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vgr's profile
Venkatesh Rao
Venkatesh Rao
Venkatesh Rao
@vgr

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Venkatesh Rao

@vgr

Conversational account. For work follow @ribbonfarm, @breaking_smart, @artofgig. Tweets are 90% vacuous views, apathetically held. Mediocritopian. IKEA builder.

Los Angeles, CA
venkateshrao.com
Joined August 2007

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    1. Venkatesh Rao‏ @vgr Sep 5
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      Venkatesh Rao Retweeted Venkatesh Rao

      So... meta thread on unit economics. In LA, pre-Covid average rates were like $3/sf so a 1000 sf space would be 3k. I’d guess many of these ideas would only start to get interesting if it drops below $2/sf. What the picture in your city? https://hughesmarino.com/los-angeles/blog/2019/11/04/as-rents-continue-to-increase-cre-markets-remain-flat-in-los-angeles-for-q3/ …https://twitter.com/vgr/status/1302282689844633601 …

      Venkatesh Rao added,

      Venkatesh Rao @vgr
      If you had 1000 sq feet of cheap, well-located industrial workspace in a fairly dense urban area, what equipment would you put in and what would you do? Assume you can’t be in the food/dark-kitchen business and that supplies you need from China/Amazon continue to flow smoothly.
      Show this thread
      6 replies 1 retweet 21 likes
      Show this thread
    2. Venkatesh Rao‏ @vgr Sep 5
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      Let’s assume $2000. Put in 3-4 slightly nicer 3d printers ($3000), a laser cutter ($3000), 2 electronics workbenches (decently kitted out at say 3k each... oscilloscope, bench supply, soldering iron...). A couple of supply storage cabinets, a good optical table... we’re at 50k.

      1 reply 1 retweet 9 likes
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    3. Venkatesh Rao‏ @vgr Sep 5
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      If you had say 40 members paying $100/mo (~ mid-range gym), you have 4k revenue. Variable costs: rent, utilities, insurance, cheaper supplies for free (solder, coffee). Assume 5% repair/maintenance/year so that’s another $200. Let’s say $1000. So $1k gross margin.

      2 replies 0 retweets 3 likes
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    4. Venkatesh Rao‏ @vgr Sep 5
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      You’d make your capex outlay back in 48 months, not counting amortization tax benefit. So that’s $1000 free cash flow. Maintaining 40 people membership at $100 would be quite hard though. But you could add 3 value-added services... coaching, simple outsourcing, and remote fab.

      3 replies 0 retweets 3 likes
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    5. Venkatesh Rao‏ @vgr Sep 5
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      Think of these as members who offer other members and external people help. Basically like gym trainers who turn a profit on their membership fees without being underwritten by the space manager. So I think small-scale makerspaces are a feasible use of converted retail below $2k

      2 replies 0 retweets 4 likes
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    6. Venkatesh Rao‏ @vgr Sep 5
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      Unlike first-gen maker spaces that were larger destination communities and max a handful in a city, this could be scaled down to one in every neighborhood. Starbucks or 24x7 fitness level proliferation.

      3 replies 0 retweets 6 likes
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    7. Venkatesh Rao‏ @vgr Sep 5
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      Venkatesh Rao Retweeted Krampus with Golem Characteristics

      Hmm... this is a huge, well-equipped space at $150/mo membership. I wonder if this market naturally wants to aggregate or decentralize.https://twitter.com/DavidRalin/status/1302307626865233920 …

      Venkatesh Rao added,

      Krampus with Golem Characteristics @DavidRalin
      Replying to @vgr
      https://losangeles.craigslist.org/lgb/tls/d/costa-mesa-use-the-tools-and-equipment/7187799652.html … Comprehensive rapid proto to light industrial capabilities.
      2 replies 0 retweets 3 likes
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    8. Venkatesh Rao‏ @vgr Sep 5
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      It’s in Costa Mesa, and $199 month-to-month. An hour drive from LA. So not really practical. Also way overpowered. Now I’m thinking 1000sf walking-distance minimalist makerspaces should be closer to $50/mo to work.

      1 reply 0 retweets 3 likes
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      Venkatesh Rao‏ @vgr Sep 5
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      Or even pay-by-the-hour/by the machine use. Reserve the 3D printer, pay $3/hr. PLA free, other filament costs extra.

      11:27 AM - 5 Sep 2020
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      • Drake E. (he/him) foo
      0 replies 0 retweets 2 likes

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