Jena. I Love You.
I spoke in Jena yesterday – a city of central Germany, southwest of Leipzig.
Napoleon decisively defeated the Prussians here on October 14, 1806.
It has a population of around 100k people and is exactly 1000m x 1000m in size.
Jena is a brilliant place. Its an innovation lab. Those who think differently are celebrated. Jena’s Intershop Tower is widely regarded as the home of eCommerce.
Mirko Klopfleisch from the brilliant Agent Factory asked me to come and talk and I am so happy I did.
Mirko is one of life’s kindest and nicest people. If you ever have a chance to be in the same room as him, do it – also, if you ever want a mobile application developed, his company are amongst the best on earth.
Everyone I met from Jena just smiles. They smile, they laugh, the care. The service everywhere is outstanding. It’s like a perfect little 1km square world.
Mirko says that the main principles in Jena are loyalty, trust and respect. If you are nice to people and honest in your dealings, Jena will look after you forever. People who finish working at one company are placed in a new one by the former bosses.
Jena will not let anyone down – unless you breech the loyalty, trust or respect. Then you don’t belong.
In Jena, the people look after the people.
I spoke in the tower yesterday morning in-front of brands, vendors, publishers, agencies and I have never had a reception like it.
There were tears, hugs, endless handshakes at the end of my keynote and even one person who told me I had fundamentally changed their life.
Wow….
A person I love dearly said to me yesterday (as I was in the tiny plane leaving the tiny airport) – ‘you can judge your effectiveness by how many people cry with happiness, and how many people walk out in disgust’.
I think that says it all. I love you Jena. Thank you for having me.
Dear Jonathan,
… most appreciated, we're delighted that you felt comfortable…still this praise is too much.
The pleasure and benefit really was on our site. To listen to your clear and realistic thoughts how mobile services will develop was most impressive. To my mind you have the rare ability to make people think.
Thanks a lot for your contribution to this event, for your disarming, inspiring way to communicate with people.
I hope for many occasions to share opinions and ideas in the future
Eva Braun
Marketing
the agent factory
Thank you so much for those kind words..I very much look forward to the next time I can visit and share our visions of the future.
i just came along, and read this..it really took me where u were , i wish i had gone to places and experience things in this kind of a perspective !!