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[RE-RELEASE] OVNIs – Immigrant Grit, Silicon Valley Scale: Bruce Falck’s Playbook for Reinvention

⁠Some people change your trajectory — Bruce Falck changed mine. ⁠In 2019, he greenlit the acquisition of my startup by Twitter. A few years and one tech rollercoaster later, I sat down with Bruce in San Francisco to record Episode 1 of the OVNI Podcast. ⁠Bruce’s story is wild: ⁠➤ Born in Johannesburg. ⁠➤ Moved to the US without a visa. ⁠➤ Waited tables. ⁠➤ Built a startup from scratch. ⁠➤ Led a $5B ads business at Twitter. ⁠➤ Got fired the week Elon took over. ⁠And now — he's building again. ⁠A startup in the energy mapping space. At 54. With 3 kids. With humility and fire. ⁠We talked about ego death, reinvention, customer obsession, and why being an immigrant made him a better founder. This episode is personal. Raw. And full of lessons for anyone thinking of starting over — again. ⁠🎧 Listen to Episode 1 here → I know I got a lot out of this hour with Bruce, I can’t wait to hear what your thoughts of this conversation. #founderstories #resilience #siliconvalley #OVNIPodcast #BruceFalck #exitandstartagain [00:00:00]: Introduction [00:00:57]: Bruce Falck's early years [00:02:10]: Arrival in San Francisco and early jobs [00:04:42]: Transition from corporate to dot-com projects [00:07:36]: Learning new tools and getting hands-on [00:08:10]: Joining Google and initial experiences [00:11:50]: Transitioning from Google to BrightRoll [00:12:04]: Challenges of immigration and visa journey [00:13:50]: Yahoo acquisition and the role of danger [00:15:01]: Joining Turn and handling leadership challenges [00:16:19]: Transition from a large company to a startup [00:20:01]: Becoming a professional CEO and its challenges [00:22:01]: The competitive landscape with The Trade Desk [00:24:04]: Joining Twitter and the role of GM [00:28:18]: Initial excitement about Elon Musk's interest in Twitter [00:29:02]: Acquisition of Aiden AI and the process [00:32:54]: The media attention and personal impact [00:33:03]: Attempting to lead Twitter through chaos [00:35:54]: The acquisition by Elon Musk and its aftermath [00:37:00]: Starting Halcyon and the startup journey [00:39:07]: The decision to start a company and initial steps [00:41:27]: The founding of Halcyon and its focus [00:43:34]: The challenge of building a startup [00:45:32]: Overcoming self-doubt and failure [00:46:19]: Leadership style and delegation [00:47:14]: The role of a founder in customer understanding [00:47:53]: Building as an antidote to cynicism [00:48:41]: Conclusion Hébergé par Audiomeans. Visitez audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite [https://www.audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite] pour plus d'informations.

OVNIs Ep. #108 - Andrew Côté - From Particle Accelerators to Viral Threads: The Making of a Deep Tech Founder

