From Competition to Cooperation: A Pattern in History
If you zoom out on the history of industries, you notice a recurring pattern. Sectors often begin with cutthroat competition — fragmented players battling for dominance — until eventually they realize that cooperation creates greater value than rivalry ever could.
Moments of disruption often catalyze this shift. What begins as survival instinct eventually matures into a recognition that shared systems, standards, and infrastructures expand the pie for all.
When Railroads Agreed on a Gauge
In the 19th century, railroads were fiercely competitive. Each company built its own track gauge, protecting market share by isolating its routes. But the inefficiency was staggering: cargo had to be unloaded and reloaded when moving between systems.
The moment railroads agreed on standardized gauges, the industry exploded with growth. What had been a zero-sum competition became a shared network — a physical ecosystem that expanded commerce and accelerated industrialization.
When Airlines Formed Alliances
The airline industry, too, began in rivalry. Each carrier fought for routes, loyalty, and territory. But global travel demanded collaboration. Alliances like Star Alliance, SkyTeam, and Oneworld turned rivals into partners.
By codesharing flights, pooling lounges, and aligning loyalty programs, they created networks that no single airline could build alone. The industry didn’t lose competition — it elevated it within a cooperative framework.
When Tech Embraced Open Source
In the digital era, the tech industry discovered a similar truth. Giants still compete, but the foundation of their work often rests on open-source collaboration.
Linux, Python, and countless other projects proved that shared codebases could outpace proprietary silos. Open source became the soil from which innovation grows, even for companies who battle each other in the marketplace.
The Disruptive Role of Coworking
Coworking belongs in this lineage of industries that embody collaboration as a disruptive force. From its earliest days, coworking wasn’t about square footage — it was about openness, sharing, and collective possibility.
- Independent workers found strength in togetherness.
- Operators traded playbooks instead of hoarding secrets.
- Vendors grew stronger when integrated into a shared ecosystem.
Coworking didn’t wait to learn cooperation the hard way — it was born collaborative. That DNA makes it not just a part of commercial real estate, but a prototype for how industries at large might evolve.
Why Coworking Can Catalyze Others
In an economy still dominated by siloed competition, coworking offers a living model of collaborative economics:
- A redeveloped historic building becomes not one tenant’s fortress, but a shared hub of diverse businesses.
- A rural coworking space doesn’t just serve members, it keeps entire communities connected to the modern economy.
- A coworking ecosystem of vendors shows how industries can thrive when complementary players stand side by side.
This isn’t theoretical. It’s daily proof that cooperation can be disruptive — not as compromise, but as strategy.
A Prototype for the Future of Work — and Beyond
History shows us: railroads, airlines, and tech reached new horizons when they learned to cooperate. Coworking stands in that same tradition, but with one key difference: it began with collaboration at its core.
The opportunity now is not to convince coworking to be collaborative — it already is. The opportunity is for other industries to look at coworking as a prototype of what’s possible when openness, cooperation, and shared purpose replace zero-sum competition.
If the past shows us cooperation as the disruptor of industries, the future may reveal coworking as the blueprint for collaboration itself.
