5: Programming

While shared workspaces like WeWork and Make Office focus primarily on offering an effectively designed real estate, set-up incubators and accelerators focus more on the programming they offer to help their members.In shared workspaces, an occasional event such as a lunch or Friday afternoon get together to introduce individuals to each other is standard, but most planned programming takes place in incubators and accelerators.Incubators cover general development, information exchange, and education while accelerators have a defined program over a period, often 3–6 months, and a set curriculum with designated mentors and predesigned workshops.

Programming can consist of a wide array of offerings. Some of the more common are; workshops, mentoring, networking, and general events. The goal is to build a community of like-minded individuals and an environment where individuals can learn and benefit from each other. The goals of the incubator or accelerator program should drive the content. Having a mismatch will lead to wasted time and frustrated individuals, both on the part of members and those that come in to help with the programming.