In this episode of the OVNIs Podcast, Augustin Sayer sits down with Andrew Côté - engineering physicist, deep tech thinker, and founder of Hyperstition - for a wide-ranging conversation at the frontier of science and entrepreneurship. From his unconventional path from anthropology to engineering physics, Andrew retraces his journey through particle accelerators, nuclear fusion startups, infectious disease research during COVID, and early experiments with large language models - long before ChatGPT became mainstream. The discussion dives deep into energy abundance, nuclear power, superconductors, venture capital, and the cultural rise of deep tech in the U.S. Andrew shares his philosophy on building technology that meaningfully advances civilization - arguing that energy, physics, and fundamental engineering breakthroughs form the true foundation of economic prosperity. A bold and intellectually electric episode about ambition, failure, resilience, and the pursuit of technologies indistinguishable from magic. [00:00:00] Introduction — Who is Andrew Côté? [00:00:22] From Anthropology to Engineering Physics [00:01:54] Falling in Love with Cosmology & Particle Physics [00:02:15] Choosing Engineering Physics Over the Safe Path [00:03:05] Deep Tech Before It Was Trendy (2014 Context) [00:04:28] Turning Down Academia to Start a Company [00:05:33] First Startup Attempt — Computational Imaging & Light Field Displays [00:07:26] Tech Risk & Hardware Fundraising Challenges [00:08:44] Pivoting & Early Entrepreneurial Experiments [00:09:31] The Move to San Francisco [00:09:50] Chan Zuckerberg Biohub & Bioengineering During COVID [00:11:04] Spinning Out an Early LLM Startup (Pre-ChatGPT) [00:12:23] Philosophy: Doing What Only You Can Do [00:15:00] Intrapreneurship Inside a Nonprofit [00:17:07] LLMs for Drug Discovery — Too Early? [00:18:50] Startup Failure & Moving Back to Canada [00:19:36] Returning to Fusion Engineering [00:20:19] Fusion vs Quantum Computing — What Matters Most? [00:21:26] Why Energy Abundance Changes Civilization [00:22:45] Nuclear Energy, France vs Germany [00:25:15] Energy Policy & Industrial Competitiveness [00:26:26] Back to Fusion — The Dream Job at Princeton [00:27:33] Writing Online & Building a Deep Tech Audience [00:27:51] The LK99 Superconductor Saga [00:28:32] Going Viral on Tech Twitter [00:29:04] Venture Capital Interest & New Opportunities [00:32:43] What Is Deep Tech Really? [00:33:05] Underwriting Technical Risk [00:34:00] Founders vs Investors in Deep Tech [00:36:30] The Origin of Deep Tech Week [00:39:00] Building a Cultural Movement Around Engineering [00:42:30] Hyperstition — Technology Indistinguishable from Magic [00:45:00] Are We Entering a U.S. Deep Tech Renaissance? 📌 Disclaimer – Financial Information & Investment The content shared in this podcast (including episodes, excerpts, descriptions, associated posts, and YouTube videos) is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute: * investment advice, * a recommendation to buy or sell financial instruments, * portfolio management advisory services, * an offer of financial securities or a solicitation to acquire any financial instrument, * banking or financial solicitation within the meaning of Articles L.341-1 et seq. of the French Monetary and Financial Code. This podcast is not an investment services provider (ISP) nor a financial investment advisor (FIA) within the meaning of French and European regulations (AMF / MiFID II). 📘 No Guarantee – Financial Risks The information discussed reflects the personal opinions of the speakers, based on their professional experience. It may be incomplete, subject to change, or not applicable to your personal situation. All investments involve risks of partial or total loss, particularly in the case of private investments, technology assets, or venture capital transactions. Past performance is not indicative of future results. 👤 Listener Responsibility Each listener / viewer remains solely responsible for their investment decisions. Before making any decision, it is strongly recommended to consult: * a licensed professional financial advisor, * an investment services provider, or * a financial investment advisor (FIA) registered with ORIAS. 🔒 Potential Conflicts of Interest The speakers may be involved in companies, investment funds, or transactions mentioned. No statement should be interpreted as a commitment or a guarantee of performance. Hébergé par Audiomeans. Visitez audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite [https://www.audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite] pour plus d'informations.

