👽 LIFESTYLE

Could coliving & “build-to-rent” solve the housing crisis for a mobile workforce?

When it comes to housing, Scandinavia isn’t just home to IKEA, it also has one of the most successful coliving sectors in Europe and beyond!

Unlike coliving offers you may be familiar with like Selina, these are long-term, offering larger (yet smaller than average) homes that have private kitchens, bathrooms, and everything else you’d expect from a normal home.

What separates these coliving options from regular housing is that the focus is on community and sharing.

Perhaps one of the most successful coliving projects in Europe is Vindmøllebakken Housing located in Stavanger, Norway.

Vindmøllebakken is made up of 40 coliving units surrounding a large communal space which includes a large communal kitchen, library, workshops, guest rooms, and a lounge.

Not too far away in the UK, the last 10 years have seen an explosion of “build to rent” buildings.

These apartment complexes offer renters turn-key properties that come furnished and are run by a 24/7 management staff should any issues arise and feature a lineup of amenities like a gym, coworking space, communal areas, and more.

Best of all many build-to-rent buildings offer flexible rental agreements ranging from 3 months to 3 years.

As more of the workforce becomes remote and gains mobility, regular housing options will become too rigid.

Coliving options like Vindmøllebakken and other build-to-rent properties could offer low-cost flexible rentals that come with a built-in community for the growing mobile workforce.

Interested in seeing more? Check out this video about Vindmøllebakken 👇

💾 TECH

Bye bye Cloud. Meet the “local-first” software movement

Today the Cloud is synonymous with the internet.

If you stop and think about it almost every app you use in your day-to-day work is in some way tied to the cloud: Slack, Google Docs, Spotify, Notion, etc

This allows you to have your work sync between any number of devices and allow collaborations with other users.

The negative however is that you need to play ball with giant corporations.

What enables this connection are miles and miles of servers, owned by large corporations (most likely Amazon AWS), that ultimately hold everything in the cloud by the balls.

Recently HackerNews, a discussion forum popular with developers and engineers, has been buzzing with a new phrase: local-first

Local-first software skips the cloud and instead connects individual computers directly to each other.

In many ways, it’s reminiscent of the original ideas behind the internet.

Proponents of local-first software see it as a way to empower developers to step away from the cloud and the ability for VCs to monetize your data.

Local-first apps are decentralized - echoing ideas brought up by the crypto movement but without the financial incentives that made people lose their minds.

The problem with local-first? Collaboration is not instant.

Instead updates on a shared doc for example would happen in bursts when the two computers connect.

That could be every minute or every hour…

This naturally forces workers to adopt an async work style which remote experts agree is the best way to collaborate remotely while providing individual workers with autonomy over their schedule.

There are still lots of things that the cloud is great for, but local-first could be an interesting (remote-friendly) addition to the way we use the internet for work.

🚨 WORD ON THE WEB

• 🇭🇺 Budapest voted 9th best city for digital nomads. The Hungarian capital scored high in affordability, wifi connection, and safety

• 🇦🇪 Wealthy digital nomads flock to Dubai. Many are from the financial sectors looking for a Switzerland alternative to keep their money and are enticed by the UAE’s neutral geopolitical stance.

• 🏕️ REI & Airstream team up. The two brands have co-released a new Basecamp trailer that is lighter and does not require a full-sized truck while still being able to sleep 4 and provide ample indoor space.

• 🔮 Future of cities. Meet Oslo, the world’s most electric city! Here everything from ferries to mail delivery and construction equipment is electrified. What can other cities learn from Oslo? (video)

📆 UPCOMING EVENTS:

Aug 28-31: NomadEire [📍Tralee, Kerry County, Ireland] - Wide-ranging discussion on all things related to nomadic life along with skill sharing, business coaching, and celebration of what Ireland can offer digital nomads.

Sept 28 - Oct 1: Nomadness Fest [📍Louisville, Kentucky, US] - A festival for travelers of color and their allies. 30+ speakers covering topics such as branding, business, domestic travel, effects of over-tourism, and much more.

Sept 30: DNCH [📍Bern, Switzerland + Virtual] - Learn about location-independent life and meet like-minded people interested in the digital nomad lifestyle.

Oct 9-15: The Nomad World [📍Albufeira, Portugal] - Transformative experience for digital nomads and remote workers from across the globe. A mix of expert talks, hands-on workshops, and beach-side fun, aimed at celebrating freedom, connection, and personal growth.

Dec 7-13: Nomad Island Fest [📍 Madeira, Portugal] - Learn from world-class industry experts on topics like mindset, marketing, tech, wealth & health.

🌍 WFA JOBS:

Looking for a job that’s not just remote, but that you can work from anywhere in the world? We’ve done the heavy lifting for you. Check out these awesome WFA positions 👇

⭐️ Product Marketing Manager @ Toggl

⭐️ Customer Success Manager @ Tonomo

⭐️ Customer Support Manager (English & Spanish) @ MailerLite

⭐️ Blockchain Developer @ Overmind

⭐️ Technical Marketing Project Manager @ TruSport Brands