As CEO of Chargemap, one of Europe’s leading charging services providers, I’ve spent the past decade building the tools and solutions that make public charging simpler and more reliable. From mapping and connecting charging points across the continent to forging partnerships with drivers, energy providers, and automakers, I’ve seen firsthand how electrification is reshaping our roads, strengthening our grids, and transforming our economy.

That’s why, when more than 150 business leaders from across the e-mobility ecosystem signed an open letter to President Ursula von der Leyen, I added my name without hesitation. Our message is clear: the EU must stand firm on the 2035 zero-emission target for new cars and vans.

Why 2035 Matters

In 2023, the EU set a clear direction: from 2035 onwards, all new cars and vans sold in Europe must be zero-emission. No more petrol or diesel models. This is the “2035 target”—a cornerstone of Europe’s Green Deal and its strategy to cut transport emissions, drive innovation, and strengthen energy independence.

This goal is not just a regulation—it is the foundation of Europe’s climate ambition and industrial renewal. Transport accounts for nearly a quarter of Europe’s greenhouse gas emissions, and without decisive action, we cannot meet our Paris Agreement commitments. But the target is more than an environmental imperative: it is a strategic opportunity to build competitiveness in the industries of the future.

Already, the clarity of the 2035 target has unleashed hundreds of billions of euros in investment: gigafactories in France and Germany, retooled plants in Slovakia and Belgium, and a rapidly expanding charging network across the continent. At Chargemap, we’ve scaled our services to make EV charging simple and reliable for millions of drivers—creating jobs and building trust in the transition.

This momentum depends on clarity and predictability. The 2035 framework tells every actor—from manufacturers to grid operators—that Europe is serious about the shift. Weakening it now would shake investor confidence and slow innovation at the very moment we need to accelerate.

Why the lobby’s arguments don’t hold

Some voices—particularly from legacy automakers and political circles—are lobbying for “flexibility”: delays, exemptions, or alternatives like e-fuels. Their arguments simply don’t hold up.

• On EV adoption: Temporary dips in sales reflect high prices and subsidy changes, not a lack of consumer interest. Globally, one in four cars sold this year will be electric. China already holds a 40% EV market share. As someone working daily with EV drivers, I can tell you: the demand is real. The transition is happening, and Europe must lead it.
• On jobs and competitiveness: Electrification creates more jobs than it displaces, from battery production to charging services. Weakening the target would not protect workers—it would jeopardize Europe’s ability to compete in the industries of tomorrow.
• On infrastructure: As a charging provider, I know the grid can scale. With smarter investments and streamlined permitting, Europe has the expertise to deliver. What we need is political will, not lower ambition.

Let’s be honest: these calls for delay aren’t about protecting consumers or workers—they’re about clinging to combustion engines of the past. But the market has already shifted. Standing firm is the only path to leadership.

An opportunity to lead, not to follow

I am firmly convinced that the 2035 target is not a burden—it is one of the greatest opportunities Europe has in front of it. By standing firm, we can build a cleaner and stronger economy.

This is how Europe can take global leadership: by mastering advanced battery technologies, deploying ultra-fast charging networks powered by renewables, securing energy independence from fossil fuel imports, creating thousands of high-skilled jobs—and developing smart grids that integrate electric vehicles into our energy systems, turning cars into batteries on wheels that balance demand, store renewable power, and make our networks more resilient.

This is not abstract policy—it’s a growth strategy. The 2035 framework gives Europe the chance to strengthen its economy, attract investment, and compete with the world’s most advanced industries. The open letter we signed points the way forward: scaling up battery production, securing raw materials, providing consistent incentives for consumers across Member States, accelerating grid investment, and enforcing EU rules that make the single market work.

Europe has the means to succeed. What we need now is the political determination to seize this opportunity and turn it into lasting economic strength.

A Message to President von der Leyen

President von der Leyen, you have been a champion of Europe’s clean technology ambitions. In your upcoming review, please send a message of commitment—not retreat. Keep the 2035 target at the heart of Europe’s competitiveness agenda.

This is Europe’s pivotal moment. Act boldly, and we take charge of our electric future. Hesitate, and we fall behind.

I signed this letter because I believe in a Europe that leads, not follows. At Chargemap, we’ve built one of the largest charging communities in Europe, giving drivers the confidence to choose electric. But none of this progress is possible without a clear framework like the 2035 target.

Together with over 150 CEOs—from carmakers to battery innovators, from software pioneers to grid operators—we are committed to building and powering Europe’s electric mobility future. Now we ask political leaders to stand firm, stay the course, and accelerate.

I see it every day at Chargemap: drivers, companies, and communities are ready. The opportunity is here. The momentum is real. Let’s not waste it.

One of my key goals for this year is to share more—both on this blog and across my social media platforms. But why have I decided to share more?

Over 16 years ago, my journey into the world of electric vehicles (EVs) began with countless exchanges within the EV driver community. I spent hours sharing my entrepreneurial adventure on social media and writing about my growing understanding of EVs on my French blog, Automobile Propre. Back then, sharing wasn’t just an activity; it was the foundation of my connection to the community.

Beyond my entrepreneurial journey, I’ve always been fascinated by the web’s potential to enable everyone to share opinions and knowledge. From the age of 16, I found it incredible that anyone could publish content and contribute to a global conversation. This passion for sharing eventually became one of the five core values of my group, Brakson: “Sharing Knowledge.”

However, as my group grew and evolved, I gradually stopped sharing publicly, or at least slowed down considerably. My focus shifted to commercial posts, leaving less space for the authenticity that more personal content can bring. Additionally, I entrusted my talented editorial team to take over my various blogs, which have since become full-fledged media outlets.

But another reason motivates me to share more. Recently, I’ve felt that the loudest voices—those amplified by algorithms—often belong to individuals promoting extreme views that don’t resonate with me. I began to ask myself, “What am I doing to change that?” That’s why I’ve decided to speak up again—to share my experiences, my journey, and my ideas. I hope that by doing so, I can inspire others and provide a different perspective.

Lastly, I’m driven by my ambition to internationalize my businesses. To achieve this, I’ve decided to communicate in English, even though French is my native language. With the help of AI tools, it’s now easier than ever to create high-quality content in English, at least in written form, and this process also helps me improve my language skills. I’ve adjusted my social media presence to focus on English, complementing my blog, which was already primarily written in English.

