In the past week of  Summer@INSEAD, we have learnt how to work effectively  in teams. On Day 8, we once again had the opportunity to put our lessons into action with a “Kart and Run Challenge”. We were separated into 5 teams of which each team had to randomly pick a theme in order to design their karts. Each team had one hour to design and decorate their karts. At the end, we had a relay race. It was a lot of fun as you can see!

The plan for Day 8 was to explore Fontainebleau- notably the Sunday market  and the Chateau.

At the market, Scarlett bought a whole chicken, Hajer some strawberries. Other girls tried rings and straw hats.

Boys bought shoes for the closing ceremony and ate Banana splits at the local café.

We then headed off to the Chateau – which is actually a Palace and not a castle. Our tour guide, for the visit of the Chateau, Marie Claire, explained: “A Castle is used to protect its owners against enemies. A Palace is to show off. The Chateau used to be a castle and became a Palace under Francois I in the 16th century. ” 

The Chateau was the favourite residence and hunting lodge of the Kings of France because of the abundant game and many fresh water springs in the surrounding forest. It is also the birthplace of the Renaissance in France.

Indeed, the influence of the  renaissance is seen everywhere in the Chateau:

• Symmetry in architecture

• Paintings and sculptures featuring human bodies.

• Symbols to the glory of Francois I are also everywhere.

• Salamander: The official emblem of Francois I.  The salamander has the ability to live in fire without being consumed and to extinguish flames with the coldness of their bodies.

• Elephant: Also used by Francois I to represent his power, intelligence and his knowledge of foreign countries.

(What we like most though was the intertwined H and C monogram in the ballroom. The H stands for the King Henry II and the C for his wife Catherine de Medici. However, it reads like a  a double D – monogram for the King’s mistress Diane de Poitier or  for Diane, the Hunting goddess. We will never know…)

The visit was also an opportunity  for us to enrich our Italian and French vocabulary.

We learned about:

• Stucco: a mix of plaster and marble powder used to make sculptures lighter
• Fresco: a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly-laid, or wet lime plaster.
• Trompe l’oeil: “deceive the eye” is an art technique that uses realistic imagery to create the optical illusion that the depicted objects exist in three dimensions.

Last but not least, we  address a big thank to HH Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed AlNahyan, the president of the UAE,  for financing the restauration of the Imperial Theatre that we had the privilege to visit.

After our visit, we had a picnic in the gardens of the Chateau where Scarlett was finally able to eat her chicken.

On Day 7 , we visited Guedelon –  a medieval castle in the making.

Ahead of our trip, we watched a BBC documentary on Guedelon  here. The documentary was very good, but seeing a castle being built using 13th century tools and methods before your eyes was something else entirely!

The site started in 1997 and the project should be completed in 2020.  By then,  it should be an authentic recreation of a 13th-century medieval castle.

One of the key objectives of the project is to revive a region in France with history and beautiful countryside, but few jobs. The BBC executive producer explains in the documentary:

“Guedelon is resurrecting the tools and methods before the age of mechanisation. with  a small army of stonemasons, blacksmiths, carpenters, wood-cutters, tile and rope-makers as well as dyers who hand-craft everything on site.”

Fabric dyer

Blacksmith

Carpenter

We started the day with a picnic and a visit to the store selling products made in Guedelon such as potteries, soaps, clothing and hand loomed linen scarfs.

A woman making a reed basket

We then took a tour of the site with a guide who explained that the site was chosen for its nearby forest, quarry  and water supply.

Our guide showing us the plan for the protective walls. These were the first components of the castle to be built.

After our guided tour, we explored the site in small groups. Our group looked at a craftsman turning the lathe, an artisan making paint with a multitude of  hand ground dyes and a blacksmith heating the iron.

The blacksmith heating the iron

At the end of the visit, many of us wondered  how we could recreate a similar project back at home. Guedelon is a good example of how France leverages its culture and heritage to create successful businesses and promote its tourism industry and employment. Can it be exported to the US, Canada, or even the UAE?

Christina, Moritz, Ahmed, Iman and Shahd.

Day 6 at the Google Cultural Institute. We had learnt about Google art project in Prof. Michelle Rogan’s session on entrepreneurship. Now it was time to visit the Google Lab.

