Caroline Collective

First off, we would like to say a giant thanks to all those that made the Impromptu Happy Hour happen last week. In particular, Marc Nathan of StartupHouston.com and the Houston Technology Center and Aziz Gilani of DFJ Mercury really pushed the event into reality. Thanks, guys.

We would also like to point out the “teaching moment” the event created before it passes. It seems our gathering of like-minded individuals spurred a bit of debate (started here, going here, here, and here) on the Houston tech blogosphere about “What Houston Needs” to become a premier startup city like Austin, Boston, or San Francisco. To us, this is a prime example of the value of coworking.

Before we can even begin to debate how to move Houston forward as a “startup city,” first everyone must be in the same room. Coworking provides that.

In a little over a year here, we have seen the proof that working together is working smarter. Every one of our members can point to a time when he or she got a little help from a coworking neighbor with an idea, production, or network. (Just this week Stephen Freeman showed us a thing or two about fixing a fritzed shredder!)

So next time you feel like you’re running against a wall creatively, or need someone off which to bounce ideas, or even need a break from working solitary, drop by for some of that magic coworking juice. You might even find yourself involved with Houston’s next hottest startup, and then maybe we can put this debate to rest.

So what do we think Houston really needs? More coworking, of course.

This is also a great lead-in to this week’s C2 Creative talk given by Anjuan Simmons. Anjuan will provide yet another perspective on what Houston needs to regain its place as the tech center that launched WordPress, Compaq, and BMC Software. Attend this talk to further the conversation started last week with the entrepreneur and startup community of Houston.