So, what can you expect from me? My editorial focus is still evolving, but my goal is to provide value to those who follow me. I aim to share positive, encouraging, and inspiring content. Topics will include my passions: automotive, energy, entrepreneurship, technology, nature, sports, and a touch of personal development.

You can follow me on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook (new account), X, and Bluesky. If you prefer to receive longer-form content, feel free to subscribe to my newsletter on this website. I look forward to connecting with you and sharing this journey together.

It's impossible to ignore the burgeoning presence of electric vehicles (EVs) in our streets and highways, a testament to the transition of the automobile industry towards cleaner and sustainable technologies.

Yet, I often find myself perplexed by a lingering sentiment in the public discourse: range anxiety. It seems a significant segment of the population is still plagued by concerns over the distance EVs can travel on a single charge.

As an EV enthusiast, I find it a bit disheartening that the conversation often pivots around this single parameter, overshadowing the many ways in which EVs are clearly superior to their internal combustion engine (ICE) counterparts.

From a driver’s perspective, the merits of electric cars are strikingly evident. Consider, for example, the pure driving comfort and handling EVs offer. Due to the low center of gravity provided by the batteries and the evenly distributed weight, electric cars boast impeccable balance and stability, making driving them a truly enjoyable experience.

Beyond the handling, the driving experience is further enhanced by the remarkable smoothness of acceleration. Unlike ICE vehicles, which require gears to manage power delivery, electric cars provide seamless, uninterrupted power. This means you can go from a standstill to your desired speed without the jarring shifts that come with changing gears.

One of the most noticeable differences, however, is the near-silent operation of EVs. Imagine a future where city streets are no longer filled with the rumble of engines, but rather the soft hum of electric cars. This would not only transform our driving experience but also reduce noise pollution significantly. In addition, the absence of engine vibrations contributes to a smoother ride, further elevating the comfort level inside the cabin.

Another thrilling aspect of EVs, which can feel somewhat surreal, is the sheer power they can offer. Electric motors can deliver their maximum torque from a standstill, resulting in breathtaking acceleration. This characteristic, known as instant torque, is a game-changer for automotive performance. So potent is this feature that even an unassuming family car can rival, or sometimes surpass, the power of a traditional hypercar. Manufacturers are increasingly harnessing this capability to produce EVs that not only meet but exceed the performance parameters of their ICE counterparts. This power, coupled with the smoothness and silence of electric propulsion, redefines what we can expect from our vehicles. It's not just about getting from point A to point B anymore; it's about enjoying every moment of the journey.

Now, let's delve into a frequently overlooked aspect of EVs: energy efficiency. Electric cars convert over 60% of the electrical energy from the grid to power at the wheels, while conventional gasoline cars only convert about 20% of the energy stored in gasoline to power at the wheels. This stark difference in energy conversion efficiency is a clear testament to the superiority of electric cars.

On the technological side, EVs equally shine. The motor control offered by electric vehicles is a boon for the development of autonomous driving. With the ability to control each wheel's power separately, electric cars provide an unmatched precision in handling, which is crucial for safer and more efficient autopilot systems.

The battery capabilities of EVs are another technological marvel. Beyond merely powering the car, advanced features such as preheating the battery to optimize its performance are becoming commonplace. In the future, we can anticipate more integration with the grid, where EVs could double as storage units during peak production times – a concept known as vehicle-to-grid (V2G) or vehicle-to-load (V2L).

One of the most underrated advantages of EVs is the convenience of charging. Electricity is ubiquitous. Unlike gasoline, it is available in your home, your office, essentially everywhere you go. You can charge your car overnight in your garage, or during the day at work, reducing the need for dedicated stops at a fuel station. While charging times may still be longer than traditional refueling, the convenience and simplicity of plugging in your car more than make up for it.

From a financial standpoint, the lower operating costs of electric cars are a significant benefit. With fewer moving parts, the maintenance requirements for EVs are considerably lower than for ICE vehicles. This means fewer trips to the garage and more savings in your pocket.

Admittedly, ICE vehicles do have a few points in their favor. Some argue that the roar of an engine has an emotional appeal that EVs lack. However, this is subjective and increasingly less relevant to a generation growing up with the quiet hum of electric vehicles as their backdrop. The range of ICE vehicles is generally greater than that of EVs, but it's important to note that EV technology is progressing at an incredible pace. Battery capacities are increasing, and charging times are decreasing, making this a temporary advantage at best.

Fueling time is another area where ICE vehicles currently hold an edge. Filling up a gas tank is indeed quicker than charging an EV, but it's important to keep this in perspective. As mentioned earlier, the ability to charge your car at home or work, or to top up while shopping or dining, changes the dynamics of "refueling." It becomes less of a dedicated chore and more something that happens in the background of your daily life.

Lastly, there's the matter of the purchase price. As of now, EVs are typically more expensive upfront than their ICE counterparts. However, the gap is narrowing. And when considering the total cost of ownership—including fuel, maintenance, and potential tax incentives—EVs are already a competitive choice.

In conclusion, while ICE vehicles may still hold a few advantages, these are diminishing as EV technology progresses. On the other hand, the many merits of electric vehicles—from driver experience to technological prowess to financial efficiency—are only becoming more pronounced.

To truly appreciate the superiority of EVs, we need to look beyond range anxiety and consider the bigger picture. The future of mobility is electric, and that future holds promise of cleaner, quieter cities, technological advancements, and a revolutionized driving experience.

Do you share my excitement about the rise of electric vehicles? Or do you have reservations? Let's continue this conversation in the comments section!

I recently visited Oslo, the capital of Norway, to attend the Nordic EV Summit. My experience in this remarkable city inspired me to envision a future for all urban centers that prioritizes sustainability, tranquility, and improved quality of life.

As I strolled through Oslo, I was captivated by the city's calm and serene atmosphere. Despite the bustling streets teeming with people and traffic, everything seemed extraordinarily quiet.

Upon further exploration, I realized that the reason for this peaceful ambiance was the widespread use of electric vehicles (EVs). From electric cars to e-scooters and buses, Oslo's streets were brimming with quiet, eco-friendly transportation options. This, of course, is no accident. Norway has been a global leader in adopting electric vehicles, thanks to their progressive policies and incentives.

