SZTeam Coworking

Shekou district WANTS ITS OWN COWORKING SPACE! Last week at Christmas Eve dinner my friends Marshall, James, Chris, Tully, Erik and others were talking about coworking space, shared office. People really do need this service. Many are tired of working in coffee shops, bars, home offices.

I remembered many times I had talked to Mark Wong, owner from Sidewalk Cafe (now called Sorrelle Cafe) in Rose Garden 2 commercial district about a coworking space. He has a nice open 2nd floor of the coffee shop which he has utilized for a few other things. He rented it out to a company before, and he also used it for some sort of Chinese daycare / training center.

I also didn’t push too hard in the past conversations with him as the past couple years I have been traveling so much between Philippines, Dongguan, Shenzhen, Hong Kong how could I have committed to this local business venture.

But now the stars seem to have aligned

Mark and the other owners of Sorrelle cafe currently have the 2nd floor vacant, the daycare center they say was too loud. Also, the zoning on the 2nd floor didn’t have proper fire escape. Currently they are looking for a new tenant.

I am so lucky that on Christmas eve after talking with Marshall and others, James and I walked down the street to see what the deal was.

Below is what we are currently negotiating with them:

2nd floor of Sorelle Cafe
Shop #30 Rose Garden 2

Cafe hours from 7am to close at about 1am
Monthly cost for 2nd floor, average cost 7,000rmb (after utilities + internet, etc)
VIP card for cafe food, drinks
Need air conditioner in conference room
Coffee shop lease is for 2 more years
Sign one year contract , maybe can do 6 mo
If 24 hour access, maybe need cafe staff working onsite….have to know who is who.

Pro for this Shekou Coworking

• Basically its ready to go
• Will meet many more people in the area
• Flexible in terms, know the owner / management for years
• Seems like a reasonable price
• Already have at least 5 members ready to go!
• Mostly in foreigner area – mostly will be foreigners there – but seems foreigners are willing for shared office like this!
• Shekou is pretty far from Futian and Luo Ho, the people here are not willing/able to go to High tech park / other areas

But all in all, I think I am ready to take this jump….I’ve been working inside a Shekou districtChinese Foreign Trade office lately, but miss the openness, friendliness of an open office…

I think this is destiny, and will confirm more this week.

Comments / feedback please!

Here is a video I recorded:

Mike Michelini

After so many wonderful tuesdays we had had together, and so many times we had invited some wonderful guests to be our speaker, i got an idea: how about you guys anyone who wants to present your ideas or got great experiences to share to tell us that you wanna be our speaker?!  Come on and show us!

Therefore, we decided to stop some Startup Tesday meeting from this week in order to hear more voices saying that you wanna come and be our honorable speaker. Also, we wanna know how you really feel about our activities before and please share us your great ideas on them, your kindly help will be highly appreciated!

Our Startup Tesday meeting will be back,  keep attention!

Want to be our speaker?!  Please email to :  [email protected] .

We had a really exciting startupweekend this past weekend – we will post the story soon – but tomorrow’s Tuesday meeting is postponed til next week.

All that great hard work from the teams has exhausted us, so rest up and stay tuned for next Tuesday!
Mike

I’m truly overextended with all these meetups….but its really picking up steam, went to startup saturdays in Hong Kong, been networking with others from Shenzhen who are attending the Hong Kong events, asking how to build up the Shenzhen startup and entrepreneur community here. From that, being connected with John Biggs from Tech crunch to have a quick, informal Shenzhen techcrunch meetup.

During my trip in USA confirmed and met up with Ahmed from startup weekend to confirm the first official Startup weekend in shenzhen.

Its already coming up next weekend! – I know I’m overextending myself, but I am building up a “new-age” team of freelancers and independent, self-motivated people in the Shenzhen community…and I am trying my best to delegate tasks. Even the time it takes to delegate the tasks for all these events and community building tasks is daunting.

Ok, enough of my rant, here is the plan and breakdown so far for next weekend’s (Nov 11 – 13) Official Startup Weekend:

We will have a USA delegate here on site from the Startup weekend, Ahmed Siddiqui. He is also going to the startup weekend in Shanghai for the weekend afterwards, and spending some time in Hong Kong mid- week.

Similar to our Shenzhen BootUP! weekend a couple months back, this is a full weekend event.

