Free-Agent Clubhouse

In order to get funding, Eller first needs to convince investors that he can make money. Just three years old, the space in Amsterdam is breaking even. Although Baby is sometimes sparsely populated, the income from members and groups who rent space for special events, in addition to member fees and the club's restaurant revenues, pays for the overhead. In a city as expensive as New York, Eller would need to fill Baby more regularly, but he's confident that the demand for that kind of community space is high. "I wanted to start in Amsterdam because it is my home, which makes it a safe place to experiment and make mistakes," he says. "But the Dutch aren't always accepting of things that are new and different. In my country, it's cool to be a critic. This is also a place where people actually go home at 5 PM to cook dinner. In London and in the United States, people aren't home as much."

Eller will also have to explain the club's name to prospective investors. "My girlfriend used to call me 'baby,' " he says. "And the name fits here. The club is something that I really care about. It's vulnerable. It's a small, cute project that, with a lot of care, could become really big."

Ron Lieber (rlieber@fastcompany.com , a Fast Company senior writer, is based in New York City. Contact René Eller by email (rene@babysite.nl), or visit Baby on the Web (www.babysite.nl). An English version of the Baby site (www.joinbaby.com) is in the works.