c/coffee-shop-coders

The day a cafe in Austin made me buy a portable battery pack

I was deep into a client call at a spot on South Congress when they unplugged my table for floor cleaning. My laptop died at 12% and I lost the connection. Now I carry a 20,000mAh Anker pack everywhere. Anyone else have a cafe power fail story?

Remember when coffee shop outlets were a luxury, not a business expense?

I used to think paying for a coworking space was a waste when I could just work from a cafe. Then I spent a whole month last year tracking my coffee shop receipts. Turns out I dropped over $300 just on drinks and snacks to 'earn' my seat at various places in Austin. That's not even counting the gas or the days I'd buy a second coffee I didn't really want just to stay longer. I'd get there at 10, buy a latte, then feel pressured to buy lunch, then an afternoon tea. The worst part? Half the time the wifi would cut out right when I needed to join a call. Now I budget for a real workspace two days a week and my cafe days are just for a change of scenery. How do you guys keep your cafe work days from turning into a money pit?

My friend told me to always pack a power strip for cafe work

I was in Austin last month and the coffee shop only had one outlet open, but I had my strip so we both plugged in. Ended up sharing it with another coder who bought me a latte as thanks. Do you guys carry anything like that or just hope for the best?

Question about those portable laptop stands

I bought one of those fold-up metal laptop stands for working in cafes, thinking it would be a game changer for my neck. It cost me $45. I used it exactly twice at my local spot, The Daily Grind. The first time, it was so wobbly I thought my coffee was going to spill. The second time, I tried to type and the whole thing shook with every key press. It was honestly more distracting than just hunching over the table. Now it just lives in the bottom of my bag, taking up space. I should have just saved my money or maybe tried a cheaper foam wedge. Has anyone found a stand that actually feels solid on a cafe table?

Bought a $40 'noise cancelling' headphone dongle that just made everything sound underwater.

I figured it would help me focus at busy spots like that new place on 5th, but now I'm out forty bucks and still hearing every blender.

Vent: My coffee shop workdays got way longer after I stopped using my laptop's battery

I used to pack up after about 2 hours because my laptop would die, which honestly made my focus pretty bad. I was always rushing and checking the battery icon. Then last month in Denver, a guy at the next table saw me scrambling for an outlet and told me to just keep my laptop plugged in from the moment I sit down, even if the battery is at 100%. He said constantly draining and recharging the battery wears it out faster. So I tried it. For the last 3 weeks, I've been plugging in immediately, and I'm suddenly pulling 4 to 5 hour deep work sessions without any battery anxiety. My laptop stays cool, and I'm not hunting for a seat near a wall anymore. It's a simple switch, but it totally changed my cafe routine. Has anyone else tried this, or do you have a different trick for staying powered up?

Dropped $50 on a 'laptop privacy screen' that made me look like a spy movie extra

It was so dark I had to crank my brightness to max, which killed my battery in an hour at The Daily Grind. Anyone else tried one of these and found a better fix for nosy people in busy cafes?

I'm not buying the 'noise cancelling headphones are a must' rule anymore

Last week, I was at The Daily Grind in Portland (you know, the one on 12th with the big windows) and I forgot my headphones. I had to do a video call with a client and I was sure it would be a mess. But you know what? It was fine. I sat in a corner booth, the cafe music was just some soft jazz, and my client said my audio was clearer than usual (his exact words were 'you sound less muffled'). For the last three years, I've been wearing these big cans everywhere, spending over $300 on them, and they just make me feel cut off. I think sometimes we block out the nice background hum that actually helps you focus. Has anyone else tried working without headphones and been surprised?

My laptop charger got stolen from a cafe in Denver and I was stuck for 3 hours

I had to borrow a cord from the barista and then hunt down a store that sold the right model. Has anyone else had gear go missing while working?

Shoutout to the cafe in Lisbon that had a power strip at every table, which saved my week when my laptop battery died.

After my charger broke on a Monday, I worked from that spot for three straight days, and the staff never once gave me side-eye for camping out, so has anyone found a similar lifesaver cafe in a different city?

