At Station F, the ESSEC x ESSEC Alumni Incubator Puts the Focus on Sales

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Chloé CONSIGNY

09.14.2026

At Station F, the ESSEC x ESSEC Alumni Incubator Puts the Focus on Sales

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Supporting entrepreneurs across every dimension of starting a business: such is the aim of the ESSEC incubator at Station F, co-founded by ESSEC and ESSEC Alumni and headed by Pierre Seillier (M13). To mark the publication of his book “ Le guide sans filtre de la vente B2B ”, Thomas Oriol (E98) has joined forces with the incubator to help founders develop their sales techniques. The two alumni have teamed up to offer tailor-made support. A joint interview.

EA: What is specific about selling for founder-CEOs?

Thomas Oriol: English-language literature devotes a great deal of space to the CEO as salesperson. That is far less the case in France, and it is the reason I wanted to write this guide. On top of that, there is now a direct effect of artificial intelligence: product development time is shortening enormously. The MVP (Minimum Viable Product) arrives far earlier in the life of a company founder. Founder-CEOs are therefore confronted with the sales question much sooner than before.

Pierre Seillier: There is indeed a real difference in approach between Latin and Anglo-Saxon countries. The Anglo-Saxons are fond of saying “ fake it till you make it ”: they start selling before they even have a finished product. In Latin countries, the approach is the opposite. Company founders commit more funds to R&D and product design, when all their efforts should be going into sales.

EA: What level are the entrepreneurs who join the ESSEC Station F incubator?

Pierre Seillier: It depends; levels of maturity can be very different. In sales, some companies arrive at the incubator already generating revenue and with customers of their own. Others are only at the very start of setting up their business. Nor do the founders share the same background: some already have marketing experience, while others are engineers. Our role is to give them the full set of tools they need to succeed. Paradoxically, entrepreneurs coming out of a business school are very well trained in management. They are, on the other hand, less well prepared for sales.

EA: Incubated entrepreneurs can attend bootcamps. This year, you have made some of them compulsory. Why?

Pierre Seillier: Until now, we ran an à la carte programme: each entrepreneur signed up for the modules they felt they needed. The system had its limits. Some believed they had the basic knowledge when in fact they did not, which undermined the quality of the bootcamps. We therefore decided to have every entrepreneur take a test on arriving at Station F, covering five pillars: business management, finance, product, marketing and sales. The results then allow us to organise refresher sessions. On sales, we have designed several bootcamps, some of which will be run by Thomas Oriol.

EA: Can every founder-CEO become a good salesperson?

Thomas Oriol: They have no choice. The best product in the world, if it does not sell, is still a failure. It is also worth bearing in mind that selling can create product. One of my pieces of advice is to start selling features that do not yet exist: it changes the way the product roadmap is designed. Sales are not a side issue; they must sit at the centre of building a company and become a product driver.

A second essential element is qualification. An entrepreneur has to understand that eliminating the wrong prospects is almost as crucial as finding the right ones. Then comes customer psychology. The service on offer must be capable of being set out clearly and quickly. Steve Jobs presented the iPod in a single sentence: “ a thousand songs in your pocket ”. You have to be able to demonstrate value as fast as possible.

Further reading: Le guide sans filtre de la vente B2B: pour fondateurs de startups by Thomas Oriol (E98)

Are you an ESSEC graduate and an entrepreneur?

Mentoring, the Station F incubator, business angels, the Entrepreneurs Club, dedicated events… Discover the ESSEC Alumni services designed for you!

At Station F, the ESSEC x ESSEC Alumni Incubator Puts the Focus on Sales

2026-09-14 16:00:00

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2026-09-29 17:54:59

2026-09-14 16:04:43

Chloé CONSIGNY

Automatically generated translationSupporting entrepreneurs across every dimension of starting a business: such is the aim of the ESSEC incubator at Station F, co-founded by ESSEC and ESSEC Alumni and headed by Pierre Seillier (M13). To mark the publication of his book “ Le guide sans filtre de la vente B2B ”, Thomas Oriol (E98) has joined forces with the incubator to help founders develop their sales techniques. The two alumni have teamed up to offer tailor-made support. A joint interview.EA: What is specific about selling for founder-CEOs?Thomas Oriol: English-language literature devotes a great deal of space to the CEO as salesperson. That is far less the case in France, and it is the reason I wanted to write this guide. On top of that, there is now a direct effect of artificial intelligence: product development time is shortening enormously. The MVP (Minimum Viable Product) arrives far earlier in the life of a company founder. Founder-CEOs are therefore confronted with the sales question much sooner than before.Pierre Seillier: There is indeed a real difference in approach between Latin and Anglo-Saxon countries. The Anglo-Saxons are fond of saying “ fake it till you make it ”: they start selling before they even have a finished product. In Latin countries, the approach is the opposite. Company founders commit more funds to R&D and product design, when all their efforts should be going into sales.EA: What level are the entrepreneurs who join the ESSEC Station F incubator?Pierre Seillier: It depends; levels of maturity can be very different. In sales, some companies arrive at the incubator already generating revenue and with customers of their own. Others are only at the very start of setting up their business. Nor do the founders share the same background: some already have marketing experience, while others are engineers. Our role is to give them the full set of tools they need to succeed. Paradoxically, entrepreneurs coming out of a business school are very well trained in management. They are, on the other hand, less well prepared for sales.EA: Incubated entrepreneurs can attend bootcamps. This year, you have made some of them compulsory. Why? Pierre Seillier: Until now, we ran an à la carte programme: each entrepreneur signed up for the modules they felt they needed. The system had its limits. Some believed they had the basic knowledge when in fact they did not, which undermined the quality of the bootcamps. We therefore decided to have every entrepreneur take a test on arriving at Station F, covering five pillars: business management, finance, product, marketing and sales. The results then allow us to organise refresher sessions. On sales, we have designed several bootcamps, some of which will be run by Thomas Oriol.EA: Can every founder-CEO become a good salesperson? Thomas Oriol: They have no choice. The best product in the world, if it does not sell, is still a failure. It is also worth bearing in mind that selling can create product. One of my pieces of advice is to start selling features that do not yet exist: it changes the way the product roadmap is designed. Sales are not a side issue; they must sit at the centre of building a company and become a product driver.A second essential element is qualification. An entrepreneur has to understand that eliminating the wrong prospects is almost as crucial as finding the right ones. Then comes customer psychology. The service on offer must be capable of being set out clearly and quickly. Steve Jobs presented the iPod in a single sentence: “ a thousand songs in your pocket ”. You have to be able to demonstrate value as fast as possible. Further reading: Le guide sans filtre de la vente B2B: pour fondateurs de startups by Thomas Oriol (E98)Are you an ESSEC graduate and an entrepreneur?Mentoring, the Station F incubator, business angels, the Entrepreneurs Club, dedicated events… Discover the ESSEC Alumni services designed for you!