Ask HN: Startup idea – disconnected, physical space charged by hour
Hi, first time posting here. I'd appreciate any feedback. I've been considering this startup idea for couple years now. The idea is an internet-free and screen-free space that allows the user to do "deep work", read, deliberate, or just do nothing.
It's essentially a hotel room, but only bookable for one person, for a few hours only. There is no internet provided, and cellular signal is blocked. Alternatively (if blocking cellular signal is infeasible), users are asked to turn over their devices at the counter or have the devices "locked" in a "faraday box" for the stay duration. In the room, distraction and stimulation is kept to the minimum. No screens or ads allowed in the room; and the view from the window would be calming and non-stimulating.
The idea is borne out of my exhaustion of living in a hyperdense Asia city, where I am always surrounded by sensory pollutions such as advertisements, city noises, as well as constant phone notifications. I am also the victim of my own internet addictions.
To stay focus, I've tried to work in coffee shops. Although I'm generally productive in coffees shops, I often find I couldn't really fully relax or "be myself" in a public space. I tried "staycation" in a real hotel, but the check-in is complicated, the cost is high, and the room is designed more toward leisure and entertainment. It usually lacks a good desk, a good chair; and the high-speed internet is too enticing.
Specifically, the space is provided to those who would block out hours from their calendar for "reading" or "writing" but constantly fail to protect that commitment. More broadly, my intuition is that "traveling" to a dedicated offline zone once in a while may be as beneficial as traveling to a different country.
I realize the idea is rather unrefined, and not very "tech." But I'd love to know HN community's thoughts on it. Thanks.
Blunt feedback:
This isn't a startup. You're looking at the intersection of people who:
* Need to get away from distractions.
* Lack self-control to reduce distractions themselves.
* ...but do have discipline to check in regularly to this distraction-detox zone.
* Have something they can do to fill up time that doesn't require connectivity. No google docs, and no streaming music.
* Are not claustrophobic.
* Will visit regularly.
* Will pay.
There are centers in India where many people pay for a very very similar concept. They are called "Vipassana" centers ( people are not allowed to talk also ). The whole idea is to detox ( no internet / mobile / even talking ), people collectively do Yoga, and eat/drink all natural food for a couple of days.
Sorry, but shouldn't Vipassana be free..? I have been in few meditation camps in Europe for 10 day silent meditation courses (loved it), but I was told it was free by design..?
If it includes stay, they generally charge some amount. ( Basically Stay + food )
The Dhamma centers I've seen only ask for a donation in the height for what you would have otherwise spent on stay + food, and only ask for a donation if you complete the course.
Opening one yourself and charge nothing should answer your own question.
No need to be snarky. Even the Dhamma website (https://www.dhamma.org/en/index) describes it as free, donation based...
Yeah it needs to get you laid or paid. I’d make it more of a social thing somehow and do a proof of concept ASAP. Otherwise you’re competing with walking out the door without a phone. Which is, like, hmm… maybe?
There's actually a surprising numbers of things one can do without connectivity. My usual routine at a staycation is to (1) first write out everything that comes to my mind -- "emptying" my thoughts. This usually takes up an hour. Then (2) do strategic planning, such as prioritizing to-dos on a 3- to 5-year timeline. (3) do creative work such as writing. Finally (4) rest, or read.
Only way I can see this being profitable is if it's done on a gym-style subscription basis.
You pay $X/mo for access to the service. Your X buys you Y x 2hr slots which you have to book in advance to manage availability.
You can have different tiers for X and Y, but you would need to make sure you have good availability, otherwise people would cancel their subscription if they can never find a good slot.
Interesting idea! I'd say one of my main concerns is the whole "charging by the hour" part of it. It feels like a primary goal is to allow people to disconnect/relax/become bored to give ourselves the "space to breathe" we frequently don't get in our busy 21st century lives.
But for me personally, it seems like it would be difficult to sort of "intentionally" decompress in a limited amount of time. The fact that I'm being charged for every minute I don't slow down would probably stress me out to the point of being counterproductive.
So I think it needs to be a little bit more intensive somehow, especially in order to compete with the things I already do if I want to decompress and disconnect for an hour or two: massage, float tank, etc.
Understood. I probably should have said "purchase session in hours" instead of "charging by the hour." The point was to distinguish it from buying a night's stay as in a hotel.
