Capital Factory — Local services in Austin

Review Focus: Day Pass User

Capital Factory meets the needs for the entrepreneurial and startup / tech niche market but not for a day-to-day business professional. I visited recently on a day pass ($25 for 24 hours). The area you're given access to with this pass is the Capital Factory common area in the Omni Lobby. The space has a cool vibe, modern and minimalist decor, and a comfy stage with Love Sacs for lounging. Tables scattered throughout and some high tops against the wall. Coffee and Tea are part of the package. The check-in process was easy enough (just a couple of fields on an iPad), but when initially stepped in to inquire about the pass, I had to draw the information out of the front desk lady.

I'd like to give some feedback to management and encourage them to train the front desk to provide better information at "check-in" for day-pass guests and be more forthcoming with general inquiries. Although you might think some of it is self-evident (i.e. where to sit, whether coffee is included) I would encourage you to make it a standard to share this info to make a one-time visitor feel comfortable. Prefer not to give this speech each time? You could print it on the wi-fi day-pass cards.

Note that this common area will have music playing over the speakers all day. If you have to make calls and cannot have the music playing over your mic to your attendees, this is not the place for you. I was very disappointed with this... I usually spend nearly half of my day on VoIP or video conference calls but after my first morning call, I scrambled to reschedule the rest of my meetings that day because the music was too loud and could be heard over my noise-cancelling mic (I'm in the tech industry, but as a professional, I still cannot have T Swift jamming over my mic during our Sys Admin call of the day). I usually co-work at Orange Coworking in S Austin, and they have cool tunes playing at low volume that is never heard over my mic. I was expecting the same from other co-working spaces.

Another reason I scrambled to resched/cancel, is the fact that the day pass does not give you access to their full Google Fiber network network. I noticed some choppiness on the first call, and when I checked my speed, I was getting a meager 8-10 mbps. Good enough for basic usage / email but not for stable screensharing and Video Conferencing. And no, it wasn't my hardware. My macbook pulls nearly 300 mbps on my home network. This should've been stated when signing up for the day pass.

The last bit of my experience involves being shuffled around -which I understand, since they rent their space out for meetings, but should've mentioned this upon sign up that morning-. Luckily I had cancelled my afternoon calls and didn't have to relocate in the middle of a Video Conference. Although not impolite, the lady that asked me to move approached it rather unprofessionally ("just FYI, we're having a meeting here soon, and I know you paid for 24 hours, so we're gonna let you use the 5th floor"). Being told they were "letting" me use something truly came across like they were doing me a big favor. I know it's a stinky $25, but I am your patron and client. I understand that the 5th floor may be premium member space, but as you stated, I paid for the 24hrs and needed to work! By accepting my money you agreed to provide me a reasonable working space. I once again encourage management to train client-facing employees and how to handle situations where you have to displace someone.

Overall, seems like a cool spot, with neat decor, and a very exciting, dynamic environment. I'd like to state no one was outright rude... just disinterested, and not experienced with professional-level customer service. This may be a great spot for startups and think tanks and full-members, but for day guests, this location is not conducive to daily work that involves...

I am ashamed for having worked out of here for almost two years and not giving this place a 5-star review. (The psychology of complacency...am I right?)

Being here at Capital Factory has given me more value than I could ever imagine.

When I first came here in 2017, I'll be honest...my startup was doing well, but it was not making a lot of money. So it wasn't such an easy decision to invest in a space like this. But it has made such a big difference in my day to day life. I FEEL like coming to work. I feel inspired. I know I can meet good people to make my business run successfully.

Coming here, I knew very little about the tech scene, but I knew that I could meet tech-minded people who can grow my business. Since then, I've partnered with a programmer and a data scientist who have developed tools for my clients to improve their lives. We are currently working on artificial intelligence software that helps my clients write better resumes to land them their dream job.

In the last two years, my company's revenue has 5x'd. And no, I'm not giving ALL the credit to Capital Factory...it takes a $##! ton of hard work and consistency to get there, but sometimes I wonder how far I really would have gone if I had still been working from home. There is something about the energy of this place that makes me want to keep going.

I need to give a massive shout out to the hard working staff that works here. They are all unbelievable. Not going to exclude anyone because there are too many people that make this place run successfully, but the entire staff is absolutely fantastic. Praise the operations and FRONT DESK team on all floors (1, 5, 8, and 16) because I feel absolutely welcome every moment I step in this place. No matter what they are getting, they deserve a raise. I love each and every...

For almost four years, I had the pleasure of being a member of Capital Factory and it was an incredible experience! We only left because our company was acquired by another.

What stood out to me the most was the sense of community. Capital Factory hosts weekly networking and social events that are perfect for connecting with new people and learning about various topics and industries. Their SXSW events, such as the startup crawl, are also awesome. The collaborative Slack community and mentorship services, including mentor hours, are additional perks. If you're new to Austin or looking to expand your network, joining Capital Factory is a must!

The staff and coworkers are friendly and welcoming, especially Shea and Caroline who were super responsive and helpful when we made changes to our membership or had any general questions.

Capital Factory members are inspiring and hardworking. Being surrounded by innovative people who were all working towards their goals and supporting each other along the way was refreshing. I felt like I was part of a supportive and collaborative community.

The amenities and perks are also top-notch, with a balance of healthy snacks, comfort snacks, and a variety of drinks including cold brew and kombucha on tap. Fast and reliable Wi-Fi is available throughout the space. The awesome common areas, private offices and desks, meeting rooms, and phone booths are perfect for taking calls or having meetings. I even had access to the Omni gym and rooftop swimming pool as a member!

Overall, I highly recommend Capital Factory to anyone looking for a productive and inspiring work environment in downtown Austin. Whether you're a freelancer, startup, or established business, this coworking space has everything you need to thrive! I...