In comparison to Paris, the difference was striking. In the City of Lights, the noise from internal combustion engines (ICEs) dominates the soundscape, creating a constant background din we've accustomed to. My experience in Oslo made me realize, once again, how the transition to electric vehicles will dramatically change our cities' atmosphere in the coming years.

Imagine a future where the streets of Paris, New York, or any other major city are filled with the gentle hum of electric vehicles instead of the roar of traditional combustion engine vehicles. This change will not only create a more peaceful and enjoyable environment for citizens but also have profound effects on our health and well-being.

Noise pollution is a significant issue in urban areas, and studies have shown that it can lead to increased stress, sleep disturbances, and even cognitive impairment. By transitioning to electric vehicles on a large scale, we can significantly reduce noise pollution and improve the quality of life for everyone living in cities.

Moreover, the adoption of electric vehicles will also profoundly impact air quality. With no tailpipe emissions, EVs can help reduce smog and air pollution, which are significant contributors to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Cleaner air would result in healthier and happier citizens.

Of course, the transition to electric vehicles must be accompanied by a shift to renewable energy sources to ensure that we're not merely transferring pollution from one source to another. In this regard, Norway sets an excellent example, as almost all of its electricity is generated from renewable sources, primarily hydropower.

My trip to Oslo left me feeling inspired and excited about the future. The widespread adoption of electric vehicles, especially the lighter ones, and renewable energy has the potential to transform our cities into cleaner, quieter, and healthier spaces for all citizens.

I have believed in this vision for years, and I am thrilled to see it becoming a reality not only in Oslo but also in other countries in the future.

As a busy entrepreneur, I receive a plethora of emails daily. Over the years, I have refined my approach to managing them, ensuring I don't become overwhelmed. In this post, I'll share my tips for handling hundreds of emails per day while maintaining productivity and focus.

Finding the best way to tackle emails is crucial for me. The notion that others can encroach on my time by sending emails is unsettling. I reserve email for external communication, while internal team conversations take place through Slack.

Responding swiftly to my partners is a priority. External parties often relish direct communication with the CEO. A leader's ability to reply promptly is vital, as delays may result in missed opportunities or hinder decision-making.

An overflowing inbox can induce stress and anxiety, hindering my focus on other important tasks. Only a handful of daily emails require my immediate attention; the rest are either spam or can be dealt with automatically.

Recently, I have consistently achieved inbox zero, and I'd like to share some of the tips and techniques that have helped me get there.

Initially, I automated the processing of most of my emails. To achieve this, I carefully selected my email tools, opting for Gmail as my email provider due to its robust anti-spam capabilities and compatibility with numerous external apps. For an email client, I chose Front because of its powerful features, such as rules, multiple email addresses, and exceptional team features like comments, team inboxes, and email delegation. The collaborative features of Front are indispensable for a CEO handling emails.

Within Front, I set up automatic rules to manage emails, such as forwarding invoices to accounting, blocking specific senders, and archiving emails that I want to store but don't need to read immediately.

Given the sheer volume of commercial emails and subsequent automated follow-ups I receive, I now block these senders outright. The bombardment has become intolerable.

Maintaining strict email hygiene is essential. I promptly unsubscribe from unwanted automatic emails, like newsletters and notifications, and mark unsolicited messages as spam. This practice is crucial for avoiding email inundation over time.

Many emails that reach me are better suited for my team to address. While everyone wants to contact the CEO directly, I delegate emails to the appropriate team member. For other emails, I collaborate with my team using Front's private comments feature before sending the response myself. This approach minimizes internal emails and streamlines communication with my accounting, legal, operations, and sales teams. Some emails are simply moved to group inboxes and managed by team members.

Next come the emails that demand my personal attention.

For some, I employ a powerful technique: I don't reply. I constantly evaluate whether a response is truly necessary. Previously, I believed replying to all emails was a mark of professionalism, and I felt guilty for not responding to certain messages. Now, I judiciously choose which emails to answer, considering the time cost involved in crafting each response.

For emails that warrant a reply, I respond as quickly as possible, ideally upon reading the message. My goal is to provide concise responses that minimize back-and-forth communication.

Snoozing is another valuable tool, although I try to use it sparingly. I snooze specific emails to ensure I can manage them at the most appropriate time, such as when I need to switch from my mobile phone to my computer.

Then there are the more challenging emails – those that cannot be handled in under five minutes. I address most of these during designated "Email Killing Time" slots in my schedule. Instead of replying as emails arrive, I batch process them at specific times throughout the week, aiming to reach inbox zero within a one-hour time frame.

Emails that I can't manage during Email Killing Time, due to their time-consuming nature, are added to my to-do list in Asana. I may send a brief reply to inform the sender that a more detailed response will take time, then archive the email. It will only be reopened once the task is completed.

To reduce the time spent managing emails, I avoid using folders for classification. I seldom categorize emails, with the exception of multi-month, email-intensive projects or complex topics requiring a comprehensive overview of conversation history. Fortunately, such cases are rare.

Maintaining an efficient email management system is a daily challenge that demands discipline, and I've experienced my share of failures.

After analyzing these instances, I found that delays occur when handling time-consuming emails. For example, reviewing lengthy contracts or making difficult decisions that require thorough analysis. With a busy schedule, it can be tough to allocate sufficient time for these tasks, especially when they aren't the highest priority or are particularly unappealing.

Naturally, there's still room for improvement in my email management approach. While I'm not perfect, the techniques I've shared here have significantly reduced the time and energy spent handling emails. I hope some of these tips inspire you!

If you have any magical tips for tackling your inbox, please feel free to share them in the comments section of this blog!

As a CEO, the autonomy to set my own priorities can be both empowering and challenging. Determining where to invest my time and which tasks to tackle is a critical aspect of my role. Effective time management is vital for the success of my companies, as time is a precious resource that must be utilized wisely.

I am convinced that a leader's allocation of time and attention, coupled with their hands-on involvement in particular areas, plays a crucial role in shaping both their personal effectiveness and the company's overall performance. This distribution of time and focus reflects the organization's priorities and provides essential guidance for internal teams.

