Jamie | Day 21: The City of Light

It is no accident that propels people like us to Paris. Paris simply an artificial stage, a revolving stage that permits the spectator to glimpse all phases of the conflict. Of itself Paris initiates no dramas They are begun elsewhere. Paris is simply an obstetrical instrument that tears the living embryo from the womb and puts it in the incubator. -Henry Miller

Nathalie | Day 20: London’s Calling

Today was a day of relaxation in London. Why? Things change.

Originally we had an ambitious plan. We were going to pop around from country to country and replicate the user acquisition we’d piloted over the weeks in Paris into a single, condensed 48-hour process. Shortly after arriving in Paris, however, we realized that while this adventure would have been an enormous amount of fun, the cost of flying to different countries wasn’t worth the user acquisition possible in such a quick period. Paris worked because we were there for a good chunk of time—we were there to have follow up calls and coffees and get togethers. We met with people and then met them again. The underlying logic, of course, is pretty simple: building community takes time and attention.

So instead of rushing through and making half-hearted attempts to grow our London community, we decided to focus on Paris entirely. So our stop over in London became and actual break after a long haul in Paris.

Who did you meet?

The fly babe in the photo above!

Jamie | Day 19: Lessons from the streets of Paris

…the whole of Paris is a vast university of Art, Literature and Music…it is worth anyone’s while to dally here for years. Paris is a seminar, a post-graduate course in Everything. -James Thurber

After many rich conversations about emerging collaborative businesses, open data in government and community, the idea of openness seems to resurface constantly, but I was surprised at how often the idea came up on today’s Vayable experience through the Latin Quarter.

The theme of secrecy versus transparency shows itself constantly here. Parisians love secrets. Parties are only as cool as they are secret. Who you’re seeing or what you’re doing for the weekend is treated with secrecy. The air of mystery seems to be a critical part of Parisian culture that keeps its authenticity in tact. And yet, the secrets kept here seem to be only as valuable as their ability to be discovered.

As the misfit group of about 12 of us (French, Germans, Belgians and me) walked through Notre Dame and into the over-trodden streets of the left bank, I began to cringe in reflex to being that American tourist. We crossed the Seine and stopped right in front of the famous bookstore, Shakespeare and Company, where more tourists were taking photos than thumbed through books.

"Why is Shakespeare and Company important?" Cristián asked us.

"Because it’s where the tourists go," I responded.

"Why do the tourists go here?" he asked. I had no idea. No one did. I realized that I’d developed this huge aversion to a place without knowing why.

As it turns out, the store is still family-operated and has been from the beginning. It has a rich history of providing a home to writers in exchange for working in the shop and reading books. Its walls, lined with English-language books, have provided a home for literary expats in Paris for generations. I began to feel my mind opening up.

A few blocks away we stopped at Rue Dante, where Dante had come to recite poetry in Latin, because it was the universal language among academics of its time, it became the namesake of the neighborhood and tells its rich history of education and cross-cultural exchange. The day continued like this — learning the stories of world-famous sites as we passed through them.

I realized that getting off the beaten path isn’t about departing a physical space, but a state of mind. Being open to discovering something new and allow a sight or a story to change how you see the rest of the world is what getting off the beaten path is all about. It’s ultimately about being open to discovering secrets.

Who did you meet?

I went on an amazing Vayable experience learning about the history of the Latin Quarter with Cristián. He used to be a tour guide and his knowledge of the Latin Quarter coupled with his passion for the history of Paris and his charisma made him one of the best tour guides I’d ever met. He is busy now with other projects, but he says he leads these special tours once in a while in someone’s honor, and I was humbled and fortunate to learn that he’d done this for me. Several people showed up, including Annisia, the co-founder of Djump and her friend Judith, who is currently doing her residency. I also met a bunch of very friendly people (and future Paris Insiders!) on a rooftop in Montmartre.

What interaction stood out most and why?
Learning about the history of the Latin Quarter and the history of higher education in Paris was by far one of the most meaningful and inspiring ways to spend an afternoon. It was magical how Cristian weaved together this narrative in such an animated and engaging way. I truly felt like I was living history.

What was the biggest challenge?
Figuring out how to tie up this experience with a bow when I feel like it’s only just beginning.

What new ideas did you have?
There are so many amazing connections and friendships that emerge from Vayable experiences — it would be so great to find more ways to keep the connection even after the experience takes place.

What did you discover about yourself?
I forgot how much I love learning and learning about learning. It’s so humbling to remember constantly how little we actually know and how much more we can always expand our minds.

