Think AI-First: Emmanuel Marill on Building AI-Native Companies | OpenAI France

**TL;DR:** You don't need to be a developer to create AI-native products. The key is to start with "What can AI do?" and focus intensely on solving one or two real problems. ## Start with an "AI-First" Mindset In his talk at OpenAI France, Emmanuel Marill emphasized that building products today requires a shift in thinking: **Don't just stuff AI into an existing process and hope for the best. Instead, first ask "What can AI do from the start?" and then build on top of that.** He pointed out that you don't even need to be a developer to start creating. Around Station F, everyone is passionate about the impact this building brings — anyone can start building. ## The Model of an AI-Native Business: Verso Verso is a clear example. Their entire business model is built around AI. They call their core component "the brain." It's a true AI-native architecture, and it's highly efficient. ## Extreme Focus, Go Deep into the Process Marill gave specific actionable advice: - **Be extremely focused.** Find the problem you truly want to solve — one or two, at most three. - **Go deep into the process, step by step.** At each step, ask yourself: What can AI do to improve this step? The key is focus, and working hard to solve pain points that are real problems for your company. ## Pride in the French AI Ecosystem Marill expressed pride in France's AI ecosystem: the field is very broad, research is strong, and there are both outstanding startups and globally recognized large companies. It's not just being part of an ecosystem — it's a fairly powerful, complete ecosystem. He ended by shouting in French: "Vive la France." Source: Think AI-First: Emmanuel Marill on Building AI-Native Companies | OpenAI France (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fu3WWi-pAv4)