Digital 52 2️⃣6️⃣ - Reviving and preserving a historic building, growing in impact (and not in size), developing new business lines: the story of Opero.
Today's story will take you to Prague, the capital city of the Czech Republic. What's there to discover? The story of an incredible historical building, space, and community: welcome to Opero.
Community Curation - Premium Spaces - Reviving Buildings
Read the full story of Opero on page 134 of “Around The World in 250 Coworking Spaces”.
Traveling around the world of coworking spaces has taught us an important lesson: some buildings are inherently suited to be coworking spaces. When we first stumbled upon the space you are about to discover, we were struck by the dedication of the founding team to restoring Central Europe's oldest printing factory, a remarkable feat, considering that preserving historic buildings in today's world is often more challenging than starting from scratch. However, the combination of a building owner who is still part of the family that once owned the printing factory and a founding trio who were passionate about giving this space a second life to showcase its unique beauty led to the birth of Opero. Today, it is a truly exceptional coworking space that brings together a vibrant community in the heart of Prague.
How did Opero come into being, and where does it stand today?
Keep scrolling down to find out.
➡️ A little refresher
Who’s behind the featured space?
Meet Pavel Přikryl, Pavel Bouška and Luboš Černý.
“Pavel P. and Luboš had known each other from different projects when they came up with the idea of a representative business club and coworking. At that time, they consulted another project of Pavel B. and introduced him to this idea. Back then, there weren't many business hubs in the Czech Republic. Pavel B. was excited about it and pledged to finance. Less than a year later, Opero opened its door to the first members.”
➡️ Key Figures
- Opening year: 2016
- Size when they started: 1,100 sqm
- Size today: Same size
➡️ A little tour around Opero
➡️ Behind-the-scenes
Things you didn't read in aw250cs.
“We took inspiration from the Italian word "opera" which means an open work.
Through Opero, we got introduced to a very interesting notion: advanced professionals. “We always aimed to build a senior community of professionals from different fields and positions. The professions of our members vary from financial directors, through coaches, translators, IT companies to advanced founders of their own projects in various fields.”
"We realized that we could offer more value by helping our members grow their businesses and providing education."
Hana Kučerova, CEO of Opero
➡️ Opero Today
Catching up with spaces featured in the book is something we love deeply. While it always happens online, reconnecting, reminiscing our last time together, and discussing the current state of things always feel very refreshing. We recently interviewed Hana Kučerova, CEO of Opero, to discuss with her all that had changed since the book came out. But wait, did things actually change? Yes, and in many ways! While coworking spaces are often pushed to first grow in size to grow in impact, the pandemic has put things in perspective for the team at Opero, who made the move to grow in impact using the space they have. How did they achieve all this? That’s a great question, which Hana has answered in the interview just below.
💫 2 different kinds of growth
As you will soon discover, the pandemic has presented Opero with a new opportunity to expand its content strategy. How? By creating additional educational opportunities that assist their broader community in their professional endeavors.
Having been in existence for over 6 years, Opero has experienced growth not in terms of size, but rather in its impact. Discovering how to expand its influence has been a journey in and of itself, which Hana reflected upon during our recent interview. Continue reading to learn more.
💬 I’d like to start by asking you: what’s new at Opero since September 2021? (the month the book was released)
I was reflecting on the timing of COVID and how it has affected our organization's priorities. Prior to COVID, we focused mainly on events and did not engage in any educational activities. However, since late 2020 and throughout 2021, we have invested significant time, personnel, and resources into developing educational and mentoring programs.
Our aim is to create a university-like environment for businesses, with a particular focus on small and medium-sized enterprises.
One of our programs focuses on mentoring SMEs, which has seen significant growth and now has its own team and client base. We are also seeking to connect members of this program with other communities to foster collaboration. 'Ment2Grow' is another program that caters to B2B startups looking to expand to different countries. This program is highly specialized, with only 20 companies at a time, and runs for approximately one year.
We have also created a program exclusively for company founders and owners, with only 10-12 participants at a time. This program is highly detailed and closely resembles YPO sessions or CEO meetups, with a peer-to-peer focus. In summary, our organization has shifted its focus from coworking spaces and communities to education and mentoring, with a keen interest in helping others grow and expand.
💬 How does the event programming work?
Both virtual and physical attendance is possible, but the majority of our members prefer to use our physical space. From the outset, we launched several initiatives, such as the SME program, which we called 'Let's go for it' in English.
While we provided online workshops and educational materials for individuals to use from home, we always intended to bring people together in our beautiful building, which offers plenty of space for various activities.
Our aim is to create a vibrant community, and our physical space serves as a central hub for individuals to connect with others and discover new opportunities. It acts as a catalyst for cross-collaboration and serves as one of our key objectives, although not the primary one.