Being a CEO, in my opinion, bears a striking resemblance to being a top athlete. World-class athletes are meticulous with their time, closely monitoring how they allocate their energy and resources. They purposefully devote time to training, nutrition, recovery, and sleep. This same level of discipline in time management, and in other key areas, is also essential for a CEO to succeed.

To manage my time effectively, I conduct a quarterly review. This process involves reflecting on how I spent my time in the previous quarter and identifying areas for improvement. Using my calendar and memories, I review where I invested my time, asking myself questions such as:

• What am I doing with my time?
• What should I stop doing?
• What do I need to do more of?
• What can I automate?
• What can I delegate?
• What can I create as a process to save time?
• How can I improve my personal organization?

As these questions are already ingrained in my day-to-day decision-making, taking the time to step back and reflect on them helps me identify potential improvements in areas from email management to team member interactions.

I try to take into account every facet of my life, both professional and personal, as maintaining a healthy balance between the two is vital for sustaining performance in the long run.

The question, "What should I stop doing?" is particularly powerful for enhancing productivity and honing time management. Regularly asking myself this question helps me discover new ways to optimize my time and resources. Sometimes, I find that certain tasks can be delegated, allowing me to concentrate on more strategic responsibilities. In other cases, I determine that specific activities are unnecessary for the smooth operation of the business and can be discontinued.

At times, I identify tasks that cannot be avoided. In these cases, I seek ways to streamline them by eliminating redundant steps, increasing efficiency, and freeing up time for more critical tasks.

During my quarterly review, I conduct a thorough analysis of the various categories that demand my attention as a CEO. These categories encompass a wide range of responsibilities, such as fostering a strong company culture through effective leadership and engagement. I evaluate the time spent on one-on-one interactions with team members, management meetings, and organizational improvements that can enhance overall efficiency and effectiveness. Additionally, I assess the time devoted to key clients and partners, and focus on critical areas such as product development, marketing, and revenue generation that contribute to the company's long-term growth and sustainability. To ensure that our company is moving in the right direction, I also review the time spent on efforts to develop the company's strategy and vision and ensure they align with our objectives.

In conjunction with these professional responsibilities, I assess personal aspects essential for maintaining a healthy work-life balance. This includes personal time for recharging and reflection, exercise to stay physically and mentally fit, and time spent with family and friends. By meticulously analyzing how I allocate my time across these categories, I can strike the right balance between my professional and personal life.

A key component of my quarterly review is evaluating my email management, as it often occupies a significant portion of my day. Identifying this as an area ripe for improvement, I analyze the types of emails I receive and implement automatic rules to filter out irrelevant messages, streamlining my inbox. I will explore this particular topic in an upcoming blog post.

Occasionally, insights from my time review lead to changes in the company's organizational structure. For example, when I realized that legal tasks were consuming a considerable amount of my time and energy, I decided to hire a full-time lawyer to handle the increasing workload. This decision had a substantial impact on my schedule, freeing up time and energy for me to focus on other essential tasks and responsibilities.

Some adjustments may be more personal and intentional. For instance, I often find it difficult to allocate time for solitude and deep contemplation on strategic matters amidst a busy workday filled with meetings. Engaging in this type of work requires a dedicated block of several hours. Consequently, I make changes to my schedule to allow for more deliberate allocation of time for strategic thinking. I have observed that this adjustment positively influences my management style and contributes to the overall success of my companies.

Previously, I conducted my quarterly review in an ad-hoc manner, but now it's become a part of my work routine. To maximize its effectiveness, I've found that stepping away from the office for 2-3 days, such as during a long weekend, and dedicating 1-2 hours per day to my review is optimal. This approach allows me to separate from daily distractions and gain a fresh perspective. At the end of each review, I compile a list of actionable steps to improve my time management, which I execute over the following week.

Conducting a quarterly review of my time allocation not only boosts my performance as a CEO, but also enhances the performance of my companies. It is a valuable tool that enables me to define my evolving role in leading growing businesses.

I trust that my experiences have motivated you to scrutinize your own time management practices, whether you are a CEO, an entrepreneur, or someone seeking to enhance your work-life equilibrium. By posing the appropriate questions and implementing essential adjustments, you can achieve heightened success and satisfaction in both your professional and personal spheres.

How do you handle your time? Have you ever assessed your time usage? If you have, what modifications have you implemented? I am eager to learn about your time management experiences and the methods you've employed to optimize both your work and personal life. Please share your insights in the comments section below!

In my latest blog post, I explained my writing process and how I've been using a new approach to enhance my blogging experience. In today's post, I'd like to dive deeper into that process, share my thoughts, and discuss the pros and cons of using AI in blogging.

At the beginning of the year, I set a goal to publish a blog post every week to share my insights, experiences, and ideas. This ambitious target proved to be very challenging for me given my already tight schedule.

After three months, even if I enjoyed the experience, I found it difficult to keep up with this publication rhythm. Each blog post took me around 3-4 hours to write and publish, sometimes more. Over the past few weeks, I have felt like I am spending too much time polishing my English instead of focusing on developing my ideas. This almost made me give up my goal.

I realized that I needed to change something. So, for my previous post (and this one), I decided to experiment with a different approach.

I began the process as usual, jotting down my ideas in Notion. But when it came to writing the actual blog post, I made a significant change: I turned to ChatGPT, an AI language model, to help me with the writing and editing. I fed all my ideas into ChatGPT and asked it to compose a full blog post as if it were me.

After refining the prompt a few times, I received a satisfying result, which I used as the structure for my blog post. At this point, I had mixed feelings about the process. On one hand, I felt like I had discovered a time-saving hack. On the other hand, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was somehow cheating by letting an AI generate my blog post. Was it still personal? Was it still "writing" a blog post? However, neither of these initial impressions turned out to be entirely accurate.

What happened next was quite intriguing. ChatGPT provided an excellent summary of my ideas in 25 lines, but I wanted to dive deeper and elaborate on them further. When I asked the AI to produce a longer and more detailed blog post, it struggled, possibly due to certain limitations (which I was able to overcome for this current post).

So, I decided to expand on the ideas myself, section by section, using ChatGPT to write every part instead of asking it to write the whole blog post. Additionally, I used Notion AI's "Improve Writing" feature to enhance some paragraphs.

