Jamie | Day 5

Talking the Talk

America is my country and Paris is my hometown.

-Gertrude Stein

I have better conversations in Paris than I do anywhere else. Most people I meet are not only willing to engage, but seem to require, a certain depth in conversation that far surpasses the average conversation I have at home. It’s as if there’s always time for it. It’s more of a priority, and thus a more refined art here.

On several occasions, when discussions devolve into idle chit-chat (or worse, inauthenticity), I can perceive visible disdain on the faces on the others in conversation. Honesty and authenticity function like a defibrillator in these situations, resuscitating the moment back to life. Certainly there’s a bias in my perceptions, as the company I tend to keep here are composed of people similar to myself, and I love (ok, crave) conversations that investigate the mind, heart and soul. But I’ve noticed, even when we descend into the late hours of the night and blood-alcohol levels rise, those in Paris maintain equal levels of intolerance for “small talk” as they do during the sharpest hours of the day.

This reminds me of home and my childhood. I grew up in Berkeley where late-night conversations were similar to those I’d later have in a political theory seminar (and perhaps equally as impractical and certainly as indulgent). In high school we’d break into park well after dark with $4 bottles of malt liquor and debate politics in Algeria, affirmative action and the correct application of Marxist theory in today’s world. When I think back to our recklessness back in high school, I don’t think of how we trespassed in public parks at 2am in the morning or illegally-purchased alcohol, but how we’d spend endless hours in discourse on California immigration law, Descartes’ ideas about secrets and lies and essentialism and femininity, just for the sake of it.

We don’t do this much in the Bay Area anymore. My conversations are nearly all action-oriented; who has time for anything else? But if what drives our actions are purpose, and purpose emerges from the meaning we extract in contemplation and conversation, then might waxing poetic about the burning topic du jour be valuable after all? Our perception is that we can’t afford the high cost of time and effort to engage in idle discourse, but can we afford not to?

I love the sweet return to youth that my unbridled discussions here afford me. I love how everyone I meet is so open to going deeper in conversation, and scoffing at superficial talk or responding to it with silence. I love that people, even (perhaps especially) men here talk about their feelings as a natural part of conversation. There’s a verbal embrace of the irrational and creative here and it makes me feel like I’ve returned to my origins with the wisdom of age to help me translate this inspiration into impact.

Who did you meet?

I met the Blablacar team and had lunch with Fred, the founder and CEO I’d met on Monday. I also met with Guillaume, the founder and CEO of Djump and Cristophe, the founder of Uinfoshare, a design and innovation agency and network member of Sandbox, a global community of entrepreneurs.

What interaction stood out most and why?

Sharing stories, struggles and startup secrets with both Fred and Guillaume were definitely highlights of my day. I was struck at how open and honest they both were with me, considering we’d just met, and how comfortable I felt sharing my story with all of its ups and downs, with them. We share many of the same challenges and rewards as one another, and in my moments with each of them, I’d felt at home, with my community. It also gave me hope that I can give back and leave something positive behind, even if it’s impact isn’t seen immediately, through the relationships I develop and the network I build while we’re here. After all, this is the whole point of Vayable and the whole point of being here —- not to just come in, pass through, and leave, but to leave behind something sustainable.

What was the biggest challenge?

Being on time. Not only am I still re-learning the metro and familiarizing myself with the streets, but there’s also a much more laid-back attitude about time here and I seem to take to it like a fish to water. On the other hand, I think it makes me sleep less since I’m also not willing to give up productivity in my day.

What new ideas did you have?

So many today. I thought about how what we’re doing is pretty crazy and if we don’t embrace the insanity of it, it’s a missed opportunity. Embracing, rather than trying to reconcile, the many paradoxes of our experience here is the the best way to gain value from it.

What did you discover about yourself?

I love meeting new people. I guess I already knew that, but this is such a reminder. Back at home, I really don’t go out much or socialize too much outside of my very closest friends and colleagues. It just feels like there is never time. I appreciate the opportunity to get to stretch beyond the obvious and that our charge while here is to meet as many people as possible. I love this assignment.

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

We have a lot of work to do on a our product, and it’s heartening that so many people using our platform are taking the time to share their feedback and pain points with us so we can make it better.

How’s the team doing?

Everyone is falling in love with Paris and the people here. We are so fortunate that we live in an age when technology can connect us and create bridges with people we would have otherwise never met.