TechShop is not the first such space, nor the only. There are many "hacker-spaces" (here is a worldwide list) created on the enthusiasm of a few key people in a community (we geeky ones) around which other like minded tinkerers gather. Many are supported by monthly club dues that finance the rent and buy the equipment. Like most organizations they rise and fall on the support of their members and sometimes on the energy of one or two of those key people. On occasion, they get space or support from sympathetic organizations like schools, museums, companies etc.
TechShop is a great idea. But I am worried. The times article reports that TechShop's main location in Menlo Park has 600 members and needs 1,000 members or more to turn a profit. Oh boy. After being in business for four years they are not terribly close to having enough business to turn a profit. This is worrisome because I have seen this scenario before (which doesn't mean they will repeat it, I must hasten to point out).
In the 1970's and 1980's this kind of thing started up as well. Spaces for doing a variety of crafts were established, often in old low rent industrial areas. My most direct experience was woodworking shops. The craft of woodworking experienced a big surge and spaces were established along much the same lines. Classes, bench space, materials and tools for sale, access to equipment you couldn't have at home.
I visited quite a few in my role as a salesman of tools and machinery. The owners or leaders were always really enthusiastic. The members were totally gung-ho. It seemed great, but there were never enough members to sustain the organization. Raising dues would cut the membership further but lower dues did not bring in more members (as was told to me). Inevitably costs would rise and the group would disband (too bad) or reorganize (much better).
There seem to be four types of "crafter-inventor-tinkerer",
- The serious one who is devoted,
- The one who likes it as a hobby,
- The one that fills an immediate need,
- The one who is a "trier"
Only the first will be a long standing member. The hobbyist will frequently be "away" from the hobby in deference to other activities (work, family). And the last two are "one-shot" users.
So there is your problem. The hacker-space must either have outside support (as a school or museum does) or be able to keep costs really low, at the level such that the serious members dues alone will support the costs. Dues of the other groups will fluctuate wildly, and though some small portion of them should become "serious" members, the costs of serving them may exceed what they contribute.
Now up on my soapbox:
The thing we need to do is to get high schools and universities to re-introduce shop and crafts as a mandatory part of the curriculum. This at least exposes more people to the possibilities of creativity and "how it is done". And that will be your source of designers, engineers and "hackers". Then TechShop will have plenty of people to fill their shop too.
Hobbies are good, but hobbies reflect the trends and fads in society and are just as changeable. Where there used to be hobby and model shops there are now video game shops. Where there used to be electronic shops selling radio parts, there are now mobile phone stores (think Radio Shack). You might be surprised to know that Radio Shack started out as a store for leather-crafting tools and supplies. Try finding a store for that in your local shopping mall today.
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