I solved this when I lived in Hong Kong by finding a quiet desk on a quiet floor at the main public library (alt. You can get visitors memberships to University libraries to do the same thing). Leave your devices at home and pop some ear plugs in and your good to go.
The office used to be that place. No mobile phones allowed in the company. The floor secretary handles incoming phone calls. Computers locked down to just a few boring applications. Single person office. White walls. Out of the window you see the wall of the factory building.
You need more research to understand the customers and their needs but I think will the right packaging and marketing you can probably find a market for this idea.
Some questions that may or may not be useful:
* Who is realistically experiencing enough pain that they would pay for this service?
* What psychological or social customer needs are not satisfied my the market?
* If Apple launched this service, how would it be? What about your local city admin? Hoe about a non-profit?
* What are the top 5 competing alternatives and what are their pros/cons?
* How would you prototype this idea with just 100 dollars and 2 days? What about a physical prototype over 5 days?
* Someone is ready to pay a premium price for this service. Why? Who? When? Where?
I'm mostly answering these questions, but most of the questions are valuable things to consider before trying to start a business.
> - Who is realistically experiencing enough pain that they would pay for this service? > - What psychological or social customer needs are not satisfied my the market?
I've tried to digital detox at home by leaving all of my devices away in another room. I find myself reaching for my phone to take a picture, ask someone a question, or search for some answer to a question. I tried a half hour and a whole hour. I wasn't trying to meditate; I just wanted to be where I was without distraction. I started counting how many times I reached for my device. I would instinctively try to use my phone a least 10-15 times an hour. Having my always on phone and watch has changed the way I think and act. Since I always have my phone, it feels like an extension of myself. The smartwatch is similar. If I'm not wearing it, I'll still instinctively look at my arm for the time, date, weather, etc.
I imagine there are other people like me, looking for a 3rd space to either do some deep work, meditate, or try to get away to fight burnout and other related issues (not always work burnout). The obvious competitor for the deep-work side is WeWork. I can rent personal workspaces in various styles: working in a shared room, finding an available private booth (and trying to work) that is not much bigger than a portable restroom, or renting and working in a conference-type room. Each gets more expensive, except the booths. Those are usually free to use for a brief period (30m?) if you have paid for common room space, but finding an available booth is challenging. None of those are for non-work. Common areas are noisy and busy enough to distract a monk. I can't get deep work done there unless I hide in a booth if one is available, and they are not time bound (I think they recommend 30m before letting someone else use the booth.
If there were screens or just pre-programmed audio for guided meditations, that would be helpful for those trying to disconnect truly. Otherwise, they sound like nap pods or a coffin-type hotel.
Real estate can be costly, especially when renting instead of buying the space (and building equity). I don't consider home or coffee shops a reliable 3rd space for deep work, as they are too noisy and distracting (even with headphones). Going into the office is hit or miss, as it can be productive to be around other people working, but it isn't always conducive to deep work. We have booths at work for something like this, but there's no sound isolation or door.
I've experienced enough burnout and not feeling productive to pay for a place to go and meditate. I can also probably find a meditation class or maybe a quiet but shared space at my local community center or community gym (I'm in Austin, TX, USA).
I could probably go to an internet-enabled library for deep work, but not all libraries provide booths (most I've seen is in college libraries, which means being an enrolled student). Library solo space is hit or miss. A lot of libraries have reading areas that are shared, which can be distracting.
Re: making it non-profit: Starting and running a not-for-profit corporation is as much work as a regular corporation, possibly more (I've started a nonprofit, which folded, and sat on the board of another). The upside is you may be lucky enough to find wealthy donors, so not all of the money would rely on making enough space rental revenue to cover expenses (beyond just rent). The downside is you need to know where to find wealthy donors.
>I've tried to digital detox at home by leaving all of my devices away in another room. I find myself reaching for my phone to take a picture, ask someone a question, or search for some answer to a question. I tried a half hour and a whole hour. I wasn't trying to meditate; I just wanted to be where I was without distraction. I started counting how many times I reached for my device. I would instinctively try to use my phone a least 10-15 times an hour. Having my always on phone and watch has changed the way I think and act. Since I always have my phone, it feels like an extension of myself. The smartwatch is similar. If I'm not wearing it, I'll still instinctively look at my arm for the time, date, weather, etc.
Get a box with a time lock.
Put ALL your devices in it.
Set the timer to 1/2 hour.
