Stammtisch

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The word of the day is Stammtisch.

I was at a dinner party of a group of guys in Manhattan and we were talking about how to communicate more regularly and effectively. Right now, we meet three to four times a year.

I always wanted to be part of a group like this and this one happened organically when a former colleague of mine invited me.

After operating for a year and a half, now the question before us was whether we could or should do anything to increase the communication and benefit.

People threw out all kinds of proposals, most of them tech solutions like a Whatsapp group chat or a private social media page or AI organized calendars.

And one of the guys, a German artist, shot those down. He said we should adopt the German tradition of a Stammtisch, which is a "regulars table" at a restaurant or bar.

The idea is that once a month or so on a specific day everyone just shows up at a certain bar. There's no organization or communication. It's a standing invite. People come or they don't. The group could be one person or 20. Whoever shows up, shows up.

The Stammtisch tradition goes back centuries in German-speaking countries, rooted in the idea that community doesn't need a formal reason to gather. No agenda and no host means less pressure and probably better community interaction.

As soon as he put out that proposal it became clear to everyone else at the table the irony of trying to address an epidemic of loneliness that has been caused in some part by technology with technology.

What I found strike about the German solution to connection was that it removed the friction that so often makes it hard to get togehter.

And honestly that sounded awesome.

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