Marcel
My grandfather, Marcel, was first a professional tennis player, on the Grand Slam tournaments. Then he ran a finance company. Two careers where you learn to prepare, to take the hits, and to decide without flinching.
He was a man who listened before he spoke. When you came to him for advice, he often answered with a question. And he had the common sense of those who have seen a lot come and go.
“I'm not here to give you ready-made answers. I'm here to ask you the questions you avoid.”
When I built this software for the business owners I support, I didn't want one more tool. I wanted to bring back that presence: someone across the table who knows the business, asks the questions you avoid, and leaves the decision to the person in charge. So I gave it his name, and his face.
A name, a face, a friendly tone: it isn't a gimmick. Running a company is often lonely, and you say more true things to someone who listens than to a form. A right-hand man has character: he has an opinion, he pushes back when he needs to, he remembers last time. And a human face reminds you who decides: Marcel suggests and prepares; you make the call.
What he passed on to me
In the photo at the top, there's a racket between us. I think it's the best summary of what he left me.
The court, first. In tennis, nobody plays for you. You prepare, you take the hits, you go again on the next point. A business owner lives the same thing: alone on the court, and in need of someone who knows their game.
Energy, next. The kind that gets you going again after a lost point. That's what I want to pass on to every business owner: keep moving forward, every week, even when not everything is perfect.
Listening, finally. Listen before you speak, and answer with the right question. For more than ten years, that's been my job as a right-hand man: sitting beside those who lead, understanding, and helping them get their company in working order.
Those sessions gave birth to the CED, my 14-section method. Then Marcel, to be there between sessions, at any hour. Deep down, Marcel is my grandfather, still asking his questions.
What I believe
I believe AI is better than anyone at producing: writing, summarising, formatting, suggesting. But understanding and deciding remain human. That's what makes us different: Marcel produces and suggests; you understand and you decide.
I also believe a company without shared memory drifts. Running a company without context, without memory and without shared knowledge was already hard. With AI, everyone produces fast, each on their own: it becomes very hard to know who does what, and on what basis.
Everyone should be able to speak up. But without a framework, everyone does it their own way: key messages, proposals, roles and processes stop being applied, and the company inevitably drifts.
“Power is nothing without control.”
“Trust doesn't rule out checking.”
The framework is what makes trust possible.
Olivier
Olivier Giry, founder of Marcel
P.S. If you'd like to talk, I'm happy to take thirty minutes: pick a time. Or book a demo of Marcel, or request a free audit of your organisation.