Lucas Pinos (EDHEC 2017), an entrepreneur full of vitality

Lucas Pinos – on the left in the photo – who holds an MSc in Financial Management (2017) and is an entrepreneur at heart, launches Nutrivita, specialising in vitamin C and food supplements.

Tell us about your project. How did it come about?

I set up Nutrivita in 2012 while in secondary school with Alexandre Garnier, a very close friend of mine from the small school we attended in the Gers region. We now offer food supplements in innovative forms via our website nutrivita.fr and on Amazon. 

The firm was originally called NutrivitaminC simply because we only sold vitamin C at the time. Our initial market positioning was straightforward, offering pure and unprocessed pharmaceutical grade vitamin C that was of a high quality and accessible to all. Having grown up in the digital culture, we immediately made the decision to only sell our products online using an initial website that was very basic. Our niche offer attracted an ever-increasing number of customers who, like us, were convinced of the virtues of pure vitamin C. That allowed us to gradually extend our product range.

This project was a part of my life throughout my higher education and was doubtless one of the factors that helped me secure a place at EDHEC. Nutrivita is now my primary business and has thousands of satisfied customers across Europe who shop with us for our increasingly comprehensive range of food supplements.

What drives your motivation in this entrepreneurial adventure?

As far back as I can remember, I’ve always been drawn to the idea of creating my own business. At the age of 14, I already enjoyed repairing and selling electronic items online that I had bought from classmates. In 2012 I had nothing, and by that I mean no money and no commitments, so I had nothing to lose and didn’t need to take any risks when I decided to go for it. Now I am glad every day I made that decision and happy to go to work in the morning. Working with a friend is another motivating factor and provides additional support in an adventure that is not always easy.

Nutrivita has also been a very educational experience insofar as every day I have to take on the roles of accountant, logistician, sales rep, etc. I learn something new each day.

How has your experience at EDHEC OR with the network of graduates helped you achieve this project?

EDHEC served as a real springboard for my business. First of all, it allowed me to develop many technical skills which are essential to me on a daily basis, particularly in corporate finance. EDHEC also gave me the opportunity to meet many people with highly varied profiles and perspectives. Every time we faced a new question or technical challenge, I had someone in mind from EDHEC who I knew would be able to help. In that respect, our current website and logistics chain are the fruit of collaborative efforts involving our own work and the many different forms of help we were given by classmates from EDHEC. I was also lucky enough to take part in the European learning programme. That experience proved to be a powerful accelerator for Nutrivita to the extent that my more senior colleagues gave me a lot of support in defining and improving the project that I was developing while completing my studies. Nutrivita would look very different today if my associate and I hadn’t attended a business school. Our education enabled us to avoid many errors, even though we continue to learn something new every day. Paradoxically, my project was already too mature for the EDHEC incubator to be of any real use. I was nonetheless received with respect and kindness by those involved.

What is your initial assessment of this entrepreneurial adventure? What advice do you have for others from EDHEC looking to become entrepreneurs?

Nowadays I am happy going to work in the morning and excited about the many levers that will allow us to develop going forward. Unfortunately I never have enough time and I am impatient to see the team expand.

If I had to take a step back from the last 7 years of entrepreneurship, my main regret would be not to have taken the plunge sooner, in other words not to have made Nutrivita my main activity. From a more pragmatic point of view, I would say that it is essential to define, control and cost every strategic development decision and if possible to do so as a team with many other people. That kind of rigorous approach will help you avoid many errors – even though errors are essential if you are to improve. One final key observation that I have retained from my short experience is that behaving virtuously with one’s customers is always rewarded. Having high quality standards and offering a good quality of service are for me essential, whatever the cost. 

What’s next for your business? What are your expectations from the community of EDHEC graduates?

Our rapid growth is paradoxically a new challenge we will have to face in 2020. Although we’re not complaining! Bringing in new talented staff members and finding sources of financing will be key if we wish to continue to develop in optimal conditions. So we will almost certainly be recruiting interns at the beginning of 2020 and if possible permanent staff members within a year.