Chroniques
The fundamental difference between French & German social habits
With all the pressure from the outside world for Facebook to become a more transparent company, investors will be very pleased to look at the latest disclosed information on mobile Facebook usage – and with it valuable information of country-specific behavior. It was not without a fight that Facebook has been holding back to its […]
RudeVC: 2013 landing on a good note
Various topics have been tumbling around my brain about which to write in this last post of 2013 on France’s startup ecosystem. There’s the alarming passage of a wide-reaching French surveillance law, or yet another French fiscal flap like the Eckert proposal, and of course the depressing pronouncements by Arnaud Montebourg at LeWeb last week. […]
RudeVC: Know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em
During a panel at a tech conference several years back, a seasoned and respected French early-stage VC that I will not name boasted about how he (of course it’s a ‘he’) had never had a portfolio company go bankrupt. Needless to say, this remark was an eyebrow-raiser for me about France’s venture capital sector. My […]
RudeVC: Why the latest RBS scandal smells so rotten
If claims in a UK government report published last week have any basis, then the latest scandal surrounding the Royal Bank of Scotland makes LIBOR manipulation look like just a rainy start to the cricket season. The Tomlinson report, established by UK Business Secretary Vince Cable, found evidence that RBS intentionally forced small and medium […]
![[VC Politics] Index Ventures & when David works with Goliath](https://www.rudebaguette.com/wp-content/uploads/thumbs/Sumo-wrestler-with-kid-e1384952556983-3j18wjnww4yw2vwypo3096.jpg)
[VC Politics] Index Ventures & when David works with Goliath
The relationship between founders & VCs is a delicate one, to say the least. Because of the nature of their relationship, it is often in their mutual benefit for both to brush any tension under the rug. As such, the dark side of working with Venture Capitalist is often neglected or ignored, and so the […]
![[VC Politics] ISAI & the deal terms that go beyond valuation & equity](https://www.rudebaguette.com/wp-content/uploads/thumbs/man-with-blue-duct-tape-over-mouth-600x360-3j18wiwrudrrelfqegz2mi.jpg)
[VC Politics] ISAI & the deal terms that go beyond valuation & equity
The relationship between founders & VCs is a delicate one, to say the least. Because of the nature of their relationship, it is often in their mutual benefit for both to brush any tension under the rug. As such, the dark side of working with Venture Capitalist is often neglected or ignored, and so the […]
![[VC Politics] BPIFrance & the blurred lines between support & competition](https://www.rudebaguette.com/wp-content/uploads/thumbs/00031010-3j18wh5g3t6hwqeudsxg5m.jpg)
[VC Politics] BPIFrance & the blurred lines between support & competition
The relationship between founders & VCs is a delicate one, to say the least. Because of the nature of their relationship, it is often in their mutual benefit for both to brush any tension other the rug. As such, the dark side of working with Venture Capitalist is often neglected or ignored, and so the […]
RudeVC: The latest local example of how business model can go from sweet to bitter
It seems that almost on a weekly basis these days an emblematic French company falls into financial distress. The most recent which caught my attention is Hédiard. It’s impossible to wander through a chic quartier of Paris without seeing a Hédiard store. The venerable French brand synonymous with French gourmet foodstuffs counts nearly 200 years […]
RudeVC: Disruption here, there, everywhere
So with the announcement of PriceWaterhouseCoopers’ acquisition of Booz & Co. (formerly Booz Allen & Hamilton) the other day, another strategy consulting firm joins one of the Big 4 accounting firms. This announcement spurred me to think about the indisputable trend of the Big 4 scooping up strategic advisories. In 2010 PWC purchased Diamond Management […]
Mobile’s role in retail continues to rise across Europe
Although showing signs of growth in recent years, Mobile’s role in retail and e-commerce has been fairly limited in Europe versus other markets such as South Korea, China and Japan, where mobile penetration has long been off the charts and m-commerce is becoming the preferred mode of shopping for many (here and here). However, comScore recently […]
How to reach a global audience and get Orange as your first client
We have previously covered Orange Fab – the insanely attractive acceleration program for US based startups. The first season of the program has just finished and Orange is already preparing to launch Season 2 with applications opening in just a few weeks from now. During the first season over a 100 companies applied, of […]
Four lessons for startups that I learned at Oktoberfest
This guest post is part 3 of “The Amusement Park” blog series written by Mark Fabian Henkel (@mrkhnkl) Co-founder and CEO of Paymill, a young startup that offers the fastest and easiest way to integrate credit and debit card payments in websites and mobile applications. Oh man where am I? Where is my wallet? – Okay, […]
![[SPONSORED] Being Memorable: Why 1st Impressions Count](https://www.rudebaguette.com/wp-content/uploads/thumbs/CRE-3750-rudebaguette-image-RW-v1-fixed-3j18wkjl1x18mbsjjskl56.jpg)
[SPONSORED] Being Memorable: Why 1st Impressions Count
The following post is sponsored by online printing & design company MOO. For more information about our Sponsored Content policy, click here. Tuck in your shirt, iron your pants, comb your hair – my mother was like a broken record whenever a social occasion came up. “You never know when a talent scout will be […]
Rude VC: How the 2013 Ironman championship relates to entrepreneurship
Frederik Van Lierde won the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii this past Sunday. The Belgian broke the 6-time winning streak held by Australians in the swim/bike/run grand-daddy (that’s 3.9km/180km/42.1km for each segment, respectively). These pro triathletes are in my opinion the most elite athletes in the world. Merely having an opportunity to compete at […]