Find EVERY day a half hour to dedicate to this exercise.
After 1 week increase the timeout to 1 hour ...
I appreciate both yours and arkitaip's feedbacks. Good questions to think about.
As to "who's the customers?" I've jotted down 4 types of customer profiles that I think have the most urgent needs. You'll probably understand the scenarios from the descriptions: 1. the writer on deadline 2. the CEO that needs deep thinking (say Bill Gates) 3. the busy couple that needs to talk heart-to-heart (this is for a couple setting) 4. the exhausted dad who just wants to do nothing
As to the urge of constantly reaching for phone, I hear you. One method I find helpful during a "digital detox" is to write down whatever answers I want to search for. This way I can kick the idea out of my mind and stay out of internet a bit longer.
Love the idea of a space specialised to deep work, although if you're offering a space to work I don't think "no screens" should extend to a disconnected laptop.
If you're offering people to disconnect completely for several hours, some form of "we'll hold your phone / offer an emergency contact number" service would be attractive. Like it or not people - especially parents - have gotten used to being contactable at all hours in emergencies, and it would get rid of a major anxiety I think a lot of people feel when going off-grid.
I fully understand the anxiety to stay contactable, as a father of two children myself. I haven't figured out a good solution to balance the needs to stay connected and the needs to stay disconnected, though. One solution is a concierge operator, like what you mentioned. I've heard some luxury villas provide such service. iPhone and Android provides call forwarding function, so the guest could set up a temporary forwarding to the concierge number during stay.
Lots of good feedback so far. My first thought was to analogize to gyms. In the United States, and maybe elsewhere, gyms fall into two camps. One hopes you'll sign up and never go, or if you do go, then you'll treat it more like a spa visit -- buying a massage, or a "healthy" smoothie -- so you're either free money or else profitable per visit.
The other kind of gym keeps membership to a fixed number, and will actually drop you as a member if you don't follow through on commitments to visit regularly, exercise, and get fit.
You can guess that the former business model is much more common than the latter. And obviously they cater to different segments of the market.
Compare gyms to your idea. Which model do you prefer? Oversell real estate? Or gamify people into chasing an artificially scarce resource?
This is a cynical take. But it's going to take marketing for your idea to succeed, and marketing is fundamentally about getting people to do something they don't want to do.
Not only gyms, I can also see similarities to country clubs and golf clubs. So it wouldn't surprise me if the business model turns out similar to these membership structures. I'm not sure the take is necessarily cynical, or just price discretion for different levels of needs.
Marketing would be absolutely crucial, as you and many people have rightly pointed out.
There were at least a few companies that already tried something similar.
https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/recharge
https://breather.com/
Breather just lists a bunch of office meeting spaces in my area (Austin TX). I don't think they would work for disconnecting, but they could work for deep work.
The second link 403s.
It works for me from a New York VPN IP. YMMV.
"It's essentially a hotel room, but only bookable for one person, for a few hours only. There is no internet provided, and cellular signal is blocked."
- "your meditation room with noise-proofing, privacy guaranteed. As an additional purchase you can hire a paid-by-the-hour buddy that will meditate with you in the room"
This can be your marketing.
Thanks! I understand the marketing needs to turn from selling the negative ("no internet") to selling the positive ("focus").
It almost feels like some artistic experience . I think the success of such an idea would really come down to how you sell/market/characterize it.
It is just a hotel room? Is it a retreat? Is it a new type of therapy?
Semantics might be key here perhaps.
I kinda like the idea.
If this was paired with something like a cafe trolley service then it could be quite nice. Chill little rooms that are peaceful and every hour on the hour the offer of green tea. Little oases in which to read, write, or code with minimal other distractions. My partner is an academic and is seeking a retreat space bookable on a weekly basis (not hourly) in which to have silence and write with minimal disturbance (libraries are too bustling, coworking spaces too noisy).
The first thing that comes to mind though: How do you stop this being used as a place for drugs and sex? How do you balance the low distraction and privacy with a basic need to prevent the spaces being used in a way that creates risk for the business?
Also how do you make this affordable given the places with density are also the places with high rents?
"The first thing that comes to mind though: How do you stop this being used as a place for drugs and sex? How do you balance the low distraction and privacy with a basic need to prevent the spaces being used in a way that creates risk for the business?"
Prevent sex -- by only allowing one person in the room at a time. I've also thought about a semi-private space where the room is largely separated but not completely insulated. Like the door is opaque but not completely transparent?
