From Dreams to Reality: The Inspiring Journey of Joel Gueguen and DreamOnTech
Welcome to our exclusive interview with Joel Gueguen, the visionary entrepreneur behind DreamOnTech (DOT), a groundbreaking multidisciplinary agency offering a wide range of digital services. Joel's journey is a testament to determination and passion, beginning with his early dreams of entrepreneurship and leading projects. From his formative years in Senegal to his education in France, Joel's path was paved with a relentless pursuit of knowledge and hands-on experience in the fields of business and technology.
His academic achievements culminated in a Master's degree in Information Technology and Software Engineering, but Joel's ambitions didn't stop there. He dove headfirst into the professional world, gaining valuable experience in various companies before eventually founding DOT. Since its inception, DOT has rapidly evolved into a global collective of over 500 experts, offering 25 tailor-made services across digital, technology, training, support, design, and marketing. Joel's innovative approach, coupled with his unwavering commitment to excellence, has positioned DOT as a leader in the industry. In this interview, Joel shares insights into his journey, the vision behind DOT, and his plans for the future. Join us as we delve into the world of Joel Gueguen and the remarkable story of DreamOnTech.
Early Life and Education: A Journey of Passion and Learning
Tell us something about you, your early life, and your education.
Ever since I was very young, I had a dream of leading projects and creating my own business one day, while adhering to well-defined ethics, principles, and values.
My journey in the world of business and technology began in 2009 when I was 15 years old. I had just completed my studies at Collège privé Jean XXIII in Tambacounda, Senegal, and I moved to France to continue my education at the Lycée privé Notre-Dame Du Mur in Morlaix, Finistère.
In 2012, after obtaining my scientific baccalaureate, I joined the Université de Bretagne Occidentale (UBO) in Brest, where I enrolled in the Science Pour l’Ingénieur degree program. A few months later, in 2013, I received a certification for my participation in an entrepreneurial project that involved finding tools to raise awareness of entrepreneurship among students.
In 2015, I completed my Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science with a specialization in Robotics. I was fascinated by the R&D sector, especially the research activities with the LAB-STICC within the UBO. I also appreciated multidisciplinarity and participated in numerous projects during my Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science.
For example, I contributed to the promotion of the International Journal of Engineering and Technology Innovation (IJETI); I created a new design for the game 2048, which was very popular at the time, in Smalltalk programming language for my participation in the ESUG 2014 organized by Cincom Systems; I took part in a scientific publication entitled: Process Assessment Issues in a Bachelor Capstone Project, and so on. Therefore, I decided to pursue my studies further and joined the Information Technology and Software Engineering Master’s program at UBO in Brest.
Then, in 2016, after finishing my Master 1 (Maîtrise), I enrolled in two Master 2 programs simultaneously: Engineering Computer Sciences with INEAD and International - European - Computer Science - IT Project Manager with FEDE, which were in partnership. INEAD was based in Vitrolles and Paris then FEDE in Geneva, Switzerland.
In 2017, when I was 23 years old, I was close to finishing my training and I planned to continue to a doctorate with FEDE. However, I had a lack of time and a resurgent entrepreneurial spirit that prompted me to embark on my research into Serious Games: Education, Training, E-learning, and Innovation.
From 2015 to 2020, I gained valuable experience working in several companies ranging from start-ups to large corporations. I also worked for an ESN and software publishers/integrators.
I’ve been passionate about technology since I first touched a computer as a child. Undoubtedly, my university studies fueled my passion, which later became my profession. After some experience in the salaried sector, I set up my own freelance business. I had to work on several projects simultaneously until I realized it was time to build teams because I couldn’t keep up with all the demands. As a result, DOT now offers 25 tailor-made services, all of which I provided myself as a freelancer. So, I’m in the best position to oversee everything DreamOnTech offers, including a panel of tailor-made services with seasoned experts who are passionate about their chosen fields.
Establishing DreamOnTech: A Vision Realized
Tell us about the business and its presence in the target market.
For a business like DOT operating globally, it is paramount to consider embracing multiculturalism and global markets.
It all started in 2013 when I was looking for THE solution so that my need for rewarding human adventures and my love of technology could one day come together to create a better future. It wasn’t until 2015, during my Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, that I started working on the visual identity and gigantic universe of DreamOnTech (DOT). DOT began in late 2020, and the agency was officially launched in 2021.
