For the 5-10 people phase in Berlin, there is also the option for other coworking spaces that are cheaper. For startups that go through an accelerator here, there is also often the option to have a place in their (private) coworking spaces at okay rates.
Beyond 10 people, most startups here realistically don't have that explosive growth in employees, so you can rent an office 3x your current size, and still come out cheaper than WeWork. In the mean-time you can sublet the empty space to other smaller startups on a quarterly basis until you need it yourself.
I realize that in other cities, the situation might be a different one, but at least in Berlin there are very few startups that have the luxury to of a "fuck profitability"/explosive growth strategy, which are realistically the ones that can afford a WeWork for more than a few months.
Beyond 10 people, most startups here realistically don't have that explosive growth in employees, so you can rent an office 3x your current size, and still come out cheaper than WeWork. In the mean-time you can sublet the empty space to other smaller startups on a quarterly basis until you need it yourself.
I realize that in other cities, the situation might be a different one, but at least in Berlin there are very few startups that have the luxury to of a "fuck profitability"/explosive growth strategy, which are realistically the ones that can afford a WeWork for more than a few months.