Tim Schaecker, a TikToker with 8.8 million followers and a member of the German boy band Elevator Boys, launched a new social networking app today to encourage other content creators to deepen their community connections and rethink social media and the creator economy.
Content producers may use CNDO (pronounced “condo”) to build private social rooms for their fans to talk, compete, and receive exclusive updates from their favorite influencers.
The challenge element is the platform’s centerpiece because CNDO thinks working toward a shared goal may enhance online ties. Creators may urge followers to exercise regularly and give workout updates. Fans are uniting around their favorite influencer while also learning about one another, discovering new things, and becoming real friends. The business also expects the challenges will keep users coming back to the app, boosting app retention.
“As the creator, I am not in the middle of the spotlight,” Schaecker told Eltrys. “CNDO is about community, and I’m more of a member. We want to concentrate on the end-user, improving along with those difficulties, and finding like-minded people.” Schaecker is renowned for publishing lip syncs and dance videos online, but his CNDO club promotes reading, fashion, and fitness.
CNDO launched with 11 creators, including surfers Sophia Chiara and Shane (@shane_dk) and sports, ASMR, and beauty influencers Jannes Werner, Jannis Reichmuth, and Lukas Müller. No follower count is needed to start a CNDO community. However, developers must propose their “concept strategy,” and CNDO decides whether they match the platform.
Monthly subscriptions allow creators to gate communities and experiences. The commission from CNDO is 20%.
CNDO wants to develop a major community to bring people together, find new influencers, and engage in additional challenges. Creator-brand collaborations will also occur. Sneaker brands may communicate with actual consumers in a running chat room.
Schaecker founded TikTok while studying business administration at the University of Mannheim. He wants to launch a software enterprise. Schaecker co-founded CNDO with business and data science students Kian Seifert and Jordi Walder. Over 5,000 individuals were on the waiting list when CNDO debuted its beta in October with 820 users.
The firm raised $1 million in pre-seed capital in May 2023 from angels including German pop artist Sarah Connor, Presize creator Leon Szeli (bought by Meta), Wefox founder Julian Teicke, and top McKinsey senior partners.
Bene Schulz, Jacob Rott, Julien Brown, and Luis Freitag—the surviving Elevator Boys—are also investors. After starting as a TikTok account among friends in 2021, the Elevator Boys are now an actual music group with 2.7 million Spotify plays on their debut track, Runaway. The two co-founded Kabu, an artist management firm.