Here is some information from shenzhen.startupweekend.org:

Information about Shenzhen’s official Startup Weekend

• What: – Startup Weekend, weekend long event, Friday night until sunday night dedicated (well, hopefully get SOME sleep at your home)
• When:Friday nov 11, 7pm til about 10 or 11pm then Saturday Nov 12 all day, and then Sunday Nov 13 all day, until judges at night.
• Where: SZteam coworking space, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, China. Check szteam for directions
• Who: – For entrepreneurs, startups who want to try a hack over the weekend, and other small business enthusiasts, mentors, investors
• Why: – Taking a “break” from your normal startup or daily life and focusing on a new startup with a new team over a weekend is a great exercise to learn how to make things quick with limited resources and people you don’t know already.
• How Much: – 100rmb
• How: – Apply here –

Startup Weekend is an intense 54 hour event which focuses on building a web or mobile application which could form the basis of a credible business over the course of a weekend. The weekend brings together people with different skillsets – primarily software developers, graphics designers and business people – to build applications and develop a commercial case around them.

Startup Weekends are 54-hour events where developers, designers, marketers, product managers and startup enthusiasts come together to share ideas, form teams, build products, and launch startups!

Startup Weekends are weekend-long, hands-on experiences where entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs can find out if startup ideas are viable. On average, half of Startup Weekend’s attendees have technical backgrounds, the other half have business backgrounds.

Beginning with open mic pitches on Friday, attendees are encouraged to bring their best ideas and inspire others to join their team. Over Saturday and Sunday teams design and develop business plans while constantly streamlining their startup vision. On Sunday evening teams demo their prototypes, listen to judges’ feedback and in some cities, win prizes.

Startup Weekends are specifically designed for entrepreneurs interested in receiving feedback on an idea, looking for a co-founder, or who want to learn a new skill. We also welcome anyone looking to test the entrepreneurial waters. Startup Weekends are risk-free environments where everyone is expected to roll up their sleeves and dive into the exhilarating world of startups.

We have to charge a small admission fee this time, we are asking for 100rmb (about 15 usd) per person as we have to cover basic costs and also want to make sure those attending are committed to attending.

I am sure people will really enjoy it, last time we got tons of feedback and positive relationships and team building, I’m sure a bunch of those people will apply again!

Apply for the Shenzhen Startup Weekend here

Tonight Mike will share his splendid Techcrunch meeting last week ! Come and enjoy the story about this experienced businessman !

Also he will talk about  preparations for startup weekend11-13this month.

Topic/ Agenda: Techcrunch meeting last week, and preparations for startup weekendWhat: Startups Tuesday, Shenzhen Meetup

For Who: People that are in startups, VC, investors, want to get into a startup, or are just curious

When: Tuesday, Nov. 8st, 7pm to around 9pm

Where: SZteam.com coworking office, (for directions see below)

Cost: Free

Dress: Casual

For reservations:

email us at [email protected]；

Address:深圳市南山区高新区南区粤兴三道6号南京大学深圳产学研基地大楼B区502号 518057

502 B-Block, Nanjing University Research Center Shenzhen
Branch, 6 Yuexing 3rd Road, High Tech Park South, Nanshan, Shenzhen 518057

We will arrange the seat according to the reservation. Please tell us your name, occupation and contact information.

NOTE

This building, 南京大学 (Nanjing University), is quite new here, so you cannot find it on the map now, but you
can use the name of next door building, such as 中国地质大学产学研基地

by Shenzhen Metro:

Take the Shenzhen Metro to the stop ‘Ke Yuan’ 科苑 on the Shekou line and get out at exit D, and it’s the building on your left.

by Shenzhen Buses:

1. 南山外国语学校高新分部，bus no:109、b606、b608、b682

2. 科苑南路，bus no:109、b682、m208

3. J1 or 364 to 万科东海岸 stop

4. 高新南十一道 bus 72

Seriously on a roll lately with networking and community building! Wish I could make it to Techcrunch’s Disrupt Beijing! conference this week, but luckily one of their editors, John Biggs, will be in Shenzhen visiting for a few days and planned a quick, informal meetup for this coming Friday, November 4th:

John Biggs, the gadget guy from Tech crunch is here. He is interested to meet startups and entrepreneurs here in Shenzhen! So please come out and represent!

Entry is free, but please try to make a 2 drink minimum (after 10% discount) to cover the cost of sectioning off the section of this bar on a Friday night!

Please tweet or Weibo (is that a thing):

We will have a Techcrunch Meetup in Shenzhen here @Le_Bistro next Friday nov 4 at 7pm.

Website is WWW.lebistro.me

I’m http://weibo.com/johndbiggs on Weibo

See you on Friday!