The Google art project is an online platform where you can access high-resolution images of artworks. Started in 2011, Google has now partnership with over 300 museums around the world and  a diverse portfolio of high resolution images from archived photos of the unification of the UAE in 1971 to impressionist paintings.

At the Institute, Pierre, a French Googler, introduced us the Google Art project on a giant interactive 65 sq.m. screen. We saw masterpieces like never before.  By zooming on paintings,  we were even able to spot plain canvas between paint brushes as well as the smallest paint cracks. 

We also experienced Google Virtuality Reality (VR) with  the Google Cardboard.

It was created by two Google engineers and a pizza box. Today, with the help of two lenses and a simple cardboard box you can access VR. All you have to do is to download the Google Cardboard App. and insert your phone into the Cardboard box. Pierre took us to the Palace of Versailles and a Paul McCartney concert.

20% Project:

Pierre also told us of the 20% project.  Employees at Google can use 20% of their time  to work on projects of their choice. “This is where the creativity and innovative talents come in” said Pierre…  And this is how the Google Art project was born.

Amit Sood, an INSEAD alumn and the entrepreneur behind the Google Art Project,  loved to visit museums when he was young  but rarely had the chance to do so. Thanks to the 20% project, he and a team of 25% engineers were able to develop  the Google Art Project and allow millions of people to explore museums across the world  from a computer, a tablet or a smart phone.

Pierre  loves working at Google because employees are constantly encouraged to think out of the box as well as pitch in and work on ideas – no matter how crazy they may seem.

Thank you Pierre for this really inspirational visit!

On Day 6 of Summer@INSEAD, we visited the UAE Embassy in Paris. Upon arrival, we were warmly greeted by H.E. Maadhad Hareb Mughair Al Khaili, the UAE Ambassador to France and his team.

We were then led to a conference room where the Ambassador spoke to us about the role of the UAE Embassy in Paris in nurturing the bonds between France and the UAE  and the services provided to Emiratis traveling to France as well as to visitors traveling to the UAE.

Through many personal stories, the Ambassador also discussed the formidable transformation of the UAE from a quiet backwater populated by nomadic Bedouin tribes, fishing villages and date farms on the desertic Gulf Peninsula into a fast-growing modern economy with state-of-the art infrastructure and iconic skyscrapers, as well as a vast melting pot of nationalities and cultures.

The Embassy had also organised a Libanese buffet in our honour. The Ambassador discussed further with us about the importance for Emirati youth to develop leadership and business skills to build the UAE of tomorrow.

After an exchange of gifts, a couple of thank you speeches from our fellow students, we ended our visit with a group photo and some selfies!

The Ambassador was very kind and generous which made us very proud as UAE students.

Hajir, Taif, Abdullah

Amira, Euan, Dana, Mozoun & Saif

Day 4 was dedicated to visiting key landmarks in Paris, the city of lights. Here are some of the highlights of our guided tour with Anna:

• The Grand Palais: We started our visit at the Grand Palais. It has a very large glass-domed roof – the largest existing ironwork and glass structure in the world, we were told. It was built for the Universal Exhibition of 1900 in Paris. For nearly three decades, the Palais served as an exhibition hall for many inventions of 20^th century. The Palais served as a military hospital during WWI and as a truck depot and for Nazi propaganda exhibitions during WWII. Today, it is dedicated to world famous art exhibitions.

• Pont Alexandre III: Also built for the Universal Exhibition of 1900 in Paris, the bridge was a great opportunity to take photos of us in Paris.

• The Invalides: From across La Seine, we were able to spot the golden dome of the Invalides. The Invalides served as a hospital and retirement home for war veterans. It is also where Napoleon Bonaparte was buried. Many decades after it was first built, the dome was restored with over 10 kilos of gold!

• The Seine: Anna also took us on a walk along the banks of the Seine to take the Bateau bus – the boat bus. A great way to visit Paris.

• Notre Dame: We stopped at Notre Dame on the Ile de la Cite. Notre Dame is one of the largest cathedrals in the world. It is also one of the world’s most well-known buildings made popular by The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. Victor Hugo began writing the book to make his contemporaries more aware of Gothic architecture, which was neglected or destroyed at the time. We also stopped for a Bertillon ice cream – the best ice cream in Paris, we were told.

• Eiffel tower: We finish our tour with a long boat ride to the iconic Eiffel tower where we took many selfies!

