Driven by its potential to translate into more creativity and productivity, Jean-Baptiste set off to create Flydesk, an all-in-one flexible working platform. Here, he shares the inspiration behind Flydesk, his ambitions for remote work, and how he wants to make his mark.
Tell us about you?
The common thread throughout most of my career so far has been the tech industry and international business exposure. While I’m grateful for the comfort and education that larger corporations like Apple and Capgemini offered, I’ve always felt more alive in a smaller, more agile organization.
I also decided to choose my location based on the places I want to experience rather than a job. That’s what lead me to Beijing, Shanghai, London, San Francisco, Paris, and now Hong Kong for the past 6 years. I was never afraid to say goodbye to the comfort of a stable job and move countries or even continents to satisfy my thirst for international experience. As a result, my recent years allowed me to really discover the benefits of flexible and remote work, both as a team member and a manager.
I decided to make flexible working and helping others experience the benefits of this way of life my priority.
Why started Flydesk?
This adventure started a year before the beginning of COVID-19, so the virus itself isn’t what motivated me to start Flydesk. But it’s definitely reinforced my beliefs and vision. 3 years ago, I realized that being successful at work is compatible with the opportunity to work from anywhere with technology, guidance, and trust.
The traditional work model is no longer adapted to the desires of younger generations. That doesn’t mean ‘100% work-from-home’ – I believe in having the flexibility to choose where to work, based on what kind of environment is more helpful for your everyday success. Today, technology has already gave us with all the tools for effective remote work, so we really have no excuse not to adopt this more widely except the issue of trust.
How do you stay inspired?
Hearing from our clients that we’re helping them in their day-to-day lives, that’s good enough for me to stay inspired. It’s still early days for us, so this gives us the adrenaline push we need to keep going. Also, with the current context of the coronavirus, it’s hard not to feel inspired about the rise of remote working. Companies everywhere are starting to adopt this shift.
First and foremost, I want to turn Flydesk into a sustainable business and a work-life model many businesses decide to embrace. As more businesses transition from traditional to flexible work models, I hope that more of their job opportunities become accessible to those in developing countries that lack physical mobility so we can reshuffle the wealth cards even just a little. With remote work, everyone has a chance to be successful.
1 comment
Camille D
I fully embrace his vision of work.
I fully embrace his vision of work.