Interview with Julien Adam (ISTEC 2005), Serial Entrepreneur, Co-Founder of GoBuddy
You graduated from ISTEC, what has been your professional journey?
Being an entrepreneur at heart, after obtaining my diploma, I launched Campus-Channel in 2011, a platform that allows prestigious schools and universities to present themselves in front of a jury of students!
It was a great experience and my first company was acquired by Le Figaro in 2014. In the same year, I co-founded Au Bout du Champ, a short circuit fruit and vegetable distribution brand, where the produce is grown in the Paris region, harvested, and sold on the same day. It was a 5-year adventure that eventually led to more than ten stores in Paris.
In 2020, I discovered a new sector of activity with the launch of GoBuddy, a platform for coaching a forgotten target in companies… the middle managers!
Tell us about GoBuddy and your role!
In France, there are 5 million operational and middle managers. 92% of them have never received individualized coaching…
Based on these figures, my associates and I came up with the idea to create the GoBuddy platform. It’s a platform for companies, managers, and coaches. It offers a personalized approach to allow managers to benefit from the same support as their senior management, all at an attractive price for employers.
GoBuddy is THE platform that enables managers to feel comfortable in their roles… all the time!
My role… it’s broad, very broad… Accountant, business developer, receptionist… It’s a multi-faceted job of being an entrepreneur, actually!
How did you come up with the idea for this new business? Does the particular period we’re going through require new ways of working?
Yes and no… First of all, the target audience, employees, is a group I had identified during my previous experience at Au Bout du Champ. Store managers, for example, are often overlooked in terms of managerial coaching, despite producing as much or even more value than others!
As for the fully remote tool, yes, it was probably the lockdowns that forced its implementation.
When do you know it’s time to sell a company?
When someone offers me a check!
When a company is successful, you get noticed and approached with acquisition proposals.
You need to know when to step aside and give others the opportunity when you believe you have accomplished your mission. Everyone has their own skills. Personally, I enjoy and know how to create, but I’m not an excellent business developer. So, I prefer to hand over the keys to those who excel in that area and see my “baby” continue to grow.
You’re regularly involved with your alma mater, ISTEC, as a guest speaker for students, in juries, and within the alumni network… why this investment?
I enjoy passing on knowledge. I like providing perspectives and challenging conventions. It’s important to have a different discourse when I speak at ISTEC. Above all, I want to share the fact that ANYTHING is possible, anywhere, at any time. I believe I am a good example of that.
What does it bring you to interact and share with ISTEC students?
The opportunity to confront “younger” ideas. It’s important to question oneself and also have the opinions of younger ISTEC students who have a different perspective from mine. Positive confrontation is important. Every time, I come out feeling rejuvenated by 10 years!
What advice would you give to young ISTEC students who want to start a business or find a job and progress in their careers?
There’s always a small door open somewhere. It’s up to you to find it! It’s complicated, sometimes long and difficult, but it always exists. Be brave, persevering, and of course, hardworking!
Contact: Julien Adam – julien@gobuddy.fr – www.gobuddy.fr
Thank you, Julien, for answering our interview and for your involvement with ISTEC.
If you are an ISTEC graduate and would like to share your professional experience,
please contact the Alumni Association, Claude Wisdorff – c.wisdorff@istec.fr