Overall, an amazing afternoon in Paris despite the heat (over 30 degrees Celsius).

Marcos, Tabitha, Dana, Mohamed Ali, Nouf

Early start on Day 4.  Groggy but excited, we headed off to Paris- the city of lights!

The plan was to visit the Galeries Lafayette – the second most visited place in Paris after the Eiffel tower- and the quintessence of French chic and “savoir vivre”.

A welcoming drink was waiting for us on the rooftop.

We were then greeted by a guide who took us on a tour of the iconic Haussmann store.

Here are some interesting facts we were told during the tour:

• The company was founded in 1895. It was a small haberdasher’s shop – no bigger than 70 sq.m- located at the corner of the rue Lafayette and the Chaussee d’Antin in Paris. Today, the Haussmann store spreads over 70,000 sq.m. and sells about 1.5m products and 3,500 brands from all over the world.

• The Galeries is a family affair. It is still owned by the founding family. Philippe Houzé, an INSEAD alumn married to the granddaughter of the founder is the chairman of the Executive Board of the group.

• The dome is the iconic landmark of the Galeries. Fashioned from steel and stained glass, the dome was inspired by Oriental design, a very popular style at the time of its construction in the early 1900’s. Several pillars hold it up. Where each pillar meets the dome stands a blazon. Each blazon represents a certain region of France that contributed to the fashion industry at the time.

• The double revolution staircase, another key landmark of the department store was removed in 1974 after trade unionists chained themselves to the banisters, to protest against working conditions at the time.

• The rooftop was the theatre of many fascinating tales over the last century. In January 1919, French aviator Jules Védrines even landed his plane on the terrace.

Today, the Galeries grows walls of organic strawberries as well as other organic fruits and vegetables. 1 KG of strawberries is sold for 70 euros!

At the end of the tour, Fabienne and Edouard from the Galeries Lafayette made a presentation on the business model of the Galeries and the challenges associated with selling products to many different customers in a highly competitive market. Some key takeaways from the presentation:

• The Galeries not only serves the luxury segment but also the masses in line with the founder’s mission of bringing affordable fashion and “chic parisien” to everyone … “You don’t need to spend a lot of money to be chic. Everybody can be chic. You just need a good eye.” said Fabienne.

The Galeries goes to a great extent to customize its services in order to appeal to a wide variety of international customers. “Serving so many different customers in France and in our stores abroad is really a challenge. Just imagine the challenge of having to satisfy up to 200,000 customers from all over the world in the Haussman store every day.”  further commented Fabienne.

For example, customers from the Middle East  have their own VIP lounge, in-store access to tax refund and Halal food is widely available in the many restaurants of the department store. American customers also have a dedicated lounge- lounge is part of the American culture, we were told.  They are many but only a few are VIPs. “Convincing managers of investing space and money into serving a segment that don’t spend much money was hard! ” added Edouard.

• Aside from its core activities, the Galeries invests in several initiatives in the environment and in the Arts. The Haussman store even has an art gallery – the only store in Paris to have one.

By the end of the presentation, Fabienne generously offered us some gift bags including a 10% discount card for use at the Haussmann store. Thanks to you all at the Galeries! We will be back next week for some shopping!

Auhood, Eric, Rawdha, Saeed, Sanjana

After our introduction to entrepreneurship with Michelle Rogan, we applied the concepts taught earlier in the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp. This optional session was led by Adrian Johnson, a technology and media entrepreneur. Adrian also teaches the “Your First Hundred Days” Acquisitions MBA/EMBA course and the MBA Startup Bootcamps at INSEAD.

The objective of this bootcamp was to take an entrepreneurial idea from basic concept to pitchable business model.

First, each team had to agree on an idea they would like to develop. Then, each team had to work on the idea together, going through a “business model development framework” addressing the following issues:

• Customer pain and problem
• Solution to the problem
• Market and the competition
• Pricing
• Go to market (and minimum viable product)
• Operations, human and other resources
• Cash, financial modelling and financing

During the several short breaks, each team prepared the different parts of their final pitch to investors – the investors being Adrian and our fellow students- covering each of the above points.