💬 What’s the biggest change the pandemic has brought to you guys?
I believe the key shift we made was moving away from a sole focus on our existing community, which was centered around our working and event space.
We realized that we could offer more value by helping our members grow their businesses and providing education.
Over the past six and a half years, we have built an extensive network of professionals from different industries, including non-profit organizations, academia, and government agencies. We leverage this network to facilitate connections and opportunities for growth. This change has had a significant impact on our members, some of whom now view our space as a second office, depending on the size of their team.
Interestingly, larger companies have started building their own coworking spaces, which has resulted in a decrease in their membership with us.
💬 Oh wow, did the larger companies ask you for consulting or advice to build their own coworking spaces?
That's a good question. Some people did ask about it, but it was about two years ago. We had a few consultations with individuals who were familiar with us and were considering pursuing it.
💬 Opero is located in quite a unique building and interior design. What was the story you guys wanted to tell with the interior? As the building is a heritage building, was it difficult to give it a new life?
I believe the reason it worked out well for us was due to the three founders' extensive networks in various fields, which made public relations relatively easy.
However, had we been discussing this six years ago, I would have said it was tough.
While their connections were helpful, what we really appreciated was the historical significance of the building. It was originally constructed in 1909 as a printing house, the largest in Central Europe at the time. Beyond printing activities, it also served as a gathering place for artists, painters, and writers in the evenings. This aspect of the building's history aligned with our goals of creating a social space for people to connect and share ideas. When we met with the current owner, Ms. Viola, who happens to be Mr. Stent's niece, it was clear that she had a personal connection to the building and didn't want to rent it to just anyone.
Before I joined the Opero team, Pavel and another colleague had already discussed their vision for the space. They didn't want to create just another coworking space but rather a social hub where people could come together, attend events on important topics, and meet influential figures. This vision aligned well with Ms. Viola's desire to preserve the building's history and purpose.
While the building's interior design is beautiful, with a refined and subtle feel that blends different influences, it does have its downsides. The acoustics are a challenge due to the tall glass windows.
💬 On your website you talk about “sophisticated people”, which I find really interesting. Can you elaborate on the meaning behind this?
To be honest, this is something we will be changing very soon. However, the reasoning behind our use of the term stems from our desire to be inclusive of individuals who are curious and want to explore beyond their field of work.
We do not necessarily aim for a sophisticated approach, but rather, we hope to appeal to what we refer to as “Renaissance People.” This term might be more commonly used in the Czech language to describe individuals interested in various fields, including culture, art, education, and finance. These are the people we want to welcome into our space and provide with the opportunity to learn and share their knowledge with others.
While I acknowledge that this might sound overly posh, our goal is to connect individuals from diverse backgrounds and interests, creating a better society and world for everyone. This notion aligns with our goal of catering to individuals who have already achieved success in their fields but want to continue learning and exploring new topics.
Our current average member age is 42 years old, which is not to say that we do not welcome young people. Of course, we do! However, our pricing structure tends to attract clients who are at a certain stage in their careers and have the means to invest in their personal and professional development. With that being said, we do approach younger individuals who possess unique knowledge or skills that we feel would be valuable to share with our broader clientele. So, while age can play a role in our membership, it is not the sole determining factor.
💬 Opero organizes a lot of different events. Can you tell us more about them? Who are they for? What purpose do they serve to the overall mission of the company?
As I mentioned earlier, our goal is to contribute towards creating a better world. We strive to bring attention to important topics, particularly those that are relevant to the current social climate. Our events are no exception.
One of our flagship events is an annual conference called 'Future Issue', which is focused on the future of education. The event spans an entire day and is designed for anyone with an interest in the educational system: its evolution, shortcomings, and how it can be improved. This year, if we are able to hold it again, will mark the third iteration of the conference, which is typically held in September.
Our speakers are chosen from both the Czech Republic and other countries. In the past, we have had the privilege of hosting luminaries such as the Minister of Education from Finland and Salman Khan from Khan Academy.
We invite experts in the field because education is one of the most critical topics we should focus on improving.
We believe that bringing together the brightest minds to discuss the current state of education and how we can make it better is key. Our events aim to offer concrete steps for improvement, not just a platform for discussion and complaints about the system's inefficiencies. We try our hardest to make sure that each event is informative, engaging, and thought-provoking.
Education is one of the key topics that we focus on, along with AI and other rapidly evolving technologies, sustainability, and CSR.
We believe that it's important to address these issues and bring them to the forefront of public discussion. When we organize these events, we collaborate with other initiatives, companies, and non-profit organizations that have specialized knowledge and expertise. We believe in bringing together various entities to create a platform for unbiased discussions and knowledge-sharing. Our aim is to provide opportunities for people to learn and create meaningful change.
