When it comes to coworking, a lot of focus and reports have been put focussed on AI (generative and agentic) implementation that involves end-users (ie. brokers, customers and prospects).
However through our work supporting flex space ops teams, we’re seeing bigger opportunities for ops-side AI implementations.
Our AI Opps for Flex Ops series will dig into each opportunity, and the challenges/risks growing orgs need to consider.
Today, we’ll dive into one of them: vibe coding.
With the meteoric rise of prompt-to-code platforms and AI-enabled IDEs (like lovable, cursor, manus, base44, replit and bolt) the time to take to get from idea to “working” prototype has shrunk from weeks to hours or even minutes.
In the wider business world we’re seeing established software-as-a-service platforms challenged by internally (often vibe-) coded single-task apps. It has been argued that bloated software subscriptions (often priced per seat) have been replaced or downgraded to save companies a fortune.
“Investor David Friedberg gave a striking example: his company was paying $5,000 per seat each year for a specialized data management SaaS — until one of his engineers used AI to rebuild the tool internally. The company promptly canceled the SaaS subscription.” (Source)
With vibe coding, your teams, and what’s referred to as “citizen developers”, are empowered to build the tooling, workflows or views they need to perform their daily tasks more efficiently – mostly on their own.
The opportunities are plentiful and almost unbelievable.
Reporting? Vibe code a dashboard that speaks to the CRM and Inventory systems.
Onboarding? Vibe code a mobile new-member checklist app.
Retention? Vibe code an attendance monitor that flags risk.
Accounting? Vibe code some CSV reconciliation tooling.
And the list goes on and on and on as you move across the critical, support and 3rd party teams that make flex workspaces, erm, work.
Before we dive into how this may impact your coworking business, we’ll need to dive a little further into the workforce of 2026 and beyond.
It’s fairly well accepted that AI as a technology won’t replace the best community builders and leaders. Instead leaders will be outperformed by leaders who can do more, more efficiently by leveraging AI tools.
It’s also undeniable that, much like many millennials entered the workforce web-native, and Gen Z entered mobile-native, Gen A will be AI-native.
They will expect their workspaces to allow, if not require or enable, them to use AI tools and tech to complete their objectives.
This brings us to the conundrum facing IT leads at some of the largest brands, and the 10x dilemma facing 94ish percent of flex space firms who have no Chief Information Officer.
What’s the problem then?
Well where to start…
What can these tools connect to?
What can they update? Delete? Export?
Which systems are trusted? Who defines trust? When?
Who monitors these apps? Who secures them? Who is responsible for maintenance?
And then we get to the IP side with questions like: Who really owns the apps? Or the data they store/move/process?
Unfortunately there’s no silver bullet or magic answer here.
Instead you’ll need to define (and constantly refine) a data strategy that both: allows for flexibility, expansion and creative freedom AND protects your business, data, systems and community.
Syncaroo is actively helping growing coworking and flex space operators shift from disconnected tech stacks to integrated operating stacks, designed around future-looking data & AI strategies.
Click here to book a free 1-on-1 and let’s see if we’d be a good fit for working together.
