People Squared is a shared studio for creative talents in Shanghai. Desks are available for rent by the day/week/month, and events are regularly held for networking and for fun. We caught up with E-learning consultant Ross Cranwell, who uses the space, to find out more about the creative concept.

Who are you?
I’m from Dublin and have been here six years. I came to study at Fudan, worked for AmCham for a couple of years and then as ChinesePod’s marketing manager before leaving to start something myself, still in e-learning. I’m currently working on it and, in the meantime, am consulting for other e-learning companies.

So you work out of People Squared?
I started working at home after ChinesePod and bore it for three months and then I was done. I was looking at other co-working spaces and this one, in a lane off Huashan, is in a better location than others and really doesn’t feel like an office, but you are working. I am so much more productive working here, and it’s as simple as separating your professional life from your chilled out life. Another thing is the connection with people. At home you’re on your own, but here, even though I’m technically on my own, I have other people, and it’s nice to be surrounded by those who are starting their own businesses. There’s another group that does SEO for an online travel company, and we have day-by-day people, freelancers who just want to get out of the house for a couple of days. A desk is RMB70 per day or RMB1,400 per month. That’s the way it is at a lot of co-working spaces, but People Squared is more than that.

How so?
They run events, like the iPad meetup we had a couple of months ago, and film nights every Thursday. Founder Bob Zheng has this “talent marketplace” concept, and is trying to use the events and the space to bring entrepreneurs and freelancers together. You can also hold your own event here, if you have a topic you’re knowledgeable about and want to present. That’s what makes this different from other co-working spaces.

DETAILS

What: People Squared

Web:people-squared.com

Email: bob.zheng@people-squared.com

Tel: 5212-7011