Member Spotlight: Lance Anderson

Building community is at the core of Workhorse. And, Lance Anderson was not only one of our founding members, but he was also the first person to reserve his ferry-view office in our expanded space that we call Workhorse 2. It was high time we asked him a few questions! 

Can you tell us a bit about your work? What do you do and what do you love about it?

The shortest description is that I do part-time CTO work for early-stage tech startups. I like to think that I help teams get things done, move quicker and in the right direction. Typically, this manifests in building prototypes and MVPs (“minimum viable products”) for customers. But oftentimes, it involves helping stakeholders strategize about what is and isn’t critical or feasible. Occasionally, I find myself convincing stakeholders to consider alternatives rather than build something from scratch.

In the past year, I’ve worked with clients in healthcare, fintech, podcasting, and digital advertising. I appreciate the freedom and flexibility of my work, but I love it because of the many hats I get to wear and I’m addicted to the hustle and suspense of pursuing high-stakes ventures. Most of all though, I love building things that people are excited to use.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself? What are your interests and hobbies? What’s a fun fact?

Well, I consider the startup hustle a hobby, so a lot of overlap between interests and business. But, when I’m not “working,” my other hobby is my family. I stay busy trying to keep up with my 14 and 12-year old daughters and 10-year old son. My wife is an assistant basketball coach at SPU and we’re big fans and supporters of the program. I also enjoy day trading stocks and betting on sports 💸 

I grew up in Seattle (the University District) and Edmonds and have many fond childhood memories of riding my bike in the neighborhoods around Workhorse. My wife and I are high school sweethearts and we’ll celebrate 24 years of marriage this August. We live in Northeast Seattle and I think the 20-minute drive to Workhorse is pretty close to my ideal commute.

What drew you to Workhorse? What’s your favorite thing about it? What problems does it help you solve?

I discovered Workhorse in December 2020. Nine months of working from home during the pandemic was plenty for me. It was great at first, but I saw Christmas break coming for my kids and realized my mental health needed an alternative. WFH is great for many people, but I’m not wired for it long-term. I love getting out of the house and having a clear distinction between home and work life. 

Workhorse has been wonderful for me. I love the style and vibe, the high ceilings and open space, super-fast internet, spectacular views, great lunch options, and of course the friendly people. Perhaps one of my favorite things unique to the area is being able to enjoy amazing walks during long phone meetings. But more than anything, I love being productive. I think I’m addicted to the feeling of getting things done and I am most productive at Workhorse.

Anything else you want us to mention? 

• My favorite “dad joke” is that I don’t do “free-lance” work. I do “pay-lance” work 🥁🤣
• I love emojis and use them more than any 44-year old male should. I hope someday they will be incorporated into formal writing as an alternative form of punctuation
• I strongly prefer spontaneous meetings over scheduled meetings and I like having my work interrupted by a visitor. Don’t let the hoodie and earbuds prevent you from stopping by and saying hi 👋🏼 And ping me on LinkedIn if you want to connect

Thank you, Lance, for your time and dedication to Workhorse. We wouldn’t be the same without you! 

And, if you want to learn more about all of our previous Member Spotlights, find them on our blog, follow us @workhorse_coworking, and like @workhorsecoworking.