What’s something new you learned about the Vayable business/community?
Vayable is so much more than a product and a community, it’s an approach to life and discovery. It’s beyond a commitment, but an undying need to shift perspective for the sake of learning more about oneself and about life.

How’s the team doing?
The team has all departed and I think eager to return home after this adventure.

Nathalie | Day 18: Shared space and thoughts

We had our last big day in the Mutinerie office before the team hopped on planes to start the long trek home. Michelle and I worked on follow up for user acquisition and enjoyed the last moments in our temporary work home. The day was broken up, randomly, when an old friend from Hanoi saw on Facebook that I was in Paris. He messaged me and, a while later, showed up at the office to grab a drink. Since we last hung out he has married and had a baby. I had switched jobs, continents, and romance. There was a lot to catch up on.

Later in the evening, we joined a community event at Mutinerie. The managers had asked us to give a presentation of Vayable to their community at a periodic event they hold called “Aperopitch.” The crowds of Mutinerie workers unplugged from their headphones and emerged from behind the sea of MacBooks to face the stage. There were some funny videos and presentations from new members of the community to talk about their projects. In a co-working space full of individual people working on individual projects, it was actually a pretty lovely opportunity to check in and learn about each other’s endeavors.

We were asked to get up and give a short presentation of Vayable and, in particular, our work in Paris. My only regret is that we hadn’t done something like that at the beginning of our stay (rather than just slip into the mix quietly) because it opened up a lot of conversation.

Who did you meet?

I met my old friend Nico! We reminisced about the good old days in Hanoi. And somehow it came up that he doesn’t drink alcohol. What a shock! That disproves my theory that I can only be friends with drinkers.

What interaction stood out most and why?

After the presentation at Mutinerie we went along to the upper side of Canal St. Martin above the Jaures train station. There was a lovely little restaurant alongside the water. We were starving, but they were not serving food anymore, so Michelle and Gabriel went across to get McDonald’s (for shame!). The waiter scolded us—but I wasn’t sure if it was because we brought in outside food or if it was because it was McDonald’s. Probably both.

What was the biggest challenge?

Ugh. Public speaking again!

What new ideas did you have?

I hate to say it, but Chicken McNuggets are delicious.

What did you discover about yourself?

I did my part of the presentation in French instead of English and found, miraculously, that I have less stage fright when I’m speaking in a different language. I have no idea why that is.

What’s something new you learned about the Vayable business/community?

Talking at Mutinerie made me realize that there are so different many elements of our community, which extends far beyond our users.

How’s the team doing?

Tired, but happy. As per usual.

Jamie | Day 17: Redefining Community

One gets a good look at one’s country from this perspective, and one learns to see one’s nation with double eyes, to feel what we have got and what we have not got. I’ve learned more about America in one month in Paris than I could in one year in New York. Looking at this country makes all the unimportant phases of the American problem fade somewhat and render the true problem more vivid. -Richard Wright

Our community event was last night and it was a very rewarding, moving experience. It made me think a lot about community and the differences between community here in Paris and back at home. The idea is the same and yet the practice is so different. Taking time to spend quality time with others has been an overarching theme during my time here, and I see how that is truly the foundation for real community-building and sustenance. Otherwise it’s forced. What we tend to call “community” in the Bay Area, particularly in tech, sadly isn’t truly community at all. It’s become a catchphrase, a euphemism for “users” or a network. But community in the truest sense isn’t that at all — it’s the bonding and binding that takes place when meaningful interaction and sharing occurs. It’s what I found in Paris and what I realize has been lacking in San Francisco.

Who did you meet?

I met the Airbnb Paris team, a bunch of new people at Mutinerie and some people who work for the national government on open data. Also, walking home from work with Antonin, we ran into Robin Chase riding a velib along the canal.

What interaction stood out most and why?

I did a fireside chat at the Airbnb Paris office. I was so moved by the team, their enthusiasm and how the culture is so much like HQ.

What was the biggest challenge?

Finding time for everything we wanted to do.

What new ideas did you have?

Thinking about the community we’ve built here, and the personal and professional relationships I developed without ever expecting to really made me realize that we truly do have our counterparts in all parts of the world. I am particularly impressed by how strong the cultural alliances are in many ways between Northern California and France.

What did you discover about yourself?

I didn’t realize how much I would be building a community and life here.

What’s something new you learned about the Vayable business/community?