OVNIs Ep. #107 - Eric Lacaille - Piston : la revanche des ERP face à l’IA

Dans cet épisode d’OVNIs Podcast, Matthieu Stefani reçoit Eric Lacaille, cofondateur de Piston, pour une plongée au cœur d’un marché aussi massif que stratégique : l’ERP. Ensemble, ils explorent comment l’intelligence artificielle rebat les cartes d’un univers dominé par des géants comme SAP ou Oracle. Piston propose une approche radicalement différente : reconstruire l’ERP “from scratch” avec l’IA comme brique fondamentale, afin de connecter données structurées et non structurées et automatiser des processus métiers jusqu’ici lourds, complexes et chronophages  . Au fil de la discussion, Eric détaille la vision d’un ERP “agentique” capable de dialoguer en langage naturel, d’optimiser la supply chain, de détecter des pertes de marge ou de générer automatiquement des plans d’action opérationnels  . Au-delà de la technologie, l’enjeu est stratégique : permettre à des PME et ETI industrielles de doubler leur performance sans multiplier les équipes, en libérant les collaborateurs des tâches répétitives pour les recentrer sur la valeur et la relation client. Un échange dense et prospectif sur la mutation profonde des logiciels d’entreprise à l’ère de l’IA. [00:00:00] Introduction & anecdote autour du nom “Piston” [00:02:19] Présentation d’Eric Lacaille et des cofondateurs [00:02:42] Qu’est-ce qu’un ERP ? Définition simple et enjeux marché  [00:04:04] Les géants historiques : SAP, Oracle, NetSuite, Odoo [00:06:09] Le “débundling” SaaS des 15 dernières années [00:07:26] La vision Piston : ERP agentique construit avec l’IA en primitive [00:08:17] Cas concret : la boulangerie et la marge supply [00:09:52] Pourquoi les ERP traditionnels sont lourds et peu flexibles [00:11:25] Les 3 couches du software : data, logique, interface [00:13:02] L’agentique expliquée simplement (langage naturel → action) [00:14:53] Le problème du voyageur de commerce & optimisation [00:16:07] L’IA au service des experts métier (sans contrainte technique) [00:18:01] Le vrai problème : l’ingestion de données et la bande passante humaine [00:19:01] Stratégie d’entrée : brancher Piston en complément IA [00:21:40] Copilote vs logiciel autonome : changement de paradigme [00:23:22] Pourquoi ne pas développer son propre LLM ? [00:24:29] Surcouche IA vs refonte complète du système [00:25:21] System of record vs system of actions [00:27:02] La puissance d’un écosystème ERP unifié [00:28:10] Lovable, no-code et explosion de productivité [00:31:52] Comment Piston compte exister face aux géants [00:32:01] ERP personnalisable en langage naturel [00:34:03] Personnalisation par utilisateur & adaptation aux workflows [00:35:23] Données structurées vs non structurées [00:36:23] Cas d’usage : notes vocales → bons de commande [00:36:42] Audit automatique des factures fournisseurs [00:38:04] Accélération IA : le vrai tournant 2024-2025 [00:38:56] ERP invisible : notifications, validations et agents autonomes [00:39:44] Impact sur l’emploi : automatisation vs montée en valeur [00:41:20] Promesse forte : doubler le chiffre d’affaires à effectif constant [00:44:00] Transformation des métiers supply & relation client [00:47:30] Sécurité, traçabilité et auditabilité des agents [00:50:00] Déploiement en PME/ETI : frictions et adoption terrain [00:53:00] Vision long terme : orchestration d’agents collaboratifs [00:56:00] Le futur des ERP dans 10 ans [00:58:30] Conclusion & ambition de Piston sur le marché mondial 📌 Disclaimer – Financial Information & Investment The content shared in this podcast (including episodes, excerpts, descriptions, associated posts, and YouTube videos) is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute: * investment advice, * a recommendation to buy or sell financial instruments, * portfolio management advisory services, * an offer of financial securities or a solicitation to acquire any financial instrument, * banking or financial solicitation within the meaning of Articles L.341-1 et seq. of the French Monetary and Financial Code. This podcast is not an investment services provider (ISP) nor a financial investment advisor (FIA) within the meaning of French and European regulations (AMF / MiFID II). 📘 No Guarantee – Financial Risks The information discussed reflects the personal opinions of the speakers, based on their professional experience. It may be incomplete, subject to change, or not applicable to your personal situation. All investments involve risks of partial or total loss, particularly in the case of private investments, technology assets, or venture capital transactions. Past performance is not indicative of future results. 👤 Listener Responsibility Each listener / viewer remains solely responsible for their investment decisions. Before making any decision, it is strongly recommended to consult: * a licensed professional financial advisor, * an investment services provider, or * a financial investment advisor (FIA) registered with ORIAS. 🔒 Potential Conflicts of Interest The speakers may be involved in companies, investment funds, or transactions mentioned. No statement should be interpreted as a commitment or a guarantee of performance. Hébergé par Audiomeans. Visitez audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite [https://www.audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite] pour plus d'informations.