Surprisingly, this process led me to refine my blog post more meticulously than ever before, down to the smallest details. The downside? It consumed an entire afternoon!

However, as I spent time refining the post, my initial guilt over using AI to generate the content vanished. The ideas were still mine, and I was in control of the refining process.

So, what have I learned from this experience?

Firstly, I believe that my blog post was of higher quality with ChatGPT's assistance. Although I spent a considerable amount of time on the process, I think it's partly because I was just getting started with ChatGPT. I'm confident that as I become more familiar with the AI, I'll be able to save time in future posts.

Incorporating AI into my writing process has undoubtedly pushed me to refine my content more rigorously. The technology has been an invaluable tool in helping me clarify my ideas and structure my posts more effectively. In the end, it has made my blog posts more coherent and reader-friendly.

Of course, there are concerns about authenticity when using AI-generated content. However, I believe that as long I, as a the author, stay true to my ideas and maintain control over the editing and refining process, the essence of my work will remain genuine.

Going forward, I plan to continue experimenting with ChatGPT and other AI tools in my writing process. I'm excited to see how these technologies can further enhance my blogging journey and make my content even more engaging and valuable to my readers.

This first experience with AI in blogging has been eye-opening and transformative. While it's essential to approach this technology with a degree of caution and mindfulness, it can undoubtedly be a powerful asset in creating high-quality content that resonates with my audience.

Stay tuned for updates on my ongoing journey with AI-assisted blogging. I'll be sure to share my experiences, discoveries, and tips along the way. And as always, I invite you to join the conversation in the comments section below. Have you tried using AI in your writing process? What has your experience been like? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Side note: I wrote and published this post in under two hours. I spent one hour outlining my ideas, five minutes using ChatGPT to generate the post, and fifteen minutes editing the result. The rest of the time was spent creating the illustration, which features a cute little robot, with MidJourney!

I started this blog three months ago with the goal of publishing one post per week to share my story and thoughts. This routine helps me improve my English. As a CEO, my time is limited and valuable, so I developed a process to ensure that I meet my goal of publishing one post per week.

My current writing process consists of four major steps: capturing ideas, refining and writing, improving the English, and publishing and promoting my blog post. In this post, I will delve into each of these steps and share my experience and insights.

Capturing ideas

The journey starts with capturing ideas. I have found that my best ideas often come to me when I am away from my computer. This can happen when I am sitting in my armchair, lying in bed, driving a car, traveling on a train, or at other times when I have free time to think!

When an idea strikes, I take out my mobile phone and quickly jot it down in Notion. I usually start with a title that captures the essence of the post, then write bullet points in complete sentences in English. I don't worry too much about my grammar or vocabulary at this stage, as the most important thing is to capture the essence of the idea.

I currently have 30 blog post ideas at varying stages of development.

As I explore an idea further, I may conduct research to see if there are existing posts on the internet related to my topic. This helps me improve or expand upon my idea and gain a wider perspective.

This phase can be completed in a single day, but it can also be a multi-day or multi-week process. Sometimes I only make a note of the title and dig up the full idea later.

As my ideas become clearer, I may make changes and write full sentences and paragraphs. The best moments are when the ideas flow fluently - it's a wonderful feeling!

Over the past few weeks, I have noticed an evolution in my writing process. Initially, I only wrote bullet points and then developed them into full sentences and paragraphs in front of my computer. However, now I am able to quickly compose complete sentences and even paragraphs on my mobile phone. In fact, some of my posts are now 80% written on my phone.

Refining and writing

The next step is to refine and edit my notes on my computer. This phase may occur hours, days, or even weeks after writing the idea on my phone. It acts as a filter, a second thought.

If I review my notes and find that I'm dissatisfied with what I'm reading, I may abandon the idea and start on another topic. Although this situation is rare, it can be stressful because I know that I need to publish something by the end of the week, and it feels like I'm starting from scratch.

Most of the time, my notes are sufficient and provide a clear topic to write about. I begin by rearranging ideas or plans, making necessary deletions or adjustments. Then, I focus on writing complete sentences using the best English I can, with the help of Grammarly.

After refining and editing the entire content, I reevaluate the initial title. During the capture phase, I always set a title even if I don't know exactly where the writing will go. Sometimes, I end up changing the title to better reflect the content in this phase.

Improving the English

To ensure that I produce the best English possible, I use tools like DeepL to find the correct translations for words that only exist in French in my mind.

Additionally, I utilize Grammarly's synonym feature to avoid repetition and conduct research to ensure that the suggested word accurately expresses my intended meaning. This approach helps me enrich my English vocabulary.

When I feel like I've done everything I can to improve my English, I take the full text to DeepL and translate it into French. This often helps me correct some parts that are grammatically correct but don't precisely express my intended meaning.

Publishing and promoting

My writing is now ready to be published, but I still have some small steps to complete. An important one is finding illustrations. I set a time constraint for myself, as I don't want to spend too much time finding the right picture, even though the picture and title are crucial in attracting readers.

If a personal photo is relevant to the post's topic, I'll use it. Otherwise, I turn to Unsplash, a website with a vast library of high-quality, royalty-free stock images. This makes Unsplash an excellent resource for finding relevant images for my blog.

If I can't find the perfect image through either of those sources, I may use generative AI like MidJourney to illustrate precise topics or ideas. However, I prefer not to rely too heavily on AI-generated images as it takes more time and may not always produce the desired result.

Once I find an appropriate illustration, I set everything up in Ghost, my blog platform. I assign meta-data such as categories, and then click the publish button. Even when I am not entirely satisfied with my work, I still publish it because I have already invested the time that I was willing to commit.

The final step is promoting my post on social networks. Currently, I quickly publish a basic post on Twitter and Facebook. If the post is relevant to my job, such as if the topic is about electric cars, I may also publish it on LinkedIn. However, I recognize that there is room for improvement in this area, and I plan to work on it in the future.

It’s time to change

That was my writing process up until now.

However, for this post, I decided to try something new. In my next blog post, I will delve into my modified process and explain the reasoning behind my changes. I will also share how it improved my results. Stay tuned!

Google has evolved over the past years and it's not always for the sake of its users. The search engine giant seems stuck with its business model, which affects user experience and innovation.

"Don't be evil". That was the mantra of Google for a while. Year after year, the search engine has abandoned its core principles like it dropped its historical mantra in 2018, just before its founders left the company.