There’s really a shift in industry that’s occurring right now and it crosses political, geographical and social boundaries. It’s truly a swelling movement that’s merging the public and private sectors like never before. I’m very excited that we’re a part of this.

Nathalie | Day 16: Demo Day in the 19eme

Today was the culmination of our stay in Paris. We brought a bit of Y Combinator culture to Paris by hosting a Demo Day at our co-working space, Mutinerie. We invited our existing Insiders, our potential Insiders, and members of the Vayable community in Paris. The goal was to showcase how being in Paris has impacted our product and business—and also to get the community involved in shaping the direction we’re headed. We ended the night with a panel discussion and Q&A with Frederic Mazzella (Founder/CEO of BlaBlaCar), Julien Muller (Holidog) and Jamie, moderated by Arthur De Grave of OuiShare.

Whenever I host parties I feel like a nervous kid. Is there enough food? Will anyone show up? After all the snacks and drinks were beautifully set up (merci Michelle et Magalie!), I sat there wondering if we’d have to eat all the Pim’s cookies ourselves. Besides the other invites I had invited about 40 people, but hadn’t asked for RSVPs. Mercifully, Seth cracked open a bottle of red. And mercifully, as soon as 7 o’clock struck, the guests started streaming in.

All in all, it was a night of warm spirits and bodies (40-odd people packed into a ventilation-less cave basement!). But hopefully the photos below look ‘glowing’ instead of sweaty.

Who did you meet?

I saw nearly everyone that had interviewed to be an Insider—as well as many of our existing Insiders. It was a nice bookend to the trip because it really felt familiar. This time we weren’t meeting each other for the first time—we were reconnecting.

What interaction stood out most and why?

I loved Seth’s presentation of the wireframes for potential profiles we’ll use on the site. Everyone there got to vote on which one they’d like to see. It was a fun example of both business and user sides creating something together, which rarely happens. And Seth made it really interactive and fun.

What was the biggest challenge?

Probably the public speaking. I have never loved talking in front of groups of more than 10 or so—even if it’s people I know well and even if I know exactly what I’m talking about. I’m much better at it than I was in the past (I nearly puked once presenting a paper at UC Berkeley), but I still get butterflies. Martin, one of our soon-to-be Insiders, told me to imagine everyone naked. I’m not sure if that helped.

What new ideas did you have?

It sounds cheesy, but I really do like everyone I’ve met here. It’s lovely to be able to go to a new city and feel like I could just keep my bags unpacked and set up shop here. With everyone we’ve met—from the photographers to artists to entrepreneurs—I feel like I have a group of interesting people and friends already made.

What did you discover about yourself?

When I public speak I completely blank out. I have only vague recollections of what I said. I just hope I didn’t say “like” a lot.

What’s something new you learned about the Vayable business/community?

Our community will absolutely ravage a table of snacks. It was completely destroyed!

How’s the team doing?

We were all happy—but the night was really complete when Eskil put on a monkey mask. I don’t know where that came from, but once the monkey mask gets pulled out, you know it’s been a successful event.

Jamie | Day 15: Enriching each other with our differences

Mettons en commun ce que nous avons de meilleur et enrichissons-nous de nos mutuelles differences. —Paul Valéry

Let us embrace the very best of what we share and enrich one another with our mutual differences. —Paul Valéry

Tonight I enjoyed a collaborative dinner at Aribnb with other founders of Sharing Economy startups. Olivier, the Airbnb Regional Manager for Western Europe kindly hosted us in their Paris office. It was an evening of new encounters and one familiar face: Antonin, the founder of Ouishare. After several hours drifted by with pizza and conversation, we made our way outside and each of us headed home.

At the end of the evening, as Antonin and I readied to part ways on the metro platform at République, he turned to me and said, “Maybe we met two years too early.” I didn’t know what he meant, at least not immediately. As we faced one another, listening to the swish of the metro doors open and close by our side, my memory began to play back the scenes in my mind that would explain what Antonin meant.

Our first encounter was two years ago in Paris, almost to the day, after a friend of mine introduced us over email. Antonin suggested we meet at a barbecue in a courtyard of a stunning building that houses a foundation created by Eugénie Napoleon the wife of Napoleon III. I didn’t think much about the significance of our setting at the time, other than that it was beautiful and a perfect entrée to my visit. Now, looking back, all the details of that first meeting are like poetry; the Napoleonic backdrop, the potluck and even the odd darkness of the night have all taken on a new meaning with time. Reflecting from where we are today, that mid-September evening may as well have been another lifetime.

