Just over seven months ago, IOFFICE acquired United Spaces. Since then, the two companies have become one, and since this spring, the entire business has been brought together under the name United Spaces. At the center of the change is CEO Homan Tehrani, the entrepreneur who founded IOFFICE and now leads the next chapter for United Spaces. But Homan’s story began long before coworking, real estate and management teams. We had coffee with him to talk entrepreneurship, community, Hollywood, health and why people will always be more important than square footage.
“I want people to feel cared for when they come through the door. That there is warmth and that someone cares.”
– Homan Tehrani
Entrepreneur at heart
If you ask Homan who he is, he doesn’t start with the CEO title. Instead, he talks about curiosity. About wanting to understand why things work the way they do, about solving problems, and about creating.
– I think I’ve always been an entrepreneur, but I realized it quite late. The engineering education that I have at the bottom has helped me a lot because engineers are trained to solve problems. But what really drives me is creating things and understanding why we do them.
He returns several times to the same question: Why?
– I’ve always asked myself the question why. Why are we doing this? Is the goal to be the biggest? Why then? For me, entrepreneurship is not about size. It’s about creating something that matters.
He describes himself as both visionary and pragmatic.
– I’ve probably always had a pretty limitless view of the world. If you decide to do something, it’s not about if it works. It’s about how.
That approach has followed him throughout his career, from his time at Ericsson to the decision to resign in 2007 to start his own business.
– I had a huge drive. I just knew I wanted to build something myself. As long as there are fun things to create, I’ll probably continue.
People became more important than properties
Coworking came into Homan’s life back in 2006 when he was looking for an office himself.
– I immediately thought it was strange that more people didn’t see the potential.
Real estate has always been in Homan’s background. Both his father and grandfather worked in real estate, so the interest has been there since childhood. But today, something else is what gets him going.
– The people. One hundred percent.
A few years ago, it became clear what really drives him.
– Getting to create something together with people you enjoy working with. That’s really what makes me still find this so fun.
When he talks about the workplaces of the future, it’s rarely about square footage or leases. Instead, he talks about the feeling.
– I want people to feel cared for when they come through the door. That there is warmth and that someone cares.
He also believes that the human aspect will become even more important in the future.
– AI will be able to do amazing things. But the more digital the world becomes, the more people will appreciate the personal. What cannot be automated.
A trip to Hollywood that changed everything
One of the most important insights in Homan’s life, however, didn’t come through a company. It came on a plane between Los Angeles and Stockholm.
In 2015, he traveled to Hollywood with a film idea. Without a single meeting booked. There, he managed to meet a director who both liked the idea and gave advice on how it could be developed further. But it wasn’t the meeting that changed him.
It was the flight home.
– I was on the plane back to Sweden and realized that even if I were to succeed in everything I dreamed of in the film world, I probably wouldn’t be happy.
He describes Hollywood as a world that felt more superficial than he had imagined.
– I actually felt a little let down. Not by any person, but by the image I had built up. It was very frustrating and a world that didn’t really suit me. I realized that even if I were to achieve my goals there, my soul probably wouldn’t feel very good. The insight became bigger than just the film industry.
– It was there that I started to think about what was really important to me.
Film, photography and storytelling are still big interests. But the view of success has changed, it is more about the long term than rapid growth journeys.
– I have never had an exit as a goal. If you exit, you also disappear from the neighborhood. The community disappears. What drives me is to build something long-term together with people, not to sell and move on.
Since then, the question “why?” has become a compass in both life and business.
“I have never had an exit as a goal. If you exit, you also disappear from the neighborhood. The community disappears. What drives me is to build something long-term together with people, not to sell and move on.”
– Homan Tehrani
To grow without losing your soul
In recent years, both the coworking industry and United Spaces have gone through major changes.
For Homan, the biggest challenge with growth is not more members or more locations.
It’s the culture.
– It is always the leaders who set the tone. You have to live what you preach.
He describes his leadership in one word: Consistency.
– I really believe in doing a little right every day. If we make progress a little every day, we will eventually get there.
At the same time, he is self-critical.
– I need to remind myself to stay soft. When you work a lot with numbers, costs and results, it’s easy to become too square.
He also talks openly about how tougher economic times have affected both him and the organization.
– When the economy is under pressure, it’s easy to focus too much on costs. But you can only save up to a certain point. It’s people, culture and sales that create real development.
Two worlds that complement each other
When the conversation turns to the future of United Spaces, Homan becomes noticeably engaged.
He sees great opportunities in the combination of IOFFICE and United Spaces.
– What makes me most excited is that we come from two different directions. United Spaces has built a strong culture, community and sense of service. IOFFICE brings technology, systems and scale. The combination of that is a very good balance.
He leans forward.
– If we do this right, I actually believe we can create some of the best in the industry.
At the same time, he keeps coming back to the same thing.
– The most important thing for me is that we don’t lose the soul of United Space.
He believes that the culture and feeling run deeper than the brand itself.
– It’s not in one person. It’s in the people, the culture and the way we meet our members and customers, every day.
Excel, ChatGPT and running
Behind all the strategies, plans and visions of the future is also everyday life.
When we ask what work tools he wouldn’t want to be without, the answer comes quickly.
– Excel and ChatGPT. ChatGPT has made my everyday life enormously easier.
The bigger challenge, however, is not about tools.
– To combine all the roles. Entrepreneur, CEO, family, friend and partner. That’s probably the biggest challenge.
The foundation for getting everyday life together is spelled health.
– I work out every day. I try different diets and am quite a nerd when it comes to health. I am fascinated by how much it affects energy, focus and well-being.
When he needs recovery, it’s often the running shoes that come into play.
– I’ve never really had a problem with stress. However, I can feel anxious sometimes. Running helps me sort my thoughts and gives me mental recovery.
Colleagues would probably also describe Homan as a morning person.
– I like to start early. And I like the week to start softly and end softly. People should feel good when they go on the weekend.
Five years ahead – but with the same soul
In five years, Homan sees a larger United Spaces.
More locations, more collaborations and an even stronger offering.
But it’s not growth itself that motivates him.
– We have the ability to build long-term. It’s a strength that not everyone has.
He pauses for a moment before continuing.
– But the most important thing is that we don’t lose our soul along the way. Perhaps that also sums up Homan as a person quite well.
Five quickies with Homan
What do you prefer to do when you’re not working?
I like to nerd out about health, nutrition, and exercise. And photography when I have time.
Do you have any phobias?
I was afraid of heights. It disappeared under the rug – but has crept back again.
What do you listen to in the car?
Audiobooks, podcasts and YouTube. I am constantly curious.
What series do you always return to?
Seinfeld. But also Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, Suits, Friends and How I Met Your Mother.
What do you wish for most right now?
That my latest diet plan is actually as good as I hope it is.