In the begging, one of the core principles of Google was to provide results that make a clear distinction between natural results and advertising. This clear distinction has evolved over the years until becoming very subtle. Today, I see many users unable to distinguish natural and sponsored results.

The advertising is very present in Google. You can have nearly two full screens of sponsored results for some mobile searches before having the first natural result, which is the most relevant link in most cases.

These searches involve trademarks, where advertisers can spend much money to steal customers for a specific brand. Strong brands have no choice but to buy advertising on their own brand name to protect it. In France, we even have a prominent brand (Carglass) that explains in its TV ads not to type just the brand name but the full URL of its website to be sure to reach its authentic website. Meaning Google may redirect you to less relevant websites, one of its competitors.

In fact, Google is stuck with its business model. It made much money through advertising for years, and its growth followed Internet adoption. More people joined the Internet and did online searches, and its revenues increased. But the world has changed.

Now, everyone uses a search engine, mainly Google in Europe. It provides massive search volumes to Google but it's becoming more complex for the company to achieve growth. Year after year, the temptation is high for the search giant to increase the volume of advertising on its result pages to increase its revenues. And it may continue for a while.

Google faces new concurrents. As Amazon's search engine became a competitor for product searches over the years, new platforms have emerged. For example, TikTok is now the reference for young people when they need to learn something new. Its quick tutorials became a valuable source of information for many people.

However, there is a more significant danger for Google than the specialized search engine like Amazon or TikTok. It's called ChatGPT.

The rise of this chatbot technology powered by AI is challenging for Google. Instead of providing blue links as results, ChatGPT delivers answers. It can even perform some tasks like summarizing or translating, and it will be able to do more in the future.

Of course, Google could launch a similar product, but providing answers complicates selling advertising significantly. That's why, even if Google has delivered direct explanations in its search results for years, it was very reasonable compared to what it could have done. Google needs some screen space for its sponsored links in its search results.

On the other hand, competitors are eager to embrace ChatGPT. Microsoft invested billions in ChatGPT and is now aggressively integrating the technology into its products, including in Bing, its search engine. It may be the opportunity for Microsoft to change the business model of Bing from advertising to subscription. It could make sense for the company to include Bing in its Office 365 subscription to increase its customer base.

The search engine company Neeva, founded by a Google ex-VP of advertising, is already doing that. Its search engine is available on subscription, without any ads and with a bold claim regarding privacy. Competitors like this Neeva may increase with the availability of ChatGPT technology.

Of course, not everyone will agree to pay a subscription to use a search engine, but these users may see Google becoming a product full of ads and less innovative.

Will we see Google providing subscriptions for its search engine in the future? Will the company increase the advertising pressure? What will be its answer to ChatGPT? Time will tell.

Fifteen years ago, I discovered the Tesla Roadster and became captivated. I was convinced it was the starting point of a revolution in the automotive industry.

From my perspective, the Roadster proved that electric cars could be powerful, attractive, and have enough range to replace internal combustion engine cars. I envisioned that environmental performance would become an essential topic for all car manufacturers to communicate about in the future.

With that in mind, I immediately launched my blog, called Automobile Propre (Clean Cars in French), to share my thoughts about the Roadster and write about the beginning of this revolution.

It was the beginning of a new entrepreneurial venture for me that led to the creation of my group's various brands, such as Chargemap, Mister EV, Révolution Énergétique, Cleanrider, and many more to come.

The 15 years following the first blog post, published on March 9th, 2008, were fantastic.

With a few early adopters, we built a community of EV enthusiasts and enjoyed doing so. I met so many interesting people and fondly remember moments spent with the community. Some people I met at these times are working with me today.

In the process, I discovered my personal mission statement: to help a generation switch to sustainable transport and energy. While this venture has been a rollercoaster ride with its share of ups and downs, I have always focused on this mission. It has been my driving force when times were tough.

I learned a lot during these fifteen years. I transitioned from a blogger to a leader, and my companies employ now a team of over sixty people. It has been a journey full of learning, understanding, progress, and training.

As we transitioned from a startup to a fully-fledged organization, I discovered the power of teamwork. It is incredible what a group of passionate individuals can accomplish. Today I have the privilège of working with a team of talented people and that's one of the best parts of my job. I'm learning every day at their contact.

In 15 years of work, we helped many people better understand EVs and to buy one, enabled them to charge everywhere in Europe, promoted the adoption of electric bikes and clean energies, etc. These results are the primary measure of success for me.

Looking forward to the next fifteen years, I am excited about the prospects. I have a strong team by my side, and with the support of our trusted partners, we will continue to make a difference. I am confident that we will accomplish even greater things and create an impact that will last for generations.

The next fifteen years will undoubtedly inspire many posts for this blog, and I can't wait to share my learnings. Whatever, let's meet here in fifteen years for a review!

Some have touted hydrogen cars as the future of transportation, but I think this is a mistaken belief. Battery electric cars are more capable of replacing internal combustion engine cars.

"I will not buy an electric car. I will wait for hydrogen cars to be ready. I believe they are the future because you can fill them in 5 minutes like a diesel car!". That's a statement I often hear from many people who don't clearly understand what battery electric cars (BEV) and hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) are.

After spending the last 15 years studying the topic of electric cars, I'm convinced that a massive shift to hydrogen cars will never happen. I concluded that BEVs are more appropriate for car drivers and energy challenges.

The first thing people don't always get is hydrogen cars also embed electric motors and batteries. The main difference with an electric vehicle is that the battery is significantly smaller and connected to a fuel cell, itself alimented by a hydrogen tank. This tank is designed to store hydrogen at high pressure, 700 Bars or 10,000 psi, which is enormous.

Security is essential as hydrogen is a highly flammable gas that can cause fires and explosions if improperly handled. It is colorless, odorless, and tasteless, making it difficult to detect leaks.

Dedicated fueling stations have been developed to minimize the risks of refueling hydrogen cars. They have safety features such as automatic shut-off valves and sensors that detect leaks. Hydrogen fires are notably hard to detect because they burn with a low radiant heat and almost invisible pale blue flame, making them difficult to see with the naked eye until you are very close to them.