The location is at a nice outdoor bar, centrally located in Coco park (futian) Shenzhen, called Le Bistro.

Le Bistro
Coco Park Entertainment District
Min Tian Rd, Shopping Park 138
Futian CBD –Shenzhen
Restaurant Phone: (0)755 8316 9651 Mobile: 138 0986 9688

深圳市福田区购物公园民田路138号

More to come, just wanted to get this out there….

FYI, also one in Hong Kong, Wed Nov 2

Wednesday, November 2 · 7:00pm – 11:00pm
Location Pier 7 cafe and bar, Hong Kong

Tomorrow night Mike will discuss about our next startup weekend, welcom everybody to come and show us your splendid ideas, or any plans you got in mind.

shenzhen.startupweekend.org

Topic/ Agenda: Talk about your idea on our next startup weekend

What: Startups Tuesday, Shenzhen Meetup

For Who: People that are in startups, VC, investors, want to get into a startup, or are just curious

When: Tuesday, Nov. 1st, 7pm to around 9pm

Where: SZteam.com coworking office, (for directions see below)

Cost: Free

Dress: Casual

For reservations:

email us at [email protected]；

Address:深圳市南山区高新区南区粤兴三道6号南京大学深圳产学研基地大楼B区502号 518057

502 B-Block, Nanjing University Research Center Shenzhen
Branch, 6 Yuexing 3rd Road, High Tech Park South, Nanshan, Shenzhen 518057

We will arrange the seat according to the reservation. Please tell us your name, occupation and contact information.

NOTE

This building, 南京大学 (Nanjing University), is quite new here, so you cannot find it on the map now, but you
can use the name of next door building, such as 中国地质大学产学研基地

by Shenzhen Metro:

Take the Shenzhen Metro to the stop ‘Ke Yuan’ 科苑 on the Shekou line and get out at exit D, and it’s the building on your left.

by Shenzhen Buses:

1. 南山外国语学校高新分部，bus no:109、b606、b608、b682

2. 科苑南路，bus no:109、b682、m208

3. J1 or 364 to 万科东海岸 stop

4. 高新南十一道 bus 72

Tonight we will bring you a classic movie ——Wall Street

Date: Oct 26,2011 Wednesday, 19:00

Place: szteam co-working office

Introduction

Wall Street is a 1987 American drama film released by 20th Century Fox, directed by Oliver Stone and starring Michael Douglas, Charlie Sheen, and Daryl Hannah. The screenstory, characters and screenplay was written by Michael Apted, Jim Jarmusch, Akiva Goldsman, Richard Donner, Ehren Kruger, Jean-Jacques Annaud, Stanley Weiser, Jim Thomas, John Thomas and Stone. The film tells the story of Bud Fox (Sheen), a young stockbroker desperate to succeed who becomes involved with his hero, Gordon Gekko (Douglas), a wealthy, unscrupulous corporate raider.

Stone made the film as a tribute to his father, Lou Stone, a stockbroker during the Great Depression. The character of Gordon is said to be a composite of several people, including Owen Morrisey, Dennis Levine, Ivan Boesky, Carl Icahn, Asher Edelman, Michael Ovitz, Michael Milken, and Stone himself. The character of Sir Lawrence Wildman, meanwhile, was modelled on the prominent British financier and corporate raider Sir James Goldsmith. Originally, the studio wanted Warren Beatty to play Gordon, but he was not interested, and Stone wanted Richard Gere, though Gere passed on the role. Stone went with Douglas despite having been advised by others in Hollywood not to cast him.

The film was well-received among major film critics. Douglas won the Academy Award for Best Actor, and the film has come to be seen as the archetypal portrayal of 1980s excess, with Douglas’s character memorably declaring that “greed, for lack of a better word, is good”. It has also proven influential in inspiring people to work on Wall Street. Sheen, Douglas, and Stone have commented over the years that people still approach them and say that they became stockbrokers inspired by their characters in the film.

Cast

• Charlie Sheen as Bud Fox
• Michael Douglas as Gordon Gekko
• Martin Sheen as Carl Fox
• Daryl Hannah as Darien Taylor
• Hal Holbrook as Lou Mannheim
• John C. McGinley as Marvin
• Terence Stamp as Sir Larry Wildman
• James Spader as Roger Barnes
• Sean Young as Katherine Gekko
• Saul Rubinek as Harold Salt
• James Karen as Lynch
• Frank Adonis as Charlie

Splendid Lines

Gordon Gekko: When I get a hold of the son of a bitch who leaked this, I’m gonna tear his eyeballs out and I’m gonna suck his ing skull.

