Frederic Court

Prediction: In the AI age, taste will become even more important. When anyone can make anything, the big differentiator is what you choose to make. paulgraham.com/taste.html

“Die empty.”

I’ve always believed that every founder’s story is shaped by the ups and downs along the many stages of the journey and @davidsenra understands that. I’ve been a fan of his work for a long time, so when he invited me to be the first guest on his new podcast, it was an easy yes. We had a conversation earlier this year about creativity, leadership and the evolution of Spotify. David’s one of the most curious people I’ve met and I learned a lot from our time together. Excited to follow along as he builds this next chapter. Congrats, David! Check it out: open.spotify.com/episode/6KPvfG…

It’s a product race, and a brand-building race. ChatGPT is the first AI consumer brand, building adoption globally by consumers and enterprises ahead of everyone else. With models as commodities, products and brands will drive usage and, ultimately, value.

Big news from Felix! 💥 We’re excited to welcome Laurent Droin as Investor & Partner at Felix Capital. With 20+ yrs in the consumer industry—across Danone, BNP Paribas, and most recently Eurazeo — Laurent brings deep experience & vision. 🙌 Welcome to the team, Laurent! 🚀

@2lr @ManuSeuge Bravo! Sympa de vous voir travailler ensemble et bonne chance à Cassius!

It’s always Day 1. Today, 10 years after I started in venture, I’m joining force with @ManuSeuge as we build the next chapter of cassius.vc together. Let me rewind. In 2015, Xavier Niel offered me the unique opportunity to join his venture capital arm. Shortly after, @ale6_ joined us, and together we grew KIMA under a simple idea: every year, be the first check for 100 founders launching their startup. With the @kimaventures team we created a fast and straightforward discipline to investing cultivating trust, hard work and curiosity. Alexis, Chloé and I will continue to operate that way in the future. To founders, we’re allies. We have invested in more than 1,000 companies, a third of them based in the US, writing small checks ranging from $100K to $200K, alongside a select few larger commitments in the millions for founders we couldn’t resist supporting further. Companies like Zenly (sold to Snap), Payfit, IBanFirst, Alan, Side (sold to Randstad), Nabla, DICE, Doctrine (sold to Summit Partners), Sourced (which later became Poolside), and MWM, among others. In 2021, we continued this momentum with a fund called New Wave, welcoming for the first time new investors alongside us. Over just four years, we invested in another 20 startups, including BeReal (sold to Voodoo), Lago, Mistral, Amo, and Sweep. If the past 10 years in venture have taught me one thing, it is the importance of building with the right partners; those you respect deeply, who inspire shared values and offer complementary strengths. Much like the partnership built with Xavier or the one forged with Alexis Robert at Kima Ventures. After years of working alongside Emmanuel Seugé, investing in his previous CASSIUS funds, sharing board seats, navigating the ups and downs, and exchanging our thoughts about the world of venture and how to win, the idea of partnering together felt inevitable. We were ready to join forces and build something that stands the test of time. Together, we’re building on the foundation of the past decade and our shared experiences, doubling down on our commitment to founders who inspire us. Deploying together Cassius 3 marks the beginning of this new chapter, with Cassius 4 already on the horizon. Emmanuel and I share love for European founders with a global ambition. CASSIUS was an early investor in Sorare, Brut, Kings’ League, Dice or MWM to name a few. All companies started in Europe by entrepreneurs with a global ambition. As a US based fund ran by Europeans, we will continue to back those founders who draw from the strengths of both worlds. Those who combine Europe’s creativity, ingenuity, and diversity with the US’s unmatched ambition and scale. We will continue to help them navigate this journey, bridging continents, breaking barriers, and empowering them to dream bigger, aim higher, and win globally. Here’s to this next chapter. To the founders we’re supporting with KIMA and CASSIUS, thank you for trusting us with your dreams. To the friends and partners who’ve walked alongside us, we’re grateful for your belief in what we’re building. And to everyone who shares this journey with us, we’re just getting started. It’s always Day 1. open.substack.com/pub/2lr/p/its-…

@HarryStebbings This is the advice I just gave my daughter for when she thinks of getting her first job. Nothing is easy and the more doors you knock on, the more likely you are to succeed, whether you are looking for funding, customers or a job.

Fundraising is simple; you must go from rejection to rejection with no loss of enthusiasm. Founders, this is a numbers game. Never let your head drop. The next meeting could be the one. Keep going.

@HarryStebbings 100%! best thing that can happen to all of us in my view (and experience).

This morning I sat down with one of the greatest entrepreneurs of our time and asked one simple question: Do kids make you a better or worse founder? They said: “Unequivocally better. Entrepreneurship is simply about persistence. Going through shit and hard times. Children are the single most effective palette cleanser for shit. No matter what day you have had, they will remind you of what is important”.

Vive la France !

@mattturck I hope you charged your WHOOP

Hate to brag but I’m hitting the Royal flush of VC-isms at New York Tech Week tonight: * VC cocktails at trendy hotels ✅ * wearing Common Projects ✅ * repeating “I invest in AI” ✅ * discussing fitness/Barry’s ✅ * telling VC friends “we should do more together” ✅

Thank you to @StrictlyVC @TechCrunch @mikebutcher for hosting an insightful and engaging panel event in #London! 🚀 Great conversation with Felix's @fcourt and @LucianaLix of @sequoia on the evolution of startups and venture in #Europe and the outlook ahead 🙌

Thrilled to announce that @Coinbase has selected @Lightspark to enable the #Bitcoin Lightning Network across its platform and services. Yet another significant milestone for Lightning! ⚡to many millions of new people and 100+ countries coming soon! bit.ly/3xkjwAH

For E-Commerce, The AI Revolution Is Ahead Of Schedule hubs.li/Q02hDrrv0 Written by @AdrienNus of @Mirakl

Tom Beahon at @CastoreEngland : Building the Tesla of Sportswear, Why We're Taking on Nike &... youtu.be/JrMS_9iqkBY?fe… Great interview by @HarryStebbings cc @FelixCapital

Starting my new year with “The Creative Act” by Rick Rubin 🙌🏻 what are you all currently reading?

We are excited to announce our investment in @CastoreEngland the #Manchester-based sports apparel brand created by former athletes @TBeahon and Phil, in their £145m funding round alongside The Raine Group and @hanacovc ! 💥⚽️🎾🏎️ felixcapital.medium.com/better-never-s…

$4.1 billion. That’s the total sales of @Shopify merchants on Black Friday. Year over year… our merchants break records. Hats off to all the hard-working entrepreneurs behind these businesses.

Join us at @omada_app if you love sports as much as we do at @FelixCapital! Delighted to partner with the team and lead their $7m seed round #sports #genZ

A great analogy by @eldsjal to see founders as “curators” or “producers”. A great way to empower teams and scale creativity.

A corporate ad with soul, well done @Shopify @harleyf