The smart vs. the hard workers
Plus: How to communicate pivots
· 601 words
Melanie Gabriel & Christian Woese
February 11, 2025 • Read time: 3 minutes
Dear hustlers, founders, operators and visionaries,
While American football fans were busy watching the Eagles soar past the Chiefs, Europe's tech scene was quietly assembling their own dream team. Forget the Lombardi Trophy; we're talking about a €150 billion prize for (catching up on the) AI dominance. Follow the Gradient and stay tuned.
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Your talk track for this week’s cocktail party
Europe’s Stargate
At the AI Summit in Paris, over €150 billion in investments were pledged to accelerate AI development in Europe. Macron secured €109 billion for data centers, while additional funding from the UAE could bring another €50 billion. The EU AI champions initiative, backed by 70+ companies and major investors, aims to strengthen Europe’s AI ecosystem and reduce reliance on foreign technology. However, beyond funding, clear policies and regulatory support will be critical to ensuring long-term competitiveness.
The AI soap opera that never ends
Elon Musk and a group of investors have just made a $97.4 billion bid to take over OpenAI’s nonprofit, escalating his feud with Sam Altman. Musk claims OpenAI has strayed from its open-source, safety-first mission, while Altman dismissed the offer with a snarky reply: “No thank you, but we will buy Twitter for $9.74B if you want.” Bring the popcorn once again!
What do you meme?
Every other business out there right now.
Food for thought
“Founders must own >50% after Series A” - do they?
Hard work vs. smart work
A viral debate questions whether French founders work hard enough or just smart enough. Critics call Paris’ Station F a ghost town after 6 pm, while others argue success isn’t about desk hours – its startups raised €1bn last year. But as Bill Gurley says: "To think that you're gonna excel and not grind... good luck." Greatness takes real effort. If a startup empties at 6 pm, is it building a unicorn – or just a lifestyle business?
The startup death trap
This week’s event
France
AI Action Summit in Paris, 10-11 February [Program]
Note: Sifted’s Martin Coulter and Daphné Leprince-Ringuet are there, give them a shout if you’re there and want to apply what you learned from our “how to get media’s attention for your startup” episode.
World AI Cannes Festival, 13-15 February [Program]
Greece
Doer Summit in Athens, 12-13 February [Program]
Netherlands
Founders Running Club in Amsterdam, 10 pm 15 February [Sign up]
Switzerland
AMLD in Lausanne, 11-14 February [Program]
CRO/CCO/CSO Dinner in Zurich, 12 February [Apply]
Founders Dinner in Basel or Lucerne, 12 February
Online
SiftedTalks: Lessons from Europe’s fastest growing companies, 12 February 1pm CEST [Register here]
Swiss Startup Association: Webinar: Startup Success Through IP: What Every Founder Needs to Know, 12 February 12pm CEST [Register here]
Did we miss an important event? Let us know by replying to this email.
Smart hack
S.W.I.M. is a simple yet powerful framework by Caryn Marooney for communicating big moments—whether pivots or strategic shifts.
S: Strategy – Define the big-picture shift and align it with global trends.
W: Why Now, Why You – Explain the urgency and why you are the one to lead it.
I: In Action – Outline clear, measurable steps to execute the strategy.
M: Mistakes – Acknowledge that missteps will happen but stay committed.