For a long time now, my goal has been to be one of the leading French-speaking IT companies and be present worldwide. After an audit of the current situation in the digital world, its increased performance, and its prospects for evolution, it seemed essential to me to create DOT to offer customized services in various sectors of activity for all types of companies to meet all their needs.”
“DOT is a collective of over 500 people today, offering exactly 25 well-identified services in digital, technology, training, support, design, and marketing. Besides, we also have over 400 partner companies on five continents. This led me to create a specific name for the agency’s type of structure: MMA (Multidisciplinary Multi-service Agency).
Today, our services are comprehensive, tailor-made, and constantly evolving with the global market, meaning they don't have to search and find multiple service providers for each of their needs. DOT is better able to keep up with the changing needs and developments in the life of a company. We’re here to help you progress in your development, and that’s the most important thing to remember. We already centralize everything one needs to start or accelerate a business. Let's schedule a meeting with my team to discuss all your current and future projects!”
Future Growth and Expansion: A Vision for Tomorrow
What are some of the growth and expansion plans you have in your pipeline?
My teams and I accompany all our customers’ projects from A to Z. Our services are mainly aimed at B2B and B2C customers; DOT has the solution for every budget. No one is left out because DOT has the advantage over its competitors in offering customized solutions tailored to your budget and needs. So, there’s no take-it-or-leave-it offers with lengthy processes.
Today, DOT rests on four pillars and offers exactly 25 tailor-made services:
Tech / Digital / Innovation: Website creation and design, custom software creation, mobile application creation, Web referencing, Serious gaming, Cloud computing, Cybersecurity, Chatbot editing, AI, BI, Hardware specific, Embedded systems, IoT, etc.
Strategy, Marketing, Support, Training: Branding to develop your brand, Streaming, Videoconferences, Digital Marketing, RGPD Compliance, Data Protection (DPO), Specific Coaching & Consulting, Customized Goodies and Customized Sourcing.
Creation and Communication: This range includes UI, UX, Responsive design, Social Media (Community Management), Audiovisual production, Communication, Multimedia content creation, including videos, writing articles, blogs, documents, visual animations, etc., and network ads Campaigns.
Science / R&D: Our R&D service range consists of co-collaboration, Continuous technology watch, and science for hardware and software.
An essential part of The MethoDOT philosophy is to take a positive approach to our work, proposing the ideal solution for our customers. In the form of strategy - design - creativity. In strategy, we listen to our customers' needs, show them the current trends in their sector of activity, and provide them with the most relevant answers to develop a real digital strategy. Besides, our job is to centralize all the customer's objectives in a single design that will enable them to stand out in the long term. And lastly, creativity is the icing on the cake and one of our greatest areas of expertise. The creativity of our consultants will enable the customer to benefit from a variety of original approaches to branding and communication management.”
“Multiple packages are offered for financial benefits for customers, with accurate follow-up during and after service delivery. In addition, an R&D and Innovation department is located within the company for all our projects to ensure that we are always at the cutting edge of technology and that our services are of the highest quality, long-lasting, and innovative.
Our approach is to go beyond our potential customers' initial hopes and expectations. By co-collaborating with them, we have an infinite range of creative possibilities to suit their needs.
Reflecting on 2023 and Looking Ahead: The Company's Journey
How has the year been for your company?
2023 was really nice with a lot of new things. Some information is confidential for the time, but DOT has launched several platforms and New “Powered by DOT” products will appear in 2024. However, I can’t go into too much detail at the moment. We’re always open to partnerships, and I’d be delighted to establish prestigious alliances with some of the world’s leading companies to collaborate in the future. There will also be new conferences on specific themes for individuals and businesses.
Furthermore, we will offer quality hardware solutions such as charging stations (DOT4ENERGY), laptops, VR/AR/MR headsets, and 360 screens for both
individuals and businesses.
What excites me today is innovation and transmission. Innovation, because it’s always exciting to realize that nothing is set in stone, nothing is taken for granted in this digital world, and that everything is still conceivable to improve many things, without forgetting the crucial role people play in so many technological advances.
The transmission, because I’ve always enjoyed reassuring and helping younger people to realize their full potential. By giving them tips and advice so they can be aware of their ability to take over later on and, in turn, continue to shape a better world.
Competitive Advantage and Market Position: Setting the Standard
What does your business offer as per the current competitive market?