It doesn't mean hydrogen can't be manipulated safely. Still, risks arise if we deploy fueling stations and "hydrogen tanks on wheels" on a massive scale. Currently, world hydrogen is handled by professionals, primarily in industrial sites. The stakes are different when the public uses hydrogen at scale.

For sure, batteries are not exempted from risks. Regardless, they seem easier to handle. The billions of mobile phones produced with lithium batteries have already proved it.

Another issue is the production and distribution of hydrogen. For electric vehicles, electricity can be produced with renewable energies and distributed at the speed of light in the electric grid in basically every place. It's way more complex for hydrogen.

Hydrogen is not naturally available in its pure form on Earth, so it must be extracted from other sources, such as natural gas. Currently, 95% of hydrogen is produced from fossil fuels, with the resulting carbon dioxide emissions. Only a tiny part of hydrogen is made from renewable energy.

The most promising solution seems to use renewable energy sources like wind or solar power to create electricity and then perform water electrolysis to produce "green hydrogen". This entire process is energy-intensive and expensive, making it challenging to provide hydrogen fuel at a competitive price.

Here is where the efficiency question arises. When you produce electricity to produce hydrogen, then transform hydrogen into electricity for the car, you lose a lot of energy. In the process, you must transport the hydrogen to the fueling station with a truck and then compress it.

According to the data compiled by The Conversation, an hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle has an energy efficiency of 38% instead of 80% for an electric car.

The hydrogen car will require breakthrough innovations to compete with battery electric vehicles already produced by millions. That scale provides tons of money to improve the batteries' capacity and costs, driving better performance in the coming years.

Finally, battery electric cars offer a vast opportunity to build smart grids and expand renewable energy sources, thanks to vehicle-to-grid.

Those reasons make me think electric cars are the best alternative to fossil fuel vehicles, not FCEV. And if you ask yourself what the best substitute for battery electric cars is, my answer would be... bikes.

As a creative person, I continuously come up with new ideas. I always found organizing them to have a clear overview of my thoughts challenging. After many years, I finally found a powerful method and the appropriate tools.

Since I was young, I have consistently used papers to mold my ideas about projects and thoughts. I remember putting my "inventions" on paper as a teenager. I always felt the urgent need to write and sketch to avoid losing my precious ideas.

Growing up as an adult and entrepreneur, I tried to find new ways to do it, ideally digitally. It was so easy to lose some sheets of paper with their precious content, so I wanted to have all my knowledge on my computer!

Note-taking apps are great for capturing ideas on the go, but I found organizing them problematic because of the document-oriented organization of those apps.

I always needed multiple free paper sheets to express my ideas and I loved the ability to move them on my desk as I wanted. I didn't enjoy using notebooks because they didn't allow me to move and reorder my notes. Similar limits apply to note-taking apps in general.

After years, I found a new setup that suits me well to capture and organize my ideas. For that, I use two apps: Notion and Figjam.

Whenever I have a new idea, I write bullet points in Notion. It can happen when I'm working in front of my computer but also in another place, with the mobile app. I aim to reduce the timing between when I have an idea and when it's noted. For that, I have a shortcut on the main screen of my mobile phone to a single note called Capture.

Then, when I'm ready to take the time to arrange and dig my ideas, I open a whiteboard in Figjam. I carry my notes from Notion and I manage them with the tools provided by Figjam: textboxes, arrows, geometrical forms, etc.

I love having an infinite canvas where I can move things, zoom in and out, and structure ideas more visually. I'm doing this with a large computer monitor for maximum comfort or on the iPad.

It may seem weird, but I can spend hours enriching some ideas. This process brings me clarity of though I never had before using a whiteboard app like Figjam. During the latest months, this new method significantly helped me make high-impact decisions in complex situations as CEO.

I used it to design a new business model for one of my companies, make organizational changes, clarify my thoughts about launching a new project, improve some processes, etc.

An online whiteboard is also handy for teamwork, for example, brainstorming or designing the structure of a new website. I only made a few team sessions with a whiteboard app until now but I will certainly increase my collaborative use of Figjam in the coming months.

I chose Figjam because I'm already using Figma, another design tool from the same editor. Still, many valuable alternatives exist, like Apple Freeform, Miro, InVision's Freehand, etc.

If you need help organizing your ideas like me, try them!

Twitter is my favorite social network. I have used it for 15 years to perform my technological and business watch. With Elon Musk's takeover, the company and the service are transforming significantly.

I have always been convinced that Twitter's potential was underestimated. The service is the de facto public speaking tool for the world's most influential leaders but still lacks a reliable revenue engine.

My conviction about the underestimated value of Twitter was strong enough to become a (small) shareholder two years ago, hoping this underlying value would be unlocked in the future.

Then Elon Musk came. He bought the company for a crazy price of 44 billion dollars and took control of Twitter. It was weird to sell my few shares to Elon Musk!

Since then, I've closely observed Musk's actions and decisions. The man has a solid track record of leading companies to success. I don't know if he will succeed this time but I'm convinced there will be many things to learn from a business perspective.

Twitter's takeover is a huge bet, even for Elon Musk.

He can't afford financial losses for a long time with Twitter. He bought the company at a very high price and has limited funds to cover future losses. Access to capital is complicated for him after this operation. Banks and other investors will only be inclined to provide more funds once Musk proves significant improvements to Twitter's financial results.

The only alternative for Musk could be to sell some of his Tesla shares and he wants to avoid that scenario at all costs. That's why his massive layoff, done when he gained control, was rational even if it affected the employees, the company, and Musk's reputation.

Regarding his reputation, many people talked about how the layoff's brutality had a destructive impact on it. From my point of view, his tweets about his political views are way more harmful.

To succeed in his Twitter adventure, Elon Musk will need more than money. He must find a way to federate a team of motivated and devoted employees. That's a crucial part of the challenge, especially after the massive layoff.

For that, he's trying to apply the same formula as his other companies by providing an inspiring mission to the public and his team. He already did that with Tesla and SpaceX. Finding a bolder vision than SpaceX's "Making humanity multiplanerary" is challenging!

For Twitter, the new official mission statement still needs to be clarified. Elon Musk published this tweet about it:

It seems to be the new direction, but on the other hand, Musk has also explained that he wanted Twitter to be the home of "free speech". I'm not sure it's compatible with an accurate source of information! Musk also said he'd like to transform Twitter into a "super-app" with many features like payment and e-commerce. A strategy close to the thriving Chinese platforms like WeChat or Alipay.