Carl Fox: Stop going for the easy buck and start producing something with your life. Create, instead of living off the buying and selling of others.

Gordon Gekko: The richest one percent of this country owns half our country’s wealth, five trillion dollars. One third of that comes from hard work, two thirds comes from inheritance, interest on interest accumulating to widows and idiot sons and what I do, stock and real estate speculation. It’s bullshit. You got ninety percent of the American public out there with little or no net worth. I create nothing. I own. We make the rules, pal. The news, war, peace, famine, upheaval, the price per paper clip. Now you’re not naive enough to think we’re living in a democracy, are you buddy? It’s the free market. And you’re a part of it. You’ve got that killer instinct. Stick around pal, I’ve still got a lot to teach you.

Gordon Gekko: You’re walking around blind without a cane, pal. A fool and his money are lucky enough to get together in the first place.

Bud Fox: How much is enough?

　　Gordon Gekko: It’s not a question of enough, pal. It’s a zero sum game, somebody wins, somebody loses. Money itself isn’t lost or made, it’s simply transferred from one perception to another.

This week we’ll have a visiting guest, Cyril Ebersweiler Venture Partner @ SOSventures Int. and Founder of China accelerator

Cyril is a venture partner at SOSventures and the founder of the first mentorship-driven seed funding program in China, Chinaccelerator (http://chinaccelerator.com). He will be at our co-working space on Tuesday afternoon and will be make a Q&A sessions from 3pm with people interested to know more about startups, product, fund raising, mentoring and Star Wars.

He is mentoring at Techstars, 500startups and OnLab, at the board of several startups and advise some others in Boston, San Francisco, Toronto, Beijing and Shanghai.

Places were Cyril gave lectures, went on panel or organized startup competitions include AdTech, MIT GSW, MIT CHIEF, GMIC, CESIF, Shanghai Jiatong University, DMU, DUT, NEUSOFT, Samurai Incubate, RailsRumble, Nodeknockout, IBM Smartcamp, etc… He is also the organizer of the 10×10 Conferences held in Beijing and Shanghai.

Also, we’ll discuss the next startup weekend, shenzhen.startupweekend.org on Nov 11 to Nov 13 with visitors from Silicon Valley!

Topic/ Agenda: China Seed Mentoring Incubator Talk

What: Startups Tuesday, Shenzhen Meetup

For Who: People that are in startups, VC, investors, want to get into a startup, or are just curious

When: Tuesday, Oct. 25th, 7pm to around 9pm

Where: SZteam.com coworking office, (for directions see below)

Cost: Free

Dress: Casual

For reservations:

email us at [email protected]；

Address:深圳市南山区高新区南区粤兴三道6号南京大学深圳产学研基地大楼B区502号 518057

502 B-Block, Nanjing University Research Center Shenzhen
Branch, 6 Yuexing 3rd Road, High Tech Park South, Nanshan, Shenzhen 518057

We will arrange the seat according to the reservation. Please tell us your name, occupation and contact information.

NOTE

This building, 南京大学 (Nanjing University), is quite new here, so you cannot find it on the map now, but you
can use the name of next door building, such as 中国地质大学产学研基地

by Shenzhen Metro:

Take the Shenzhen Metro to the stop ‘Ke Yuan’ 科苑 on the Shekou line and get out at exit D, and it’s the building on your left.

by Shenzhen Buses:

1. 南山外国语学校高新分部，bus no:109、b606、b608、b682

2. 科苑南路，bus no:109、b682、m208

3. J1 or 364 to 万科东海岸 stop

4. 高新南十一道 bus 72

Date: Wednesday, October 19, 2011, 19:30 – 21:00

Place: 502 B-Block, Nanjing University Research Center Shenzhen
Branch, 6 Yuexing 3rd Road, High Tech Park South, Nanshan, Shenzhen

Duration: about half and an hour

Speaker: Jerome Zhang—Senior Barista/Coffee Trainer

Cost: At least a consummation of one cup of coffee for ￥14

Class Schedule:

1. Learn About Coffee

The roots of coffee? How many kinds of coffee been do you know? How to make them to toothsome coffee? And some of common coffee drinks.

2. Coffee Time and Networking

While learning about coffee, Jerome will show us how to make Siphon Coffee and Hand Drip Coffee. So exciting! If you have any questions about coffee, or just being interesting in this, this is a terrific chance!