Vayable was only a few months old and the term ‘Sharing Economy’ hadn’t yet been uttered by anyone beyond a few people we personally knew. Even Airbnb was just beginning to get real traction abroad. At the time, you could count on one hand the people discussing the idea of a peer economy publicly, and 24-year-old Antonin was one of them. His make-shift soapbox of a blog, a Facebook group with an ever-changing name, and small community events were modest, but his mission was not. So it turned out, we had that in common.

I was bootstrapping the business on my own and had just recently raised a very small amount of angel funding that allowed me to do things like host our website, allocate a small stipend to myself and a couple employees, and throw small community meet-ups. A conference was flying me to Milan to speak, so I took the opportunity to make a stop in Paris to visit a tiny, but promising Vayable community that had seemed to sprout up out of nowhere. Today it’s our biggest destination.

Antonin and I spent the evening alternating between speaking English and Spanish, with brief exemptions for French, when I had the vocabulary. The topic of conversation centered almost exclusively on travel, cultural exchange and why the sharing economy is inevitable. He spoke about the transformative experience he had living as an insider in South America, and I spoke of the same I believed everyone could have worldwide. I don’t think I realized that I was already achieving what I’d set out to do that night in that Napoleonic garden.

Over the next few days a very small, modest community began to cohere in Paris as Antonin, an innate connector, introduced me to people he knew would be excited about Vayable. Together, we brought them into the fold of the seedling that was Vayable’s Paris community. We had about 12 insiders in Paris. We wanted to double that, and we did. But looking back now on who is still using our platform, who is not, and why, I realize that it’s not actually the quantity of insiders that made the impact and spurred our growth— it was the quality. The true metrics of our business are engagement, empathy and openness — one insider who possess these traits is more valuable 100 people who do not.

Antonin had become my insider, not only to Paris, but to a core piece of my own business. And I, coming from halfway around the globe, had become his. Talking with Antonin was like taking a crash course French culture. He was always running late and he loved to criticize the U.S.. He introduced me to music festivals in Neuilly, home-cooked meals in the 13em, and to local reporters — everything I’d want to get out of the city in my three-day visit there. To Antonin, criticism is good, money is bad, enjoying life is more important than following a schedule, and process is overrated because the things that matter will get done, eventually, somehow. I contended that criticism is only as good as its application, money is what makes the world go ‘round (whether we like it or not), schedules allow us to enjoy more life and process is necessary to yield the best results (which we should measure!) quickly. We never resolved our conversations, but rather punctuated them with “you’re so French” or “you’re so American” to mark the end of a round of light sparring. We were opposites; we saw in the other an embodiment of the parts of our entrepreneurial selves that we most feared.

In many other ways, we also were each others foreign counterparts. We were equally as obsessed with the future. Despite our cultural clashes, we both rejected the idea that barriers could stop people from connecting. And when we placed side-by-side the images of a better world that each of our minds had painted, they were identical.

Over the same two years, Vayable’s group of 12 Insiders in Paris in 2011 has grown to 120 engaged, passionate members. Globally we’ve grown from 150 to more than 5,000 insiders. We’ve built a team of some of Silicon Valley’s top talent and found investors to help us become a viable business. At the heart of our business are the relationships we’ve built with our Insiders, and no coffee or apéro with them is ever too long. We’ve opened up our product for debate and critique by our community and I’ve learned to embrace the often brutally honest feedback here as a gift. What else is more valuable? I’m less afraid of being transparent and sharing the whole story, even the “bad” parts. Because here, it’s not bad, it’s valued.

Meanwhile, Antonin’s mini soapbox has grown into a global movement that has captured the hearts of thousands of members and the attention of industry executives, government officials and the media. He’s worked without funding and leveraged his own passion and that of the people around him, but discovered, this is not fully sustainable. Antonin’s rigid schedule is now packed with speaking engagements and meetings, which are part of a new business plan (turns even movements need money).

As the overhead clock ticked past 23h in the République metro station, we stood opposite another in a rare silence. Why were each unable, or perhaps unwilling, to assimilate our mutual lessons two years ago when we met? We were so quick to embrace our similarities and so quick to reject our differences. As time has passed and wounds we’ve suffered along our respective journeys have scabbed, it is hard to imagine now that the wisdom we so easily and naïvely gave away to one another had gone lost in translation. But connections take time to build, a truth that’s easy to forget in the era of Facebook. The disappointment we experienced by seeing our ideas bounce off one another other like teflon was merely a result of our own impatience.