Prevent drug use -- honestly have no idea for now.
We have manga cafes around here. I don't think the margins and staffing requirements suit the "startup" business model, but if you were Adam Neumann then you could still raise $350bn for this.
NookaSpace started doing this in Europe, about 2 years ago. They do offer 4g/5g internet though. https://nookaspace.com
So you're competing with free public libraries? Most in my city have study booths that have a whiteboard, a table and a couple of chairs, and are isolated form the main walkways.
There is apparently a writers cafe in Tokyo with similar concepts. You leave distractions at the door and tell staff your goal for the day and aren't allowed to leave until you've met them (with the weakest interpretation of the word "allowed").
In terms of getting away from noise pollution, I think this is more generally provided in major Asian cities through sauna and public baths.
Oh yeah, that was hilarious. But I can see some use in it. HN had quite a discussion on how the writing requirements would be enforced - I'm pretty sure a lot of it just comes down to Japanese etiquette and personal honor.
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31012685
Gotta be in Tokyo, though.
Thanks for digging up the link - it was how I knew about it in the first place.
you can even ask them to 'nudge' you i.e. ask you from time to time if you progressed
I've been working on a very similar idea. I called it "Pause Room".
The assumption I started from was that such an experience has a potential of improving participants' overall productivity and self-perception of mental wellbeing and focus during and post-experience. The key was to measure and improve those metrics while refining the experience itself. I have managed to successfully complete a 3-month pilot with clear indication that this is doable and can be beneficial. This was a very strong selling point.
B2C path didn't graduate due to unaffordable expected end-consumer costs. I ended up focusing on 50-500-employee companies with the intention of building these rooms according to spec for monthly membership fee from their HR budgets. COVID hit and there were no offices or HR budget allocations anymore. For B2B, a catchphrase that worked for me and caught everyone's attention was that "happy hours" cost them hours and bring no happiness.
I believe this is a necessity in today's growing pace of things. Good luck!
Thank you for such precious feedback. I could not have asked for more. Glad to know someone is working on something similar and have found some success. Do you have a website that I can see your work? I would also be interested in knowing what metrics did you use to measure, and how did it improve.
I can also foresee the high cost of B2C business, given it is a physical business after all. But I thought it's the only way to control the quality at first. Building rooms to spec for a B2B client is quite innovative! Best luck to you as well.
Some thoughts:
Actively blocking cell phone signals might be illegal depending on your country - but building a faraday cage isn't.
Given how much of your identity a phone has become, and how easily someone could take my identity over if they had access to my device, only death or threat of deadly force will separate me from mine. If you want to go for the "handing in" approach, maybe small lockers are ok (especially so if they are padlock-operated and I bring my own padlock). Bonus points for being able to charge the battery in these (Like the phone charging boxes often present at airports)
In Europe, there are several places that offer "connectionfree vacations", often in remote valleys, often in monasteries (sometimes run by clergy, sometimes not) with thick walls.
Such a "cell" would be best if it not only had a desk, but also something more comfortable, like a couch. Bonus points for the ability to get cold and/or hot beverages on-site.
I'd pay a monthly membership fee of around 50 Euros for this.
>I'd pay a monthly membership fee of around 50 Euros for this.
Yep, but how many hours are you going (or expect) to use this space (monthly)?
I mean 1 hour/month, 1 hour/week or 1 hour/day.
Moreover would you envision it as "reservation based" or "First Come First Served"? [1]
More or less one of this cells could be a half-length shipping container, roughly 6 m x 2.50 m, which (has to be verified) probably also works as a Faraday cage.
[1] I don't know, but having to be there at a given hour or arriving at a time when all boxes are alredy taken could add to the stress.
> Yep, but how many hours are you going (or expect) to use this space (monthly)?
3-4 hours per week, similar to gym use (which costs be about the same).
> Moreover would you envision it as "reservation based" or "First Come First Served"?
For practicality reasons, I guess best would be a mixed system: have 80% of your rooms reservation based, 20% on a reserve "first come, first serve" approach, which I can get by randomly showing up and paying a premium fee.
> half-length shipping container
Make them sound-insulated and put on a climate unit, and I am fine with that.
So, given that you would be the "perfect average" user, 12-16 hours/month for 50 bucks, for some 6*2.5=15 sqm.
