Caveday Review: Virtual Coworking Done Right
When a session starts, the Cave Guide welcomes everyone and suggests changing your Zoom name to include your first name, location, and what you’re working on today. For example: Jill | D.C. | writing. Caveday has strict rules about courtesy and not promoting products or services, which you must agree to before you join.
The Cave Guide says a few words to set the tone. In my experience, hosts tend to create a calm and supportive atmosphere. It’s meditative rather than cheerleader energy.
Depending on how many people are in a session, the host might divide people into breakout groups for a tight two minutes to answer a prompt. Joining is optional. The prompt usually has you state something about your intention for the session, such as “What are you setting out to accomplish?” and maybe something fun and light, like “What was your favorite childhood snack?” If you came into the Cave unsure about what you plan to accomplish, the prompt nudges you to name it and be specific. The fact that other people hear you state your intention in the breakout room adds a layer of accountability.
Get Our Best Stories!
All the Latest Tech, Tested by Our Experts
By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up!
Your subscription has been confirmed. Keep an eye on your inbox!
Something I enjoyed about these short breakout sessions was hearing the variety of work that people hoped to accomplish. l met engineers, illustrators, and professors, along with students studying for big exams. I heard from people who were using their Cave time to answer emails and others who were developing radio shows. The fact that the group isn’t homogenous sparks curiosity and interest, and those feelings, for me at least, transformed into energy that I then put toward my work.
(Credit: Caveday/PCMag)
There’s still one more step before the session officially begins. Once everyone re-joins the main call, the Cave Guide asks everyone to rub their hands together and clap on the count of three. Participation is always optional, and no one knows whether you participated if you keep your camera off. After the group clap, the session begins.
Everything I’ve mentioned so far takes about eight minutes. For the next 50-55 minutes, everyone works in silence. Some people leave their cameras on. I turned mine off. I also navigated away from the Zoom window and didn’t watch what people were doing.
