Can you explain briefly how your project came about (team, origins and originality)?
Why this project in particular? And how?
Working as part of Google’s commercial staff allowed me to observe several major groups and the way digital technology is transforming the worlds of marketing and sales. Given the specific challenges that this “digital transformation” raises for every company, the traditional training packages on offer did not seem adequate.
I was spurred on by the classes in Digital Marketing that I have been running in Grandes Écoles for 3 years, and came up with the idea of developing training solutions targeting companies. I contacted two of the directors at the agency AWE, with whom I had previously worked, as I was impressed by their high level of digital expertise in the B2B sector. This collaboration led to the creation of Digital Transformers at the start of the 2017 academic year, with the ambition of becoming a one-stop shop for digital training for major industrial firms.
Beyond our mission of evangelisation, our objective is to show how digital technology has become a tool for greater commercial and marketing effectiveness for firms. The strength of Digital Transformers is that it supports the digital transformation of its clients at all levels using formats specifically tailored to each audience. To do this, we develop customised training and coaching programmes aimed at executive committees, management and employees.
What is your initial assessment of this entrepreneurial adventure?
An exponential learning curve! We wanted to get the business running quickly, which for me as a young company head meant establishing a presence very quickly on all fronts and developing skills in just as many different areas. Learning on the ground is for me the best type of schooling. This allowed us to secure a client in our first month, which meant we could then hone our offer at a very early stage and enable the project to mature.
Have you ever benefited from the EDHEC Alumni network?
Mainly through Alumni events organised on the Paris campus. These were an opportunity for me to meet people when I had just started out. It was a way to discuss my project and my experience as an entrepreneur in a relaxed setting!
What advice do you have for young entrepreneurs?
It’s tempting to try and set out a precise roadmap right away, with deadlines and a business model, etc. But you never have as much flexibility as when you’re starting out! Your project will evolve as you establish new contacts, as the market takes shape and you get client feedback ... there’s no such thing as the “right formula”. It’s best to keep an open mind and the necessary flexibility to test different approaches and progress one step at a time.
What’s next for your company?
Good question! Following positive feedback from our first training courses, we realised to what extent companies were lacking positive experiences in this sector: time-consuming administrative procedures, unsuitable content, lack of personalisation and follow-up, difficulties measuring impact, etc. So we decided to bring some fresh impetus to the sector and began to develop our own teaching platform based on the web’s latest technologies. What could be better for Digital Transformers than to start by “transforming training” using digital means?!
What are your expectations from the community of EDHEC graduates (fundraising, looking for staff, partners, advice, etc.)?
Training and digital technology are both issues that affect all professions and all sectors. I would like to continue meeting with graduates and discussing our observations, ideas and experiences! Maintaining this network is of the utmost importance in my eyes, and it has already helped me find both clients and partners.
Have you ever been in contact with EDHEC Young Entrepreneurs? If so, when and how did the incubator help?
No, not yet!
More info: website, contact details, links to social networks, etc.
Visit the Digital Transformers website
Follow our adventure by signing up to our LinkedIn profile
Contact me at cedric@digital-transformers.fr
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