Finally found my perfect spot in Lisbon after a week of hunting

I spent all last week trying cafes in the Alfama district, and most were either too loud or had terrible wifi. Yesterday I found a tiny place called 'Nova Grind' with a solid connection, great pastel de nata, and power outlets at every table. I got three big client emails done in two hours without a single drop. Anyone have a favorite quiet cafe in Lisbon for focused work?

I thought those portable laptop stands were just extra stuff to carry, but borrowing one from a friend in Denver for a week totally fixed my neck pain.

Now I'm looking for a good, light one under $50 that fits in my backpack, any suggestions?

Pro tip: someone told me my laptop screen was too bright for coffee shop work

I was working at a cafe in Portland last month, and the person at the table next to me leaned over and said, 'Hey, your screen is like a lighthouse beacon.' I always kept my brightness maxed out, thinking it helped me see better. They pointed out it was distracting for others and made me look like I was in a rush. I dropped the brightness down to about 40 percent and it was a total change. My eyes felt less tired after a few hours, and I stopped getting those quick glances from other people. Now I make it a point to check my screen level as soon as I sit down. Do you adjust your setup to be less noticeable to people around you, or do you just focus on your own comfort?

My buddy swore by this one cafe in Austin for getting real work done, said the wifi was bulletproof. He was so wrong.

The whole 'work from a cafe in a different city' thing actually worked for me

I was always sure I needed my perfect home setup to get anything done... but my partner wanted a weekend trip to Austin. I figured I'd just take a day off, but I ended up working from a spot on South Congress for 8 hours on a Friday. The weird change of scenery somehow made me focus better, and I finished a project I'd been stuck on for a week. It felt like the new walls and background noise reset my brain. Has anyone else had a random cafe in a new place just click for productivity?

The quiet hum of a coffee shop has been replaced by the constant clicking of mechanical keyboards.

I remember working from The Daily Grind in Seattle in 2015, and the loudest sound was usually the espresso machine, but now, after the pandemic, half the tables sound like a data center because everyone needs that 'tactile feedback' for their focus.

A barista in Austin quietly told me to always plug my laptop into a wall outlet, not a power strip.

He said he'd seen three people lose work that week when the strip got bumped and they didn't have their battery set to save automatically, so now I always check my power settings before I open a single tab.

Pro tip: I switched from a big laptop to a tablet for cafe work and it's a game changer

Used to haul a 15-inch laptop everywhere, but after a month with a 12-inch tablet and keyboard, my bag is 5 pounds lighter and I can work anywhere, even on a tiny bar stool. Anyone else made a switch like this and found a spot it really saved you?

Got called out for being the loud phone guy at a cafe in Austin

About a year ago, I was taking a work call at a spot on South Congress and didn't realize how loud I was. Another regular, who I'd seen a few times, just slid a note over that said 'headphones exist, man lol'. It was a bit blunt, but he was right. I felt like a jerk. Now I always do a quick voice check and use my earbud mic, even if it feels a bit dorky. Anyone else have a habit they had to break after a little public shame?

Serious question, a barista in Denver told me to stop using the cafe's wifi for my VPN. What's a good mobile hotspot plan?

My laptop charger gave up the ghost at a cafe in Portland last Tuesday

I was right in the middle of a client email when the screen went black, and the charger just stopped working. I had to ask the barista if they had a spare, but no luck. Ended up buying a new one from a tech store three blocks away for $75, which hurt. Anyone have a go-to brand for chargers that can survive being in a backpack all the time?

I finally stopped picking cafes just for their coffee

For a year, I only looked for the best espresso in Austin, but my work suffered from bad tables and loud music. Then I tried the place on South Congress with the long, stable tables and quiet corners, and I finished a project in half the time. How do you guys balance good coffee with a space that actually lets you focus?

Serious question, did anyone else used to just grab any open table? I was in a spot in Austin for 2 hours before I realized the outlet was dead... now I always check the plugs first.

My buddy in Lisbon insisted I always ask for the Wi-Fi password before ordering anything

I followed his advice at a new spot in Portland last week, and it saved me from wasting $6 on a latte when their internet was completely down.

My buddy in Austin told me to work from a library instead of a cafe for big tasks.

Tried it for a client report last Tuesday and the silence was actually worse, I missed the background hum. Anyone else find total quiet weirdly distracting?