"How to Community" series: coapp CEO Jonas Lindemann on his community motto "More People, More Awesome"

It's not surprising that Jonas Lindemann has a clear idea of how to build a functioning community, because as co-founder and CEO of coapp, he has dedicated his heart and soul to this passion. Less well known to coapp users and readers of this blog is perhaps his background: he was managing director and shareholder of the coworking space Edelstall and co-founded and managed the community space Hafven.

He has also traveled around the world and worked in numerous spaces himself, including in Australia. In this interview, he shares valuable tips and insights from his many years of experience in community building. His focus is always on creating valuable spaces that not only invite people to work, but also to exchange ideas and network.

Edelstall in March 2013

From initial skepticism to lifelong enthusiasm for communities

Edelstall, the precursor to Hafven, was a project by design students who were looking for a space for themselves and like-minded people. Jonas, who had studied communication design himself, joined in 2011 after coming from a traditional office setup where he often felt isolated. He was immediately impressed by the open exchange at Edelstall: "After initial skepticism, I quickly realized how valuable it is to receive direct and unfiltered feedback," says Jonas. "I was really impressed by the aspect of openness." This completely new way of working together at the time motivated him so much that he later took over the management and expanded the concept further.

Community workshop in September 2012

The centerpiece: The community

For Jonas, it was always clear that the greatest value of a coworking space lies in the people who use it. The goal of bringing as many people together as possible was therefore always the focus. "We have consistently focused on creating a platform for everyone, where as many people as possible are connected," he explains. To achieve this, the team adapted both the pricing and product strategy. The space became more flexible, the memberships cheaper - with the result that the number of members grew quickly.

In addition to these more strategic learnings, Jonas has also learned a lot in practice, particularly from his time as a user of other coworking spaces: on a one-and-a-half-year trip around the world with his girlfriend, he worked in a wide variety of constellations and gained valuable experience. He was particularly impressed by a space in Sydney that was chic and stylish, but offered no community. "I didn't get to know anyone there. That showed me how important it is to feel socially integrated," he says.

A short time later, he stopped by Fishburners in a rather unagitated, less stylish space - and immediately met two new people with whom he wanted to meet for lunch. This experience shaped his conviction that a community is less about chic design and more about interpersonal encounters. His insight later flowed directly into the Hafven concept: "We want to be so inviting that as a new member, you immediately come into contact with at least two people," he says. This focus on valuable contacts and encounters ensures that members quickly feel at home and are happy to stay - or even attract new members.

"More people more awesome"

More People, More Chaos: How to deal with challenges?

One of the key strategies Jonas and his team pursued was to bring as many people together as possible. This led to the development of the "More people more awesome" campaign, which reflects the core of their philosophy: "If that's the added value, then let's try to do it consistently." The idea: the more people are part of the community, the more diverse and dynamic it becomes. 

But of course, scaling to a larger community did not always run smoothly, despite many technical and organizational changes. Doubling the number of members brought with it a number of challenges. It was particularly difficult to maintain an overview in low-budget operations. "Without technical automation, we would have been lost," admits Jonas. Nevertheless, the team managed to keep an eye on the essential needs of the members and find a balance between growth and quality. 

Party at Edelstall in September 2014

The key to success: events and networking

Another key success factor was the deliberate promotion of the community through events. "We threw big parties and always created occasions where people could get together," says Jonas enthusiastically, pointing to the room behind him as he talks: they often just packed up all the tables, chairs and equipment, got a drinks sponsor like Jägermeister on board and simply started partying without making a fuss. "Afterwards, we'd just help clean up together and maybe have to air the room for a while," he laughs. These often spontaneous, informal shared experiences strengthened the sense of togetherness and, in his opinion, also ensured that the community remained lively - alongside the daily work routine.

Three specific tips for building a community

Jonas has some important advice for anyone who wants to start or improve their own community:

1. clear mission

"You should know exactly why you are building the community and what you want to achieve with it," says Jonas. It is crucial that the goals are clearly defined and that all activities are aligned with them. For him, the focus has always been on bringing as many people together as possible and ensuring that they derive added value from these encounters.

2. relinquish trust and control

"Let the network do it! The community can often achieve more than an individual manager ever could," emphasizes Jonas. It is important to let go and allow the dynamics to develop themselves. This trust in self-regulation has to be learned, but the advantages are obvious to him: "The network itself is unlimited and therefore infinitely valuable."

3. automation and digitalization

As a community grows, it becomes increasingly important to automate processes, he says, speaking from experience. "Otherwise you're limited," explains Jonas. Tools like coapp allow community managers to focus on the really important aspects, take care of new connections in the space and create a pleasant, welcoming environment. "Or simply buy toilet paper regularly," laughs Jonas.

Conclusion: A community is more than just a room

For Jonas Lindemann, coworking spaces are not just workplaces, but places where people can meet, exchange ideas and work together. With the right mix of openness, trust and events, anyone can create a place where people not only work, but also grow together. Hafven and Edelstall are living proof that "More People, More Awesome" is not just a cool motto, but a real strategy for success, especially in the post-pandemic working world. After all, a functioning community is not only created through planning, but also through flexibility and openness towards one another.

More on the topic of community building and self-regulation of networks here in an in-depth interview with Dr. Christian Mencke from SAP