OVNIs Ep. #106 - Rebecca Miller - From Chaos to Clarity: Inside the Chief of Staff Role at OVNI Capital

In this episode of the OVNIs Podcast, Matthieu Stefani welcomes Rebecca Miller, Chief of Staff at OVNI Capital, for an in-depth conversation about her unconventional path from engineering and entrepreneurship to venture capital. Rebecca shares candid lessons from building (and shutting down) startups, navigating chaos, admin debt, and failure, and how those experiences shaped her operational rigor and long-term vision. Together, they explore what it really means to be a Chief of Staff in an early-stage VC fund: operating at the intersection of strategy, finance, and execution, scaling an international team, and bringing clarity to fast-moving decisions without killing the creative chaos. A sharp, honest discussion on ambition, humility, and what it takes to build a European VC platform with global reach.  [00:00:00] Introduction & welcome to the show [00:01:20] Rebecca Miller’s background: culture, identity, and early career [00:02:55] From engineering to entrepreneurship: first startups and early lessons [00:04:55] Blockchain, NFTs, and the reality of building in emerging tech [00:06:05] “Chaos doesn’t punish you immediately — it sends the invoice later” [00:08:30] Admin debt, bureaucracy, and why founders underestimate operations [00:10:30] From founder to VC: entering venture capital through operations [00:12:20] Learning to think differently: how investors read risk and conviction [00:14:50] Why OVNI is becoming an international fund (Europe ↔ US) [00:17:00] European precision vs US speed: working across cultures [00:18:40] Inside OVNI: growth, chaos, strategy shifts, and scaling the fund [00:21:20] How investment decisions are really made at early stage [00:23:50] Founder humility, probabilities over certainties [00:26:40] What a Chief of Staff actually does (and why it matters) [00:30:00] Loyalty, trust, and navigating tension at the top [00:33:10] Skills that matter most for operators today [00:35:20] The “puppy and beer” rule for founders and teams [00:37:50] Tools, CRM, and AI in daily VC operations [00:39:30] The hidden weight of bureaucracy in Europe [00:42:20] Long-term vision for OVNI and personal ambition [00:44:10] Aiming high: building a European Sequoia [00:46:20] Closing thoughts & goodbye 📌 Disclaimer – Financial Information & Investment The content shared in this podcast (including episodes, excerpts, descriptions, associated posts, and YouTube videos) is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute: * investment advice, * a recommendation to buy or sell financial instruments, * portfolio management advisory services, * an offer of financial securities or a solicitation to acquire any financial instrument, * banking or financial solicitation within the meaning of Articles L.341-1 et seq. of the French Monetary and Financial Code. This podcast is not an investment services provider (ISP) nor a financial investment advisor (FIA) within the meaning of French and European regulations (AMF / MiFID II). 📘 No Guarantee – Financial Risks The information discussed reflects the personal opinions of the speakers, based on their professional experience. It may be incomplete, subject to change, or not applicable to your personal situation. All investments involve risks of partial or total loss, particularly in the case of private investments, technology assets, or venture capital transactions. Past performance is not indicative of future results. 👤 Listener Responsibility Each listener / viewer remains solely responsible for their investment decisions. Before making any decision, it is strongly recommended to consult: * a licensed professional financial advisor, * an investment services provider, or * a financial investment advisor (FIA) registered with ORIAS. 🔒 Potential Conflicts of Interest The speakers may be involved in companies, investment funds, or transactions mentioned. No statement should be interpreted as a commitment or a guarantee of performance. Hébergé par Audiomeans. Visitez audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite [https://www.audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite] pour plus d'informations.

