We're still celebrating: Ten years of Revive! 🎉

Ten years ago, our founders – Paul and Jonas – decided to rent an office in Cologne. Just like that. But with the certainty that they'd come up with some brilliant idea! This week, Jonas looks back on the most bizarre situations from the early days and his personal growth through Revive.

Jonas, you simply rented an office in Cologne ten years ago. What was going through your mind at the time?

By the time we rented the office, I had already sold some furniture. So I knew I'd keep doing that – along with a bit of web design. Paul and I were a good fit professionally: He was doing test purchases in the youth protection sector on the side, and we were both relatively independent. It was somehow clear to us that the furniture theme would continue, especially with a focus on sofas – and otherwise, our idea was: just see what happens!

You then tried out several business ideas. What kind of ideas were they? Was there anything particularly unusual?

There were a few bizarre situations in our early days. I remember one particular story: Someone approached us and, after a death in the family, offered to take whatever we wanted from a house – a kind of clearing-out service. We actually found gold leaf in a cupboard! But otherwise, there were mostly tons of books, junk, Rosenthal porcelain, and other junk. Our entire office was then filled with stuff that we had to photograph and sell for tiny amounts on eBay – including this one red and white Rosenthal sauce bowl, which I still remember well.

We also sold car parts for a quirky used car dealer. One day, he said to us, "Hey guys, can you sell me a few things?" – and suddenly we were standing in a warehouse with thousands of old car parts, including a forklift. The guy was a real character – in his prime, he sold eleven cars a day and played roulette on the computer on the side.

And once, on a rainy evening, a stranger suddenly stormed into our office, apparently lost in the doorway. He actually wanted to sell his cell phone case company, "Planet Handy." After a few hours of spontaneous negotiations, we ended up buying the corresponding internet domain and all the merchandise in his car for €800. In the end, the domain, which unfortunately expired at some point, was the most valuable part of the deal – and we were left with the cell phone cases.

What's it like to start a business as a couple? How do your and Paul's skills complement each other?

Our skills complement each other very well. Consensus is important, but also challenging. On the one hand, you're never alone, but on the other hand, we naturally discuss our decisions a lot.

Paul is analytical and fact-oriented. My strengths, on the other hand, aren't necessarily in numbers, bureaucracy, and administration; Paul is better at that. I'm more of a hothead, the creative mind. I'm also good at inspiring people. I would also say that my expertise lies in visuals. I initially did design and corporate identity myself until we eventually outsourced it. But I'm still heavily involved in the design processes.

What is your greatest personal development through Revive?

I've learned to lead, structure, and plan ahead. I've definitely grown as a person. I notice this sometimes when stress and chaos arise in my daily work routine—I've internalized that things just have to work, no matter how hectic things are.

Through Revive, I've also developed the confidence that I'll always manage, even if I have to start from scratch tomorrow. I've developed so many skills—from software architecture to databases to programming. No one can take these abilities away from me. I've also optimized my sales skills over the years. My self-confidence has grown over the ten years with Revive because I know there's a solution for every situation.

And what is your vision for the future of Revive?

At least a tenfold increase—really at least! In my opinion, that's absolutely doable, without making rocket science out of it. The key lies in better sales: Many items on the used furniture market are so broken that no one buys them. We can use that as a basis for building intelligent purchasing.

A future vision for Revive is a digital platform where customers can register their furniture for refurbishment, and we forward the orders to upholstery shops in the region. This could digitize the interior design business. Ultimately, we have the potential to transform and shape the entire furniture purchasing process. At the same time, we support upholstery shops by sharing our knowledge. We know exactly which armrest of which model needs to be replaced most frequently – and as a large company, we can negotiate better terms for spare parts. We've already taken a first step in this direction with our Repair Guides .

What would you like to say in conclusion?

If you believe in something, it's worth fighting for.