Below the 7 final pitches :

1. The Education Network: An innovative online high school network platform to allow students and faculty to easily organise their curricular and extra curricular schedules. (By: Olivia and Marcos)

2. Universal Sim Cards:  A system to allow mobile phone users while traveling abroad to avoid paying high data roaming costs. (By: Filip, Moritz, Hajir)

3. Fresh n’ fast: A grocery delivery service that uses local supermarkets to fast deliver fresh food to your home. (By: Anna, Benjamin, Coen, Sanjana)

4. Hydrocation: A kit for schools and desertic countries to help grow plants off soil. (By: Emmeran, Nicola, Amira, Eric, Dana)

5. Car Engine Diagnosis: An  app that detects and diagnose strange sounds emitted by your car engine to ensure that your vehicle is safe to drive at all time.  (By: Klara and Nicola)

6. Socialize Me:  An app allowing you to sync and share your Facebook and Google calendar  with friends and family. (By: Tabitha, Euan, Ahmed)

7. Laundry Direct: A cheap, quick and efficient service that caters to university students who don’t have time or energy to do their laundry.  (By: Hugo, Rayyan, Khalifa)

…. and the winning team were  Group 2 (Universal Sim Cards) and Group 7 (Laundry Direct)!

Olivia, Filip, Klara, Alya and Juma

Today was dedicated to a crash course on Entrepreneurship led by recently tenured Professor Michelle Rogan.

During the day, we discovered what makes and drives entrepreneurs and how entrepreneurs identify opportunities and turn them into profitable and sustainable new businesses.

Michelle used a combination of interactive group breakouts, case studies, videos and numerous examples to bring entrepreneurship alive for us.

During the morning, we discussed how successful entrepreneurs think. We learnt about the myths associated with entrepreneurship. For example, did you know that successful entrepreneurs are “risk removers” not “risk takers”? That they combine doing the things they love AND things that people will pay for? That research shows small ideas with proven markets work better than “blue sky” ideas?

We also discussed about our favourite products and services – for a good number of us, it was our iPhones!

We were also introduced to terminologies such as “Product Market Fit” and “Value Proposition” and learnt that after generating a business idea, entrepreneurs need to test their value propositions and achieve product-market fit before growing their business any further.

Michelle said: “There are three main factors that set entrepreneurs apart from the norm. Entrepreneurs think differently; they use cognitive processes and effectual reasoning to achieve a realistic and successful outcome. They make sure to test business ideas – it’s a learning process, and they make multiple iterations before moving the process forward. The most crucial step is achieving product market fit before growing the business any further. This marks the difference between products that succeed and products that don’t.”

We also talked about world-renowned innovators and how they question, observe, network or/and experiment over the course of their entrepreneurial journeys. For example, we learnt that Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple, studied calligraphy at university and was able to use this unique skill to completely revolutionise computer design, therefore giving Apple an edge over its competitors.

In the afternoon, we moved to how entrepreneurs act and build successful ventures. Michelle used two case studies of businesses launched by INSEAD alumni to help us understand actions taken by successful entrepreneurs to lower risk and increase the potential for success of their businesses.

First, we discussed Michel & Augustin, a startup that aimed to do for cookies in France what Ben & Jerry’s did for ice cream. Michel & Augustin sells a range of traditional French sablés as well as yogurt drinks, chocolate mousse and many other yummy products.

A bonus at breaktime was that we got to taste the sablés!

Through this example, we were able to understand the risk associated with entering into the highly competitive culinary market, as well as the rewards that careful audience targeting can reap when passion pays off.

The second case study was about the Google Cultural Institute- an illustration of Corporate Entrepreneurship. The Institute is an on-line platform that partners with museums around the world to make artwork accessible for everyone and for free. Want to know more about it, watch this video.

We watched a  TED talk by Amit Sood, the spearhead of the Google Cultural Institute, and discussed the advantages for Google, a private company, of providing a completely free resource, encouraging art appreciation, and giving back to the global community.

By the end of the course, it became clear that any one of us has the potential to become a successful entrepreneur. Now, we know that “It’s not magic. It’s not mysterious; and it has nothing to do with genes. It’s a discipline and, like any discipline, it can be learned.” Peter Drucker in Innovation and Entrepreneurship (1986)

It inspired many of us to consider becoming an entrepreneur in the future.

We look forward to visiting Michel & Augustin and the Google Cultural Institute in the forthcoming weeks!

Scarlett, Pasha, Abdullah, Hajir and Taif