An affordable and accessible platform for all
From a good idea to more than 6,000 communities.
The idea
In the summer of 2012, I got the idea to create an association app. Just as every association has a website, every association wants its own app, right? But developing an app was very expensive in 2012, and in fact it still is today. Myself, once having started programming by creating websites (in notepad), I saw the rise of Joomla and WordPress. There was nothing like that yet for apps.
These two thoughts came together, and so the idea was born: it should technically be one app that transforms itself as your association’s app.
At that time, I was working for the company Tizin as an app developer. The director owner Tamme liked the idea, and asked to investigate if there was a need and if there was already such an app.
Research
To test whether it was a good idea, I spoke with 10 boards, of different types of association. These were: student association N.S.G., soccer association Be Quick, youth box The Living Room, tennis association Veracket, Youth Church Bedum, volleyball association Lycurgus, swimming club the Eemsrobben, study association IBN Battuta, student association Dionysos and the korfball association De Parabool. The common thread, everyone wants an app and it may be as expensive as the internet subscription(!?).
During one of these meetings, I came into contact with Jurjen and Jurgen, members of the student association Navigators from Groningen. They showed me screen designs of an app for their association that was yet to be developed. This was the start of a very nice collaboration.
The first version
The first version was available in 2013 and had very limited features. It was possible to add news, events, members and general association information. The association administrator could add the content in our management system (Oyodo). Then it became possible to send push notifications to all members.
Fun fact: in the early days, a sample of the song “Push It – Salt-N-Pepa” was played at our office with every push notification.
The name Socie
The first version was a success, so the app needed a name, this eventually became Socie, taken from the English word “society.” Generally, the word “Society” refers to a large group of people interacting with each other in an organized way with common values, norms, laws and culture. The name Socie fits the feeling and image we want to convey.
Configurable
In the ongoing development between 2013 and 2015, more and more modules were added. It also became possible for administrators to configure their own app by enabling and disabling modules. It also became possible to make content available to specific groups. All kinds of additional privacy features were also added to comply with the AVG (since 2018).
Product-market fit
Commercially, it didn’t take an immediate storm. People wanted to use it but found it difficult to pay for it. In the early years, paying for cloud services was not that common. An often heard comment was “if the app has function X, then we will go for the paid version.” We still hear this comment occasionally today.
It took several years until we had a good “product-market fit.” Because we do not address a specific target market, it is difficult to position your solution in the market.
Partners
In 2016, we started offering our app as a white label solution to other companies, the partner construct. By linking our app to our partners’ software, you get a valuable app. Our first partners were AllUnited (the ClubApp for sports clubs) and Hagru (the Scipio app for churches).
For the ClubApp we have created specific modules for tennis clubs. From reserving a court, joining the ladder competition to even consulting all knltb information.
A collection module was created for Scipio, which allowed you to donate during a service when you don’t have change on you.
Corona
In 2020, suddenly there was the Corona pandemic. There were constantly new rules about what was allowed and what was possible. This information was shared through our apps. Meetings were limited and registration was required. There was also a maximum number of participants per meeting. In a short time, we modified our apps to meet these needs.
Through the app, you could sign up for or watch a church service through the app. And it was possible to give to the collection. For club buildings, it was often not possible to open but it was possible, for example, to reserve a court through the app.
Suddenly there was a great need for digital communication and organizing within associations. Our app had suddenly turned from a fun toy into a serious communication tool. During this period we experienced tremendous growth.
Scale-up
This was the end of the start-up phase and the beginning of the scale-up phase for us. Many processes were optimized, made scalable and robust so that we could handle the high traffic. The security of our platform became increasingly important so we have had regular pen tests done since this phase. Every year the security of our platform is tested by a different external party each time.
The Socie project became too big for the company Tizin so we established Socie bv in 2022.
Commercial focus
Since the beginning of Socie, the main focus was on technology. If the app is good enough then the users will come naturally, was the thought. This approach has taken us very far. Still, I had the idea that it could be better commercially.
So I decided to contact about 20 paying associations. This mini-research had a common thread, almost all the associations were happy with the app as it was. There were still some varying desires, the price was good and the members didn’t want to live without it.
If it works well for so many associations and adds value, we should shout it from the rooftops. But this is far outside the comfort zone of northerners and ict’ers. So a commercial director was “installed” in 2022 and things were soon set in motion. The website received a thorough update, going from 5 to perhaps 50 pages. With a sales funnel, bottlenecks in the process were discovered and fixed.
The new management
After more than two years of development, the successor to App Management was ready in 2024. The old management was built on an old AngularJS library and in need of replacement. The new management was built from scratch. With the new management, several long-cherished wishes were fulfilled. It became possible to deeplink, designate content managers, and a Web version for members called Socie Web was added.
In conclusion.
It is now the end of 2025. But the idea it all started with has remained essentially the same. The target group has become broader than just associations, though, and we are no longer active only in the Netherlands. We are working hard to promote our app abroad as well.
On a regular basis, I hear that “my app” is being used by a target audience I had never heard of before or is being deployed in ways I could not have imagined. It ranges from neighborhood communications, patient associations, sports clubs, government agencies, corporate intranets and all (and there are a lot of) variations on social clubs. This makes me happy and proud!!!
I am convinced that an online community is a powerful tool to bring people together. And for me personally, the very best result is when it also brings people closer together offline.
There is a plethora of features we still want to add to our platform. To make it even better for administrators and even more fun for members. We do this with great pleasure and with a tremendously fun group of people!
Berend Menninga
