START OF THE JOURNEY
Being pioneers in the industry, we had a destination in mind, but no map to guide us. Together, we embarked on a strategic planning process to decide upon a direction. Having no map and no manual meant that most of the steps we took were exploratory.
Paperspace launched in Bangkok in 2016, but the first year lacked what we had imagined progress would look like. We faced a myriad of challenges that seemed insurmountable at that time simply because it was uncharted territory. It took a year to establish our first physical space, Paperwork, and to win our first project.
One year can seem like a marathon especially for a start-up – we were agile as a team, but endurance was something we had to learn. We continued treading on and won a few small victories before finally achieving our first big win with an advertising agency in 2017. This first project showcased the talents of each individual as a team member. It was an opportunity to prove ourselves to the bigger, more prominent firms, and to see where our collective talent, determination, and resilience brought us.
In just two years, we were able to build growing communities in Bangkok, the Philippines, and Singapore. We have proven that our formula works. Each project is unique in its own way, and large firms with purposeful machinery aren’t always the best solution. Providing bespoke services is possible with the engagement of various specialists that are able to apply their expertise to respond to each need, and putting it together is something that we do with strategy and skill as a team.
2018 saw Paperspace stake a claim in the industry by disrupting the status quo. We are now working on repeat projects for two of the biggest tech companies in the world. These projects are testament to what we can do, and what we’re doing right.
WHERE WE ARE
Paperspace is still evolving and growing organically with trusted affiliates that have partnered with us. The individuals and the companies that we’ve come across in this journey understand what we do and believe in our vision. We have begun to carve our niches in different locations in Asia, but there is a long way to go before we are fully established in the region.
We have realized that there is value in being competitive, but under one umbrella, each member and organization contributes to a complementary culture that strives to make the best of opportunities to deliver, learn and improve as a team. This ideology and the results of its application has caused interest to grow in another territory in Asia with one of the biggest markets.
BUILDING UPON STRONG FOUNDATIONS
Our more recent challenge has been building two brands at once and making sure the brands are distinct from the other. These two brands would be Paperspace, our design collective, and Paperwork, our coworking spaces.
We are working on scaling the business and finding solutions to work better with each other. We are already well on our way to increasing productivity with technology through online storage and synchronized work across countries like Revit, and coordination through apps like Facebook Workplace, in addition to other tools that help our teams work seamlessly together.
We will remain focused on positioning ourselves differently in the marketplace. We will set ourselves apart by hosting knowledge sharing sessions and events to tackle subject matters head-on. 2018 saw several Knowledge Series sessions, including the Corporate + Coworking Forum in Singapore and Corporate Transformation for New Economy in Bangkok. We strive to be knowledge leaders and pioneers, not followers. Expanding our Paperspace Knowledge Series is one of our goals for 2019: we will introduce new topics, ideas, and possibilities, and build a good momentum to help us stand out in a competitive industry.
We have realized that in the long run, it is best to map out where to go and where to carve niches with others who share the same vision. It is through collaborative partnerships and innovative solutions that will make work fun, projects successful and establish Paperspace and Paperwork as pioneers in the industry.
