Working on an dedicated offline space. Screen device are stored to a locker. Serves coffee and beverages and light food. (There will be a small separate space for occasional screen/internet access in case of need)
I've been working on the idea for about a year now. I have put up the funds and set up the corporation. Been busy designing the menu, scouting an ideal location and finding the right front-end staff.
This sounds like my retirement plan: coffee shop + book store. I tend to buy old engineering and mathematics textbooks (my collection has suffered losses through multiple moves, unfortunately) and I find that these are typically overlooked at normal bookstores and even libraries.
I like this system. This is also somewhat similar to the bullet journal system, but in a "to-do list" context. Every month you write down your to-dos. The next month you cross off those that no longer matter, and move forward those that are still relevant and pending.
I'd agree with this. Those who think at a high level of abstraction often come to conclusions that almost sound like cliche to those who are not: "what the users want", "think counterintuitively", "because smart people cluster," etc. The advices sound hollow, almost like a bad sales pitch. The weight comes from the one giving the advice. It may be an issue of writing technique, but not an issue of credibility.
Regarding travel, Eric Schmidt had an interesting story. I think he spoke on Tim Ferriss's podcast that once he was on a business trip to North Korea with a group of people. Before boarding the plane, he was instructed by homeland security people to not bring in any connected devices, including phones. So everyone in the group went in without smartphones. For the next 2 weeks "everyone in the group became best friends" and they "had so much fun and many interesting conversations." (I'm paraphrasing) But once they return to airport and got their phones back, "we all immediately sunk into our phones and stopped talking to each other."
Maybe your best bet is North Korea? Seriously though, I think more and more people will see the benefit of occasionally entering into an "internet free" zone, by themselves or in groups. Preferably the zone is designed specifically for offline experience, not an augmented one relying on the guest's own "will power" to resist the pressure of internet.
Taipei city, I can confirm many restaurants now do this. I suspect many restaurants in China have gone this route for a while now as their service landscape is more phone-heavy.
I appreciate both yours and arkitaip's feedbacks. Good questions to think about.
As to "who's the customers?" I've jotted down 4 types of customer profiles that I think have the most urgent needs. You'll probably understand the scenarios from the descriptions:
1. the writer on deadline
2. the CEO that needs deep thinking (say Bill Gates)
3. the busy couple that needs to talk heart-to-heart (this is for a couple setting)
4. the exhausted dad who just wants to do nothing
As to the urge of constantly reaching for phone, I hear you. One method I find helpful during a "digital detox" is to write down whatever answers I want to search for. This way I can kick the idea out of my mind and stay out of internet a bit longer.
I've been working on the idea for about a year now. I have put up the funds and set up the corporation. Been busy designing the menu, scouting an ideal location and finding the right front-end staff.