Q: Can you tell us a bit about your background?
A: I’m a tech entrepreneur. That means that I love creating startups that solve important problems by using technology. By training, I’m a business engineer and I’ve been lucky to build bridges across many different disciplines.
Q: What is/are the main challenge(s) that you faced in your career?
A: The challenge for any startup is to deliver great value to clients and grow. It’s what makes tech entrepreneurship so exciting, because you have a lot of control on where to launch, how to improve your value proposition and scale. From a personal level, I have always been lucky to be surrounded by exceptional co-founders and team members. TThey have challenged me to become a better leader with stronger listening skills, and to expand my values set and my emotional intelligence.
Q: How did the idea for your current non-profit group Rosa start?
A: It all started when my father went to the emergency room. One morning, a doctor told us that it was time to say goodbye. Our entire family was crying. Then, a few hours later, another doctor asked us if we had heard the good news? Dad was going to be fine. Yet, nothing had changed since the morning. The hospital already knew that he would be fine in the morning. When asked, the first doctor just said: “I always tell the patient’s family that they will die. If I’m right, they’re prepared. If I’m wrong, they’ll be happy”. Beyond the abyssal level of empathy of that doctor, I realized that it was very difficult to be a patient. It’s difficult to have access to your data. The vocabulary is difficult to understand (I’m not even talking about spelling). We are asked to make decisions on trade-offs that we don’t comprehend…
In other words, there must be a better way. We hope it will be Rosa.
Q: If you had to give 3 pieces of advice to young entrepreneurs, what would those be?
A: First, choose a big and frequent problem to solve. Interested in more info? Look at the Des Traynor videos on Youtube.
Second, buy and apply the “Value Proposition Design” handbook by Strategyzer. Still, after 14 years in tech, it’s still a book that I learn from.
Finally, ask yourself how much you’re willing to sacrifice to be an entrepreneur. This is a life filled with roller coasters. It’s not made for everyone.
Sébastien is a tech entrepreneur in Digital Health. He co-founded and leads Rosa, a tech non-profit that helps patients manage their health from their smartphones.