An Interview with the Founder of Mokrin House

I was virtually introduced to Ivan Brkljač, founder of a coliving space called Mokrin House, by a freelance interior designer I met in Lisbon. She told us we must connect – and so, we ended up on a Skype call discussing the future of coliving.

From underneath a tree at Mokrin House in Serbia, Ivan shared his vision for the creation of a global village of remote workers.

What does the future of coliving look like?

More and more people are adopting a flexible lifestyle and career. They don’t want to settle for the rules. They want to create their own lives. And a lot of them don’t have regular jobs, regular possessions, or regular lifestyles in any sense – even workout habits and personal relationships.

Our generation values experiences over physical possessions. Experience is what matters. And with that, variety.

The freelance movement is growing rapidly, and digital nomads are part of that group. I believe more people will be getting out of cities. They’ll move around to fulfill doses of what they crave. A dose of mountains, a dose of urban, a dose of beach, a dose of countryside. And they’ll stop wherever they feel comfortable with the community, the atmosphere, and how they work.

Location independent professionals may stay 2-3 months in a city, and then work from Bali, or Berlin, or come to the countryside in Serbia. When you don’t have to be in one place, the options are endless.

There will be hubs around the world for communities to gather. And at Mokrin House, we’re building the first global village in rural Serbia.

How is Mokrin House creating the first global village?

We launched Mokrin House in May of 2016. I had quit my corporate job and started freelancing. We started hosting community workshops and company team-building events at this unused space in the countryside. Now, Mokrin House has grown into a coworking and coliving space that can host 35-40 people at a time. Within 5-7 years, we’ll expand our capacity to over 300 people.

Our remote geographical position in rural Serbia is unique. When you’re traveling to a new location, you want to explore as much as possible. You have that fear of missing out. Let’s say your company has an offsite in Berlin. You’ll want to see that museum, see that club, go to that historical landmark. When you come here, all of that disappears.

The distance from all the distractions of the city gives you time to positively isolate yourself and dig into deep work. People who come here say they get more done in a day than they normally do in a week. 

We give people time. We have chefs who cook healthy, organic meals. We have staff and waitresses. All of the cleaning is taken care of. There’s no commute time in the village. You have more time in your day to work and still more time to relax.

Our waiters aren’t here just to serve you. They want to get to know you and learn what you like. They know what kind of coffee you like because they become your friends. Even though we’ve only been around for a year, people come back because they know what they can expect.

You’re not living in an Airbnb and commuting to a coworking space during the day. This becomes your home.

What kind of people come to stay?

At first, I thought we’d host mainly programmers, designers, and other specialized freelancers. But we’ve had lawyers, accountants, programmers, authors, designers, startup teams, investors – it’s very diverse.

There have been startups and projects born between strangers at Mokrin House. When you live together away from the distractions, you connect much more deeply.

A guy started a cryptocurrency hedge fund while he was here and closed millions. He’s seen 5X returns already, while taking Skype calls from Serbia. He’s stayed with us 7 times for 3-4 months at a time. He’ll go to Budapest or Istanbul for business trips and then come back. The Internet allows you to sit under a tree in Serbia, closing a deal with an investor in California.

The people who are here are all so different, but like-minded at the same time. You can’t fit them into a box, but somehow they click. It’s self-selecting. People who really want to come to Morkin House will come all the way. No one’s going to just stroll in from the street.

What are some misconceptions about remote workers?

The negative side of the Internet, social media, and working remotely is the fact that we’re becoming more alienated from the rest of the world. And remote workers can be very isolated.

But we’re tribal as a human race. We need to belong to a community. And I believe we’re actually becoming more open to deep, in-person connections. People are now embracing the freedom to look for, and travel to, the tribes that fit them best.

It’s up to you to choose that community, or communities, you join. Each coworking and coliving space has their unique vibe. Not everyone who’s into coliving will be into every kind of coliving. Find the right space for you, based on your values and what you want your lifestyle to look like.

How are people redefining their IDEA OF SUCCESS?

Success is such an individual thing you need to figure out yourself. But I think the ultimate goal is to be able to do whatever you want, whatever that means for you. Maybe that means owning a yacht. Or dedicating yourself to a cause. Or being location independent and free to pack your bags at any moment.

In the past, there was a certain linear progression and standard you needed to meet for society to consider you successful. Of course, this still exists today. Go to college, get a job, get married, own a house. But now, it doesn’t have to be so linear anymore.

And it’s okay to be weird. Actually, the weirder you are – however you define it – the more “successful” you’re considered in this new movement. To me, success is finding yourself, finding the balance in yourself, and finding whatever it is you want to do. It’s having the freedom to say I did what I wanted to do. I created the life I wanted to live.

As a society, we’re much more open about the pursuit of passions in our careers. You want to be an artist? Go for it.

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