24 h open 7/7 at 2/3 occupancy would be 30x24x2/3=480 h/month, so 480/16=30 users/half container, or 30x50=1,500 US$/month.
To cover the 24hx7=168 hours/week (considering holidays/illness/whatever) you will need 6 or 7 people in the role of reception/cleaning/etc., if costs for each are 5,000 US$/month, and we assume to spend no more than 50% for personnel, you need 70,000 US$/month of income, so 70,000/1,500=47 half containers. let's make them 50 (one will be used for reception, one for storage, and one for common toilets).
You will need 50% more area than the area occupied by containers (for corridors between them) 50x6x2.50x1.50= 1,125, or between 1,000 and 1,500 sqm for this "camp".
At first sight is doable, the income is not different from a hotel room (at 100US$/night and 50% occupancy) but the building costs are far smaller, a half length container can cost, including the modifications around 10,000 US$, let's make it 12,000 including furniture, whilst a hotel room is more like 30 sqm at 2,000 US$/sqm or 60,000 US$.
And of course I didn't consider the "gym effect" of people paying the monthly fee but never showing up, and the "premium fee" you mention for a "no reservation".
One idea is to let the guest put his device in a faraday cage, locked, and bring the cage into the room. The key of the cage would be kept at the counter accessible to the guest also in a self-serve manner. So the guest will know he has his device with him, but cannot use it during his stay.
What you describe exists somewhat in a form in the US. Most major universities have some type of "friends of <insert college name here> library" program. You make an application and donate some money. You're then allowed to use the facilities for studying/reading/working. The donation is usually tax deductible. You're given the same access to the areas as the student population. The libraries all have quiet areas (or floors) and reservable enclosed quiet rooms (sometimes the rooms can be reserved remotely through a web interface). I had a reader membership for Cooper Union when I lived in Manhattan.
Major cities also have private libraries where a similar arrangement exists. Public libraries may be too busy and not as stringent in maintaining sound levels. They usually don't have private rooms either. From my experience, they are also not as clean as private libraries.
I've been confused why more people don't take advantage of these "friend of a library" programs or take part in private library memberships. The programs allow non-students to support libraries (although private ones) and they're significantly cheaper than going to cafes or coffee shops. I'm pretty sure most places will want you to buy something everytime to be considered a patron so that you aren't kicked out or pressured for freeloading.
Examples:
* Cooper Union (https://library.cooper.edu/friends/)
* NYU (https://library.nyu.edu/about/general/fob/)
* Princeton (https://fpul.princeton.edu/)
* NY Society Library (https://www.nysoclib.org/)
Thank you. I didn't know of these programs. In my city, public libraries are not used enough. Most are used by students preparing for national tests, or people just hanging out, enjoying the air conditioning.
I think the use cases overlap a bit. But the space I'm thinking about will also have a bed (or reclining chair) and a (shared) bath facility. It would be more private, internet-free, and more clean. I'd have to study why people don't step in library as often.
In my experience, every local library (both public and collegiate) have had exactly this kind of space available for free use. You just sign up and get to utilize a closed quiet room with a desk, some chairs, and whatever other resources the library has to offer.
I suppose the one difference is that they don't confiscate your electronics, but many have had places to store personal things, so with a tiny bit of discipline, you can easily achieve your idea for free by simply using public services that are already out there!
Perhaps some people would prefer the aesthetic of a boutique startup that seeks to provide this type of space, but it seems like there's just better things to spend your time on then trying to monetize something like this.
Discipline is the key word here. Exercise is free in any open space, but many people (including me) maintains regular exercise only after hiring a personal coach, and only in a proper gym. And they're better for it. If staying offline is beneficial to human, maybe it's worthwhile trying to monetize on helping people stay offline once in a while?
Anything that requires physical space is expensive to deliver. So you need to have a high perceived value. My guess is no devices is not enough. It would have to be like no devices + sauna or no devices + massage or no devices + luxurious bathtub etc.
This reminds me of Korean bath houses. They offer way more than just the spa, to disconnect. [1]
[1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jjimjilbang
Yes. Korean bath house, Japanese spa and "manga coffee" are all inspirations. City could use more spaces dedicated to different kind of offline activities.
I think you can make it work if your marketing is good enough.
It should probably be a Faraday cage, I don't think you could do jamming in highly populated areas, but also providing a landline seems like a good idea in case of emergency.