The slow transference that eventually took place between Antonin and I over the past couple years cuts to the heart of what our communities are seeking to build: a more inclusive and collaborative world that is open to change. And we’re far from alone. The movement toward this new economy is motivated by economic, environmental and social factors. It’s driven by changing regulations, changing governments and a changing idea of what it is to live a good life. But at its core, it’s driven by people from different places, backgrounds and ideas coming together over a shared value, a collective change of heart: the need to build a culture that puts experience and human collaboration at its center. This will take time, but it’s inevitable.

Standing in the metro station that night with Antonin marked the first of countless conversations we’ve shared over the last two years, in which neither of us referred to the other as “so French” or “so American.” We’re not so much anymore. Instead, before Antonin transferred to his next metro and I departed the station, we found a new way to punctuate the end of our conversation: with an embrace.

Who did you meet?
It’s been a great week filled with great people. I met with Christophe to shoot an interview about Vayable for an online course he’s teaching. I met with Alexandre, the former founder of a startup that used to be a competitor of ours in Paris. I attended a Sharing Economy dinner hosted by Antonin (Ouishare) and Olivier (Airbnb), where I met other local founders in the Peer Economy space, including Marion (Zilok), Paulin (Drivy) and Geoffroy (Pret d’union).

What was the biggest challenge?
I caught a bad cold that’s been going around Paris, so I had to work from home and was lower in energy than normal.

What new ideas did you have?
When I think back on our wins and losses as a business, the wins seem to almost always come from doing less with more intention. I think it can’t be a bad way to live life either. When I think about most successful entrepreneurs, this seems to be a common thread. I know that the last two years of building Vayable have certainly required this of me. It’s a good reminder to continue to apply it more granularly as you master each level of this practice.

What did you discover about yourself?
I think perhaps there’s more to gain by slowing down. The idea that speed = more = better is something I take for granted that’s quite prevalent in our culture back home. It’s not really the case here.

What’s something new you learned about the Vayable business/community?
Transparency and openness with your community is truly an underrated strength for a business. In the U.S., our low tolerance for criticism and unhappiness has the insidious effect of incentivizing us to bury the truth, because it’s not always pretty. Or to tell half-truths, which can also be harmful. While I wholeheartedly believe that organizations and businesses must craft their narratives in order to build a vision and grow, it’s also essential to provide raw data and information for users or members to craft their own narratives. Transparency both necessitates as well as mandates dialogue with your users. The beautiful consequence is the opportunity to build something even greater and more sustainable and beloved product from the sum of the praises and critiques you receive by sharing with your community.

How’s the team doing?

Everyone is excited for our Community Demo Day tomorrow. In a sense, it’s the culmination of everything we’re doing. I think we’re all exhausted as well. It’s been nonstop activity for everyone while here and the stimulation of the city alone is enough to wear you out!

Nathalie | Day 14

Today was Sunday so I took a break from work and went on a long stroll with Isaak. We walked all the way from our apartment in the 9eme, down the canal, through the remnants of a farmer’s market, across the bridge, through Jardin des Plantes, and to a hole in the wall cafe near Cardinal Lemoine. We also passed by some killer flea markets with beautiful antiques that reminded me of my grandmother’s 102 years’ worth of collections.

Who did you meet?

For most of the day I just noodled around with Isaak. It was much needed downtime.

What interaction stood out most and why?

Later in the evening we met up with a couple that was preparing for their wedding later this week and another couple that was on their honeymoon. So we popped a bottle. Why not? Life is short.

What was the biggest challenge?

Getting my order in at L’Avant Comptoir. It’s so crowded in there!

What new ideas did you have?

Long hair + bowls of olive oils on high tables = an oily mess.

What did you discover about yourself?

I should wear a ponytail or a bun when I eat. Normally in Vietnam I get at least one grain of rice somewhere in my hair. But in Paris it’s olive oil! At least it’s good for your hair, I’ve heard.

What’s something new you learned about the Vayable business/community?

I must admit that today I didn’t learn anything new. It was Sunday! So I tried to let my mind rest a bit from Vayable business. That doesn’t always work, of course, because everyone’s first question is about what I’m doing here in Paris.

How’s the team doing?

I think some people are actually feeling a little lonely. Sometimes you feel the loneliest in big cities where you are constantly surrounded by people. Paris in particular might make our team feel alone because of language barriers—or maybe because it’s such a romantic place that, if you don’t have someone next to you, you really feel that absence.