OVNIs Hors-Série #8 - Zero to One - La face humaine de la French Tech

Cette conférence de clôture de Zero to One Nantes propose un format inversé et complice, animé par Adrien Poggetti, avec Étienne Portais en invité. Ensemble, ils reviennent sur la naissance de Maddyness au début des années 2010, en parallèle de l’émergence de la French Tech, et retracent l’évolution d’un écosystème alors balbutiant vers un paysage aujourd’hui structuré, financé et internationalisé. Au fil de l’échange, Étienne Portais partage un regard lucide et incarné sur l’entrepreneuriat : la culture du test et de l’échec, l’importance des équipes, les décisions guidées par la curiosité et l’intuition. Entre anecdotes, recul critique et projection vers de nouveaux projets, cette conférence offre une lecture précieuse de ce qui fait passer une idée de zéro à un, et de ce qui vient après [00:00:00] Introduction & contexte Zero to One Nantes [00:01:18] Une conférence inversée pour clôturer l’événement [00:02:13] Quitter Maddyness après 13 ans : pourquoi repartir de zéro [00:03:07] 2013 : naissance de Maddyness et émergence de la French Tech [00:04:10] Créer un média par passion, avant de créer une entreprise [00:06:46] Le moment où Maddyness devient un vrai business [00:09:47] L’évolution du financement et la maturation de l’écosystème [00:12:17] Structurer, grandir, recruter : le passage à l’échelle [00:15:19] Curiosité et intuition comme moteurs de décision [00:17:12] Fake news, responsabilité des médias et tournant de 2019 [00:19:32] Fail fast, équipe et culture de l’échec [00:22:26] Les mauvais conseils aux entrepreneurs [00:23:46] IA, vitesse d’exécution et valeur humaine [00:25:26] L’après Maddyness : nouveaux projets et nouveau “zéro” [00:27:16] Pourquoi les débuts restent les moments les plus intenses [00:29:00] Conclusion & regard personnel sur l’aventure entrepreneuriale Due diligence inversée, transparence et maturité de l’écosystème. 📌 Disclaimer – Informations Financières & Investissement Les contenus diffusés dans ce podcast (y compris les épisodes, extraits, descriptions, publications associées et vidéos YouTube) ont un but exclusivement informatif et éducatif. Ils ne constituent en aucun cas : • un conseil en investissement, • une recommandation d’achat ou de vente d’instruments financiers, • un service de conseil en gestion de portefeuille, • une offre de titres financiers ou une sollicitation en vue d’acquérir un instrument quelconque, • un démarchage bancaire ou financier au sens des articles L.341-1 et suivants du Code monétaire et financier. Ce podcast n’est pas un prestataire de services d’investissement (PSI) ni un conseiller en investissements financiers (CIF) au sens de la réglementation française et européenne (AMF / MiFID II). 📘 Aucune garantie – Risques financiers Les informations évoquées reflètent les opinions personnelles des intervenants, basées sur leur expérience professionnelle. Elles peuvent être incomplètes, sujettes à modification, ou ne pas s’appliquer à votre situation personnelle. Tout investissement comporte des risques de perte partielle ou totale, notamment dans le cadre d’investissements non cotés, d’actifs technologiques ou d’opérations de venture capital. Les performances passées ne préjugent pas des performances futures. 👤 Responsabilité de l’auditeur Chaque auditeur / spectateur demeure seul responsable de ses décisions d’investissement. Avant toute décision, il est fortement recommandé de consulter : • un conseiller financier professionnel agréé, • un prestataire de services d’investissement ou • un conseiller en investissements financiers (CIF) enregistré à l’ORIAS. 🔒 Conflits d’intérêts potentiels Les intervenants peuvent être impliqués dans des sociétés, fonds d’investissement ou opérations mentionnées. Aucun propos ne doit être interprété comme un engagement ou une promesse de performance. Hébergé par Audiomeans. Visitez audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite [https://www.audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite] pour plus d'informations.