Landline is a good idea.
I like the idea but I think it would appeal more to workers, so cutting off the Internet isn't a great idea. Maybe just require people to use an on-site computer (with only certain sites available) or make them download and use SelfControl [1] or a similar app.
In a broader sense, I do think the "manipulate space for your needs" market will grow in the future, especially as remote work continues to become a viable alternative to the office.
1. https://selfcontrolapp.com/
You would be offering a product defined by what it didn't provide, rather than what it did (i.e no internet and no cell reception).
I can't think of a similar offer, since it's something you can achieve for yourself (given enough willpower) just by turning off your phone and not taking a device.
Would people pay for something they can have for free? Many wouldn't for sure, but would many? Even if they lacked the will power, would they be too embarrassed to admit they needed your service?
If there are no similar businesses that could be a sign it won't work.
People pay for group workout sessions though. They can work out by themselves but they pay to get their motivation up.
manga cafes in Japan have a fairly similar concept where you can rent different level of accommodations (a small chair in a corner, a proper box or in more expensive places even small rooms with a bed) for hours or days. Common spaces have plenty of books you can bring into your room to read quietly, not necessarily just mangas.
These obviously also have internet in rooms, but contacting one to try to setup and advertise distraction-free rooms might get you somewhere if they exist where you live.
Thank you. Great idea on working with manga cafes at first.
Someone’s doing a similar thing in the UK - https://unplugged.rest/
I feel like this is more of a lifestyle thing that would need to start organically within a community. If you did this solo with a street sign, it would be dead.
Even if successful, you probably won’t much money from it. Best that it be a passion project born out of a need to help others. If you either don’t have the passion or want to make money then go to the next idea.
A startup is a company designed to scale. Generally through some leveraged mechanism e.g. software, network or marketplace where the economics work better at scale.
What you are describing (putting aside the issue of whether this is appealing) is a small business not a startup.
On the plus side of that equation it's relatively easy to start and inexpensive to try.
In Japan people rent cars (on demand) to take naps, have lunch, or just find some quiet.
https://matadornetwork.com/read/people-japan-renting-cars-ev...
People I know do Silent Retreats, or live temporarily in a monastery, Christian or Buddhist. Thinking of it, the Silent retreats are yoga related, a washed down form of eastern religion, so they're all religious.
Sometimes I go into a church for the same reason, but just for 10 minutes.
"if blocking cellular signal is infeasible" - just get them signed up with AT&T, ZING!
On a more serious note, have you tried working in a public library rather than a coffee shop? Just ask the librarian to hold onto your phone while you're there.
Have you ever done a float tank or sensory deprivation chamber? They are a great “reset”
I have not. I'll try it out.
The success of such an idea would depend a lot on location. It makes me think of the old "listener booths" for music that are antiquated now.
Maybe do a cost benefit analysis or try to estimate traffic, just leasing it out might earn more.
> To stay focus, I've tried to work in coffee shops
This always puzzled me. The most quiet place to work is usually ones' house/flat. And even if your place is not that quiet, I bet coffee shops are way noiser.
Historically, this is what people have used public libraries and university libraries for. They're typically not internet-free spaces, but a little discipline on the user's part solves that.
Europe is full of empty churches that would make nice places to put a few desks in, with a basket at the door to leave phones in. But it's not going to make money.
I can definitely see this being popular with the right marketing. It could also be sold as a "meditation space" or "de-stress zone".
I need this solution but with the internet connectivity. I would pay dearly to be able to find actual quiet.
On a related note, what are some of the best places/ways to discuss startup ideas or even get collaborators?
I'd also like to know. Hopefully HN is one of them.
I think a quiet booth in gyms would be an ideal model. Mental health and physical health go hand in hand.
I saw this concept in Paris where a co-working space is embedded in gym and some other hipstery stuff. Of course they call themselves "the future of work" and a "living lab"
https://lamanufacture.fr
Libraries are the closest to your idea and they're generally for free.
You could offer this for teams.
”Totally disconnected offsite session”
Go camping with your mates. Always fun. Good reset.
Unfortunately from where I live, even mountains and canyons have cellular signals. . . .
Then leave your phone at home?
Adam neumann we know its you
yeah he's "disrupting" the housing market now. Good for him.
Out here on HN with a throwaway like, "Hey guys, just raised $350mm, what should I do"
count me in, I would love to go to your no internet-screen cafe