"We know what's going to happen with startups before anyone else because a company will say that they're downsizing or whatever before they'll fire everyone."

Jules Robertson didn't plan to become a workspace oracle. She and co-founder Laura started Tally in mid-2020 with a Squarespace site, watching their own employers bleed money on empty offices. Four years later, they're seeing London's workspace market split into extremes — high-end spaces with on-site gyms at the top, freelancers struggling with £35 day passes at the bottom, and a squeezed middle that nobody wants.

This isn't another "future of work" conversation. It's about what happens when female founders get asked if they're "planning to have a baby" during fundraising pitches. It's about why workspace has become a tax-efficient benefit play, and why the operators who are surviving are the ones who picked a lane and stayed in it. Jules shares insights about talent raids creating "zombie companies," why community-focused spaces need to rethink their entire cost model, and how user-led awards like The Tallys give smaller spaces the recognition that PR budgets usually buy.

The message is clear: if you're trying to be everything to everyone in the workplace, you're already in trouble. The thriving operators know exactly who they are — whether that's Sandbox taking on end-of-life buildings or premium operators charging for "everything that you've ever wanted."

Timeline Highlights

* 02:14 — "I'm known for being one of the co-founders of Tally Workspace... and also just a nice helpful person."

* 02:55 — Mid-2020: Two startup employees build a Squarespace site whilst their companies bleed cash on empty offices.

* 03:20 — The Innovate UK grant that turned an experiment into a business, allowing both founders to quit their jobs and go full-time.

* 04:42 — "We know what's going to happen with startups before anyone else" — companies adjust workspace before public announcements.

* 05:48 — The current market reality: "A real like flight to quality... companies wanting really nice offices in very central locations."

* 07:08 — Inside Sandbox's model: Taking on end-of-life buildings to offer reduced pricing.

* 09:12 — The price shift for freelancers: Individual day passes jumping from £15 to a minimum of £35.

* 09:12 — The 2-3% reality: "The Coworking part of their PnL is always 2, 3%."

* 11:18 — The "everything" play: "They want it to be their gym, their cafe... people are expecting more."

* 13:04 — The cost of premium amenities: Third Space in Notting Hill is cited at "£350 per person per month."

* 13:54 — The tax advantage: On-site gyms avoid the benefit-in-kind tax that external memberships trigger.

* 14:34 — The questions from investors: "Are you planning to have a baby? How are you planning to do this?"

* 15:37 — The support paradox: "Just give me your money or become a customer."

* 18:50 — The rise of "zombie companies" left behind after talent raids.

* 20:55 — Jules's take on specialisation: "I'd be tempted to either do 100% coworking or 100% offices."

* 24:52 — Why The Tallys matter: Celebrating community-loved spaces like Mission Works and Lime Tree Workshops.

The 2-3% Reality Check

Jules reveals a number that explains the coworking pricing puzzle: for many operators, coworking represents just "2, 3%" of their P&L. This is why they can push day pass prices from £15 to £35 without blinking—it's a rounding error for them, but a crippling cost for freelancers. At £35 a day, a freelancer's monthly workspace bill hits £700.

Your takeaway: If coworking is less than 15% of your revenue, you're in the office business. Acknowledge it.

Price your coworking offer sustainably for the user, or get out of that market. Stop pretending to serve a community you're actively pricing out.

Why Female Founders Get Everything Except Funding

"Free coaching, free mentoring, this programme, that programme." Jules experienced the theatre of support that offers female founders everything except what actually builds a business: money and customers.

The frustration peaked when mentors offered advice while buying from Tally's competitors. Her simple test cuts through the noise: "Will you become a customer?"

Your takeaway: Apply Jules's test to every offer of help. Does this directly lead to revenue or new customers? If not, it's a distraction. Your time is your most valuable asset; don't trade it for performative allyship.

The £350 Gym and the Tax Man

A gym membership at Third Space in Notting Hill costs £350 a month. If a company offers this as an external benefit, it's taxed.

But if they provide a high-quality gym inside their workspace, it becomes a tax-efficient amenity. This isn't just about wellness; it's a financial strategy that makes premium office space more valuable.

Your takeaway: Stop thinking about amenities as perks. Start analysing them as tax-efficient business solutions. Every facility should solve a concrete problem for your members' companies, not just tick a marketing box.

The Specialisation Strategy

"I'd be tempted to either do 100% coworking or 100% offices." Jules observes that the operators who struggle most are the ones caught in the middle, trying to serve everyone.

Even successful community-led spaces like Patch work because they are "way more than a workspace"—they are fully committed to their niche, not hedging their bets.

Your takeaway: Pick a lane. Are you serving freelancers with a vibrant community and flexible access? Or are you providing private offices for scaling teams? Trying to do both without a clear strategy means you'll fail at both.

Reading the Workspace Tea Leaves

Tally sees business futures before they become press releases. Companies reduce their workspace footprint before announcing layoffs. They sign for a new office before their funding round is made public.

Jules notes how quickly the startup environment changed in the four months she was on maternity leave, proving that workspace decisions are a leading indicator of market health.

Your takeaway: Your customer's workspace usage is a valuable source of business intelligence. Track it. A sudden contraction is a warning sign. An expansion is an opportunity. Stop waiting for the news and start reading the room.

Links & Resources

* Tally Workspace

* The Tallys Awards - Vote Now

* Sandbox Workspace

* Patch Coworking

* Unreasonable Connection Events

* Sam Shea's LinkedIn Campaign - Get "Coworking" as a LinkedIn industry option

* Connect with Bernie on LinkedIn

* Connect with Jules on LinkedIn

One More Thing

Jules didn't set out to spot market trends. But when you watch companies telegraph their futures through desk bookings, when you see female founders offered everything except customers, when you witness London splitting into the premium and the priced-out, you either share what you're seeing or you become part of the noise.

The day pass jumped from £15 to £35 while operators treat coworking as 2% of their business.

Female founders are still asked about their family plans in funding pitches.

The middle market is struggling while everyone pretends it's just "evolving."

This is the Coworking Values Podcast. Every Wednesday, we share one conversation from the front lines of workspace and community building.

Not the press release version. Not the conference keynote. The version where people say what's actually happening.

If you're ready for the unvarnished truth about where workspace is heading, you're in the right place. We don't do hype. We do humans figuring it out in real-time.

See you next week.

Community is the key 🔑

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit coworkingvaluespodcast.substack.com