💬 How have you seen Opero grow over the years?
I would say that our approach has evolved rather than changed over time.
Six years ago, when we first started and didn't even have a space, we weren't sure how to expand our activities or what direction to take. Since then, we have shifted our focus in a positive direction, in my opinion.
Our emphasis now is on mentoring programs, education, and helping people grow in their respective fields. By doing so, we also benefit from their growth and can offer consultations and advice to those seeking it. Companies often approach us for our opinions and expertise in event planning and conference content, as we have experience in putting together successful events. We provide these consultancy services because we enjoy helping others and are passionate about what we do.
💬 Have you ever thought about growing Opero in size?
We made the decision to open a new place shortly before the onset of the COVID pandemic, I believe in 2019. It wasn't necessarily our plan to do so, but rather we were approached by someone who suggested a location that we might be interested in.
After considering our options, we scouted out various areas in Prague and found several potential spaces. While some were quite good, we ultimately decided to focus on just one.
Our reasoning was that we wanted to prioritize community and people above all else. To put it simply, we wanted our activities to continue even if we didn't have a building at all. Our focus is on building connections, creating opportunities, and fostering a sense of community, rather than just the physical space itself. While the building certainly helps us achieve these goals, it is not the main focus of our work.
➡️ Reflections on building Opero
💬 What has been your biggest learning out of bringing to life AND growing Opero?
In the beginning, starting and running this business was a challenge in itself because we lacked knowledge and were uncertain about where it would lead us. As we revised our general conditions, we realized there were certain aspects we had overlooked initially. Looking back, some of them seem trivial, but at the time, they were significant obstacles.
The most significant challenge in opening and running this business is the lessons learned through experience. It has made me realize that everything we do revolves around people. What one knows isn't as important as how one applies it and the people one associates with. It may sound like a cliche, but it's true.
Despite gaining more knowledge every day, I still feel like I know very little. However, having an excellent team and clients around me makes up for my shortcomings.
The biggest lesson I've learned is to trust my instincts. Initially, I questioned my lack of experience, but now I know that it's best to listen to my intuition, whether it's a financial decision or hiring someone. I don't need to justify myself because experience has taught me that my instincts are usually right.
💬 What would be your best advice to someone thinking about opening a coworking space?
I would ask them why do they want to start a coworking space?
I believe that everyone has unique reasons for undertaking such a venture. In our case, we were motivated by our incredible heritage building and its historical significance. However, during the six years that we have been operational, numerous coworking spaces have emerged in Prague, making competition tougher. We understand that we have a different focus and clientele compared to most of our competitors. If we were to adopt the same approach as the others, we would not have been able to compete, given that we do not have the resources to provide state-of-the-art air conditioning and modern technology.
We have noticed that the ambiance of our coworking space is different from that of the modern ones, even though they may offer more amenities. Our focus is on creating communities and not just renting out spaces. We want to differentiate ourselves in this way, even though we also offer standard amenities. Therefore, my advice would be to think deeply about your motivations and where you want to be in a few years.
💬 If you could chat with coworking operators now, what would you like to ask them?
💬 And if you could chat with coworking members?
We have the opportunity to engage with our clients on a daily basis. We inquire about their needs and how we can enhance their experience and make their work more comfortable and convenient. We believe that their feedback is crucial to our operations.
For instance, we have asked them what they require to feel more comfortable during their work, and we have received insightful responses. For example, they have expressed a need for more space to make calls, particularly during the winter months.
We also ask them why they have chosen our spot over a modern building with similar facilities. We value their input as it helps us understand our strengths and areas where we can improve. It is important for us to continuously provide quality services to our clients and make them feel at home in our space.
💬 Last but not least, where do you want to bring Opero next?
We are striving to achieve a delicate balance between engaging in activities that bring value to our community and society, such as sharing knowledge and creating important content, while also earning sufficient revenue to support altruistic endeavors.
Our goal is for everyone in the Czech Republic to be familiar with Opero and for us to be able to offer activities that are both informative and beneficial to society.
We hope to attract members who visit our space once or twice a month for meetings, use our facilities for work and learning, and become educated on a wide range of topics.
Our recent inauguration ceremony for the new president was a significant event that had a massive impact on our brand and the entire country. It served as an opportunity for us to support our new leader, but we did not anticipate the extent of its influence. This event aligns with our vision for Opero as a hub where all the diverse elements of society meet, start and end, and where unexpected opportunities arise. Our involvement with the new president is a perfect example of this vision. We remain committed to this path and hope to continue making a positive impact.
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