The vision of a super-app differs from becoming the most accurate source of information, but that may be a longer-term vision. In any case, Elon Musk is in a race to save Twitter from bankruptcy right now.

Interestingly, he's building the company's future in public. He's explaining on Twitter what he does and why. He's asking users about the features they want on Twitter. He's also creating a sense of urgency about finding profitability that reminds the attitude of startups with limited capital. And that's precisely Twitter's state.

Since the takeover, the new mantra at Twitter seems to be « move quickly and break things ». It's kind of ironic since it's a famous quote from Mark Zuckerberg, the founder and CEO of Facebook!

Some brutal and radical moves are happening at Twitter: removing the legacy certification, making users and companies pay to access a new check mark, changing the API access rules, etc. In 3 months, the social network has changed more than in a decade.

We can feel that Musk wants to increase the speed of delivering new features. But he's facing a vast technological legacy that's hard to tackle with a team amputated from many engineers. I can't imagine how Elon Musk is being frustrated by dragging a ball and chain with Twitter's technical debt!

He's pushing its team to quickly deliver the urgent platform changes but that speed has a downside: the quality is decreasing. The engineers can't take the time to provide the required testing infrastructure. As a Twitter user, you can currently experiment with many bugs but also see the platform evolving quickly.

The future will tell if Elon Musk will succeed with Twitter, but I'm sure his putting his whole ego into it. The Twitter takeover is a historical business case because of the scale (44 billion dollars), the man behind it (one of the world's wealthiest men) and the unique position of Twitter in the public debate.

I'll continue to follow this incredible story for these reasons, even if I don't agree with some of Musk's statements or actions. Twitter's takeover is a unique case in the history of business strategy!

I recently started investing money in Shopify as I'm increasingly confident the company will be the de-facto platform for e-commerce.

A quick disclaimer before starting: This is not investment advice. I'm not a stock analyst. I'm investing a part of my savings as a hobbyist in tech brands I know very well. In this post, my goal is to share my thoughts about Shopify's strategy and why the company's value will grow in the coming years.

I believe the future is thriving for Shopify. It's one of the 3 US stocks I currently hold in my portfolio.

As I already knew the company for a long time, I discovered the platform in detail when we moved our online shop for electric car drivers, Mister-EV.com, to Shopify last year. What I found is brilliant.

Shopify can handle e-shops from the most simple to the most complex and personalized form. They recently started providing solutions tailored for B2B shops, providing the company with tremendous opportunities.

As an investor, the first thing I love about Shopify is how its powerful platform creates value for multiple stakeholders. They connect merchants with buyers by offering versatile e-commerce software. They also connect merchants with app developers and e-commerce experts to develop their businesses. Each connection creates value.

I love their business model too. They charge their merchants a monthly fee and take a small cut of their sales. This cut is crucial because it means they are aligned with their customer's interests. The more they sell, the more Shopify earns money. As a merchant, you can feel that in all they are doing. They are working on providing more sales by increasing the conversion rate of the buying funnel, removing friction to sell in other countries, developing marketing, etc.

Another exciting aspect of the company is the ecosystem they are building. The product connects most e-business SaaS, but Shopify also provides an app store so developers can extend the platform. The company can understand which ecosystem services and apps are the most used and integrate a competitor into its product.

The last point that impressed me with Shopify is its ability to ship new features and improve the product. The management of the company has a strong understanding of technology. As a customer, I can feel they are moving quickly and they are not afraid to try things at scale. For example, look at the impressive list of new features they released this winter.

Indeed, e-commerce is complex, with many different use cases and needs. Shopify progressively handles all the merchant needs: logistics, marketing, automation, integration with other tools, taxes, invoicing, data analytics, B2B and B2C, etc. Each new feature they drop adds a new entry barrier for their competitors.

From my point of view, Shopify is building an increasingly powerful platform. The company also has strong retention of their customers. When a merchant enters the Shopify ecosystem, migrating to another solution becomes increasingly difficult. That provides the "pricing power" to Shopify. They can progressively raise their price during the company's life without losing customers. They will also increase sales as e-commerce grows and their merchants become more efficient with their solutions.

With all that in mind, I'm confident the company will see its value increase over time!

As many companies define their mission statements to align their team and provide a framework for their internal culture, it's less common for people to express their own mission statements. However, I believe it can transform lives.

A mission statement can be compelling for a company when done correctly. It explains "why" the company is doing what it does. It helps all the workers to focus on long-term goals and make the right decisions. It provides a clear framework for their customers and partners.

Of course, actions must be coherent with the company's mission. Otherwise, it's just bad marketing.

If a mission statement can help to align thousands of workers in a company, isn't that a powerful tool to align ourselves with our long-term personal goals?

I firmly believe it is.

A personal mission statement expresses what you stand for and what motivates you in life. It's not about what you are today but what you aspire to be in the future.

I have no secret sauce about how you can find yours. It's very personal, and it depends on who you are. The only thing I'm sure of is that defining its personal mission statement requires some time and a lot of self-awareness.

Defining your personal mission statement will help you make decisions in every aspect of your life — decisions about what you do and what you don't do. It will allow you to be intentional about who you want to be and what you want to achieve.

I dedicated time to working on my personal mission statement a few years ago. I tried to identify what gives me motivation and purpose in life. I already knew that I was an entrepreneur. It's who I have been since my childhood. Working on my mission also clarified that I intensely wanted to impact the world as much as possible. With my skills in online business and media, I had the opportunity to have an impact at scale.

With that in mind, I defined my personal mission statement: to help a generation switch to sustainable transport and energy. I wanted it to be short and concrete.

Of course, it's primarily linked to my job. That's because work is an essential aspect of my life - and I don't want to change that. It's so related to my work that it also became the mission of my group. I have this incredible chance to have my personal and work mission aligned.

Since then, having my mission written has helped me make many decisions. I know where I want to go. I defined my north star and I'm using it to find the path. Decisions are easier.

If you haven't defined your personal mission statement, I urge you to take some quality time to write it. It may not be easy for you, but expressing our mission could be the most impactful decision you take in life.

Ready to do it?