From LinkedIn message to company: hej.build turns four and is far from finished

But what has happened in between? What has changed? And what is still to come? A conversation with founders Michael Rahmfeld and Hannes Eberlein about courageous decisions. And the staying power it takes to build a real culture without a company headquarters or shared office.

A small pinch of coincidence and a shared interest in digital training

Before founding hej.build, both Hannes and Michael had already founded their own companies, each in a different shareholder constellation. And both were already working on a common topic at the time: digital training in architecture. One focused on the technical implementation, the other on the content.

After making contact via LinkedIn, they met for the first time, initially without obligation, over a croissant at Essen Central Station. And as luck would have it, Michael received an inquiry that same evening: a construction product manufacturer was looking for someone to take over an existing training platform. Michael asked Hannes if he could imagine doing this and the first joint project was born. One week for the offer, five weeks for the implementation. After that, it was clear: what works so well under time pressure is matched. And so the first project turned into something more. The idea for a joint company and, a little later, the founding of the GmbH, which will celebrate its fourth anniversary in spring 2025.

»It's simply more fun together and our skills complement each other perfectly. Michael brings an understanding of architecture and sales skills. I contribute tech, tools and processes.« — Hannes

The chemistry was right. And not just professionally. At the beginning of their journey together, the two deliberately took time to clarify whether they would work as a founding duo. Instead of getting started full of actionism, they worked their way through a structured list of questions. Openly, honestly, with a view to their respective life realities, values and a shared understanding of their roles.

»We consciously examined whether we should really found the company together. And we realized: Being different is our greatest strength.« — Michael

The first few months were intense. In terms of content and organization, they were not always a walk in the park. In addition to the first major project, the main focus was on establishing hej.build as a functioning working environment: What tools do we need? How do we work together? What helps us to communicate with each other on a day-to-day basis? At the same time, we started to ask ourselves fundamental questions: How do we position ourselves in what is often still a traditional and rather conservative market environment? How do we want to become visible as a brand in terms of attitude, language and appearance? And above all: In which areas can we support our customers the most?

Hannes: »We spent a lot of time selecting our tool stack and the right processes. Everything had to work simply - and at the same time help us to organize ourselves well as a team.«

With Google Workspace, Slack, Notion & Co. the setup was precisely defined. But the tools were just the beginning. Routines and formats were needed to ensure that people didn't lose sight of each other. Lunch & Learns, joint Friday checkouts and clearly structured processes in everyday working life made the small but significant difference. Supplemented by real meetings such as offsites and workations, which were deliberately planned from the outset. This gradually created a framework that provided orientation and in which collaboration felt good and familiar, even without a shared office.

We grow, we learn and we continue to develop

A lot has changed in the last four years. hej.build has grown in terms of personnel, content and structure. Today, we appear even more clearly positioned to the outside world, more visible, with a sharper profile. Internally, however, much has remained the same: the basic attitude, the cooperation, the openness to change.

Michael: »Outwardly, hej.build has developed enormously. Internally, we have remained true to ourselves. We regularly question ourselves, reflect on our decisions at our Heads level every quarter and have a high learning and development speed. But the foundation is solid and resilient.«

This also applies to the roles of the two founders. The rough division - Minister of the Interior meets Minister of Foreign Affairs - was quickly found. But their own roles change with every step in the company's growth. And sometimes you get in your own way.

Michael: »You have to constantly re-evaluate yourself and your role. Otherwise you become a bottleneck – and therefore the most limiting factor in the company.«

Hannes: »Our roles have sharpened over time. Michael as the sales fox, me as the tech pig* – that fits. At the same time, they have also become a little less important. Fortunately. Because our team is now responsible for many areas, making us superfluous.«

*Editor's note: Anyone wondering about the animal roles is cordially invited to an explanatory coffee 😉

A lot has also changed on the market. Budgets that were still loose in the beginning are no longer a matter of course. Customers are weighing up more carefully what they want external support for. hej.build responded to this early on: with a clearer focus on specific topics and a broader range of services. In addition to strategic consulting, content implementation and in-house formats such as the Academy play a greater role today. What's more, technological developments also bring opportunities, especially for a remote team.

