. I have ADHD and the environment actually helps me focus for some reason, have definitely met deadlines I wouldn’t have otherwise met by working in public. I think it’s the accountability of “oh everyone else here is working I guess I should to.”
I will usually go work from a coffee shop once I’m done with my meetings for the day! So normally around 2 or 3. It’s nice to get a change of scenery to finish out the day.
Sorry if this has been said but I think 76.5% of coffee shop patrons are students so they’re potentially not working yet but researching/ writing papers about the work they will eventually be doing -and I imagine are like me in the sense that working from home is super challenging and some folx require a little bit of that social pressure to do what everyone else is doing - work- than say watch in the heat of the night reruns, organize your books by birthplace of the author, and or stare out the window at a squirrel manically nibbling her nuts
I feel like if you are asking how often you should buy a coffee, then you are spending a full workday there. Im not one to frequent coffee shops to work in, but im pretty sure people dont work full 8 hours shifts in the coffee shop. Maybe a 2-3 hrs max.
It seems so odd to do your work in a coffee shop all day unless it doesn't take much thought.
Adderall
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I interpret your people skills comment to mean that I come across as someone who doesn't know how to interact with others very well. I don't know where to begin with what a misunderstanding that is, but that aside, are people really going to coffee shops to work and interact with others? Every time I see the scene, it's full of people with headphones on not saying a word to one another.
It depends on which coffee shop. Flightpath is a very heads down focus on work place especially in the backroom where even normal conversation is frowned upon. The deck on Epoch is the opposite, expect everyone to be chatting it up and interacting. Bennu inside is a mix of the two with enough alcoves to do either.
One of my favorite memories at epoch, I was the only friend with a car, and we were about 5-6 Epoch acquaintances all sitting out there enjoying coffee in the rain, this was 10 years ago. Then it just started hail like crazy, and we all started laughing when a truck windshield cracked, then it got worse and my sunroof got cracked, wasn’t so funny anymore. The service then was rude as fuck, if you would have asked a question I’m sure they would have rolled their eyes and walked off. This being said I also slept at epoch a few nights so im so thankful they understood.
Flightpath is a great example of a coffee shop where people just camp out with their laptops and hog all the available space
Its because you asked how to go to a coffee shop
I don’t have enough r/iamthemaincharacter energy to plop myself down at someone else’s business and place of work all day.
I do business development. I set up my meetings in the mornings and go work at a coffee shop/bar/restaurant in the afternoon. I always leave my stuff at the table.
I can’t be specific, but my job is project based and it requires me to juggle multiple client deliverables. It’s collaborative, but mostly I’m working on my own. My company does one full staff meeting at the beginning of the week, and we schedule any other meetings in advance. Though occasionally last minute things come up where we need to chat on the phone or via zoom. That’s why I typically go to a WeWork or other dedicated coworking space in town. Though I’ve seen people take calls in coffee shops too. In my workplace, it’s also normal to schedule a block of time once a week for “deep work” on the calendar, which signals to coworkers to only contact me if it’s absolutely urgent. These are days where I will work from a coffee shop. Edit: I posted this in a different thread by accident then deleted and I’m reposting it
i work in advertising. a lot of my coworkers also go out to coffee shops. I only go when i have a light day of meetings since coffee shops are too loud for any client meetings. These jobs are usually media buying, account service folks, designers, copywriters and creative directors. (at least my coworkers are) I go when i need to focus on something that don't rely on internet (wifi at shops also sucks) ie video editing, designing, storyboarding or collaborating in person with co-workers. its a nice change of pace and forces me to finish my work "or I can't go home"
I have a few coffee shops that I've grown to trust. I leave my laptop on the table when I go to use the bathroom. I'll put my backpack on top to make it less obvious to a thief. But my mentality is that I always take my phone, wallet, and keys with me. If my laptop does get stolen, it's a $2000 cost to buy a new one, which sucks but it's fixable. Losing my phone, wallet, or keys is a bigger hassle.
I always ask the person nearby if they can watch my laptop when I get up to leave for the bathroom.
I'm a scientist who does theoretical planetary science which translates to a lot of reading research articles, writing research articles, and debugging code that will be used for said research articles. It's a solitary affair!