What does the dot-com boom have to teach a generation that grew up with TikTok and ChatGPT? More than you might think.
In this episode of We All Make Mistakes, Professor Ben Voyer welcomes Cyrille Coiffet, ESCP Master in Management alumnus and Vice President and General Manager of Art & Antiques at Catawiki, and Eva Bensaid, Master in Management student and co-founder of the ESCP AI Society.
Coiffet and Bensaid are separated by three decades but united by the same restless curiosity about technology and what it means for the way we work. Together, they discuss technological disruption, AI and the mistakes that help us adapt.
Same storm, different waves
For Coiffet, today’s excitement around AI echoes earlier waves of disruption, from the dot-com boom to Web 2.0 and digital marketplaces. One mistake he saw repeatedly was the belief that a new technology, website or platform would be enough to attract users and create value.
But technology alone does not build a business. As he explains, companies also need a sound model, rigorous execution and a clear understanding of what users actually need. Being first is not always what matters most. What matters is creating value that lasts.
For Bensaid, AI raises a different but related question: how do students use powerful tools without becoming too dependent on them? “One big question we have is whether our skills now will still be relevant tomorrow,” she says, “and to see what is still very human in us that AI could not replace.”
The skills that remain human
Both guests agree that curiosity is essential in moments of change. Coiffet has built his career in industries reshaped by technology, from media and travel to art and antiques. His advice is to look for sectors where established ways of working may be ready for disruption, while remembering that technology must serve a real need.
For Bensaid, the human skills that remain essential are creativity, judgment and the willingness to try. AI can help students organise ideas, code, explore concepts and work faster, but it cannot replace intuition, emotion or original thinking.
As Coiffet puts it: “Understanding what the technology can do, but really always starting with the business needs, is what the future is about.” Bensaid points to something equally important: “Creativity is really what’s remaining for us, as well as our willingness to try something new.”
Fail faster, learn faster
If there is one through-line in Cyrille’s career, it is the willingness to go where others aren’t looking. He left a six-figure banking salary when colleagues thought he was mad. He moved into vacation rentals in 2008 when nobody cared. He pushed into emerging artists at Catawiki years before the data confirmed it was right. Each time, the outsider perspective turned out to be the advantage. His advice to students? Read widely. Think in long patterns. And don’t ask for permission: ask for forgiveness.
Eva’s take is simpler and no less useful: mistakes aren’t a big deal as they help us learn. “At first, it’s a bit harsh and you don’t really know how to handle it. But later on, it’s a good lesson and you definitely learn a lot from mistakes you make.”
Whether you’re wondering how to position yourself in a world reshaped by AI, or simply curious about what the last thirty years of tech disruption can tell us about the next five, this episode offers a grounded and energising perspective from two people on very different — but equally fascinating — sides of the wave. Tune in to this episode of We All Make Mistakes with Cyrille Coiffet and Eva Bensaid for the whole conversation.