Hannes: »AI is currently changing many business models. Including ours. But we have always had a tech focus. For us, AI is more of a booster than a threat. Because we work remotely, almost everything is digital anyway. And it is precisely this that creates a treasure trove of data that we use productively today.«

Und wie sieht’s mit Fehlentscheidungen aus? Die Antwort ist so ehrlich wie pragmatisch.

Michael: »Looking back, I would make a number of decisions differently. But nothing fundamental. And that's worth a lot.«

Hannes: »Of course, there were also ideas that turned out to be a detour in hindsight. Perhaps we should have let go of one or two internal projects earlier. But at the time, the decisions were understandable. And that's what it's all about.«

One topic that is particularly important here is personnel decisions.

Michael: »In a small team like ours, they weigh twice as much – financially and personally. We are very attached to each other. It is sometimes difficult to make the right professional decisions, but difficult human decisions.«

Not an off-the-peg team

Because the team has grown along with hej.build in recent years. New skills, new perspectives, new characters: Over time, the small founding core has become a versatile, well-coordinated team. Distributed remotely, but with a clear, shared understanding of how we want to work together.

What makes hej.build what it is today is not just what two founders came up with, but what has become of it as a team. Joint processes have emerged, own topics have been introduced, decisions have been supported. Much of what seems self-evident today has developed from real needs.

Hannes: »Over the years, we have gained many new perspectives and skills - both professionally and personally. This enriches each of our projects in a noticeably positive way.«

Michael: »At the same time, many of the things that were important to us from the very beginning have remained the same. Openness, appreciation, a collaborative approach – that is what still characterizes us today.«

How would you describe teamwork if you had to break it down into three terms?

Hannes: »Open, innovative, supportive.«

Michael: »Transparent, appreciative, collaborative.«

Fun facts, fails and lots of respect

And what sticks in your mind when you look back on four years of hej.build? In addition to projects, roadmaps and decisions, it is above all the small and large shared moments that remain in our minds.

Hannes: »Our remote Christmas parties are always worth their weight in gold – especially the Kahoot quizzes, in which all team members reveal secret facts about themselves. Some unbelievable things have come to light. Michael's wife Martina once said that she had never seen anyone celebrate so loudly in front of a computer. No words needed, I would say 😀«

Michael: »And of course our offsites and workstations. That's a highlight every time. The last creative session even gave us the certainty that Hannes can do a lot, but acrylic on canvas is not one of them.«

Mutual appreciation is not neglected either. Without pathos, but with an honest look at what makes the other person tick.

Hannes: »In short, Michael is one of the most pleasant people I know. He also has a rare combination of an understanding of architecture, top sales skills and a built-in consultant mentality. And even if he doesn't see it that way himself: With what feels like a thousand ideas per second, he is our very own H100*.«

*Editor's note: H100? Currently the most powerful chip from Nvidia. And yes, that is meant as a compliment coming from a techie.

Michael: »Hannes has an analytical, rational way of thinking and loves everything that I tend to avoid: building processes, programming interfaces, clarifying technical details. At the same time, he has a considerable intellectual range: from coding to creative concept work. Only when it comes to painting on canvas is there room for improvement.«

And perhaps that is precisely their greatest strength: building a company that doesn't have to be perfect down to the last detail, but that simply fits in its constellation. A constellation that is so harmonious that, looking back, Hannes says one of the best decisions was to stay on the ball together with Michael.

And what comes next?

Four years have passed since hej.build was founded, but Hannes and Michael are already a few steps ahead in their minds: with a hej.house with a sea view that will be a retreat and thinking space for the whole team. With tools, data and strategies that help customers integrate AI into marketing and sales in a meaningful way. And a new project by architects for architects that is only just taking shape.

hej.build was never intended to be a finished construct. And perhaps »not finished« is exactly the state in which the best ones are created?