The concept is based on a simple observation: make digital accessible and modular to as many people as possible, within a defined budget. Our passion for the culture of excellence and high standards drives us to aim higher and achieve great things together. I have a well-defined strategic role at DOT. While being the company’s founder, CEO - CIO, and Global CTO, I also created The MethoDOT, an alternative to the AGILE method that is so well known worldwide. I organize my time within the agency between managing the company, travel, and professional discussions as the CEO, while:
As the firm's CIO, I activate the technological watch on all our services and closely monitor our advances in DOT's R&D and Innovation Center so as to always remain at the cutting edge of technology and be able to fully satisfy our customers.
In the role of Global CTO, I am responsible for deciding on the best possible strategy for the technical and functional aspects of each project to be launched. I also discuss with the project managers and CTOs involved in the projects in question. So, it's up to us to collectively decide on the best possible solution for a customer, according to its budget, objectives, and market dynamics.
DOT aims to offer innovative, visually appealing, and functional products. We have the advantage of being a unique polymorphic company with three pillars. Our firm has its own software and hardware products available on the market. Along with this, MMA (Multidisciplinary Multi-service Agency) is another pillar of DOT to offer efficient results on all projects. Regardless of the type of products, DOT is an integrator of proprietary and open-source solutions already on the market through our numerous partnerships around the world. At DOT, transparency, and humanity are the order of the day because we’re all about sharing our principles and values with our customers. Our mascot, ‘DOTly,’ believes the agency has no competition.”
“The world will continue to evolve digitally, and human beings will have to find their place in it. Without wishing to be seen as avant-garde or to create a new digital system, DOT simply wants to provide an alternative to the current digital world. Our expertise in so many services also enable us to meet the growing demand from companies to help them develop the skills of their teams. More than a company, DOT is your ally and trusted digital partner from A to Z, offering you personalized support tailored to your business.
Through our consulting and coaching service with our partner, LIVESENSEI, we have a clear social objective - the survival of our relationships with the people around us. Based on this general observation, DOT wants to propose the “Digital Learning LAB” (DLL) program to enable DIGITAL teaching for all. Another social objective is to teach children to think, invent, and code. Also, our cluster "The Original Digital Universe" is entirely dedicated to the issues faced by companies in their current or future digital transition, helping our customers and partners work more serenely and sustainably. Our ambition is not to create coders but people capable of understanding the ins and outs of coding to help these younger generations evolve.
Digital technology also enables us to make our courses more fun and attractive, by integrating videos and podcasts, and by enabling exchanges 7 days a week with our team of senseis. We offer two types of workshops for those concerned:
Digital Reporter Workshop: Weekly workshops for children and teenagers, immersing them in a newsroom: understanding information, discerning fake news, and building a media outlet
Creative Code Workshop: Coached by experienced senseis, we develop learners' ability to master the key principles of digital creation and the key concepts of programming, with an emphasis on building logical and algorithmic reasoning.
We also look forward to democratizing the standard use of today’s technological resources. Everyone should have access to digital technology for personal or professional needs. DOT's mission is to offer you innovative, visually appealing, and functional products. Our vision is to go far beyond the definition of a trusted technology partner and to be recognized for our ability to deliver powerful strategies and advice that position our customers for success.”
Building Effective Teamwork and Unity: The Key to Success
What measures do you think employees and organizations can take to build effective teamwork and unity?
Transparency and communication are the secrets of a successful, long-lasting company. It is unthinkable at DOT to omit these great qualities from our everyday interactions.
The importance of real emphasis on skills transfers and intergenerational relations within the company is paramount. I want everyone to find their place as they should, with mutual respect and a desire to share their knowledge and skills with as many people as possible. Some of the team’s younger members already have a good deal of experience in the field, having been coached by the agency’s experts, some of whom have been in the business for over 25 years, while the average age stands at 32.
The most experienced are excellent trainers in their sectors and are always looking for new technologies. For the quality of their work, they have the best equipment necessary to be as efficient as possible in their activity. DOT has a well-defined organizational chart for strategic decision-making, but the agency operates with a flat hierarchy. Everyone can give their opinion as soon as someone is concerned about a project, and those in charge will make the best decision collectively. If an employee gives their project manager at least two weeks' notice, they can choose any rest day in the working week, offering the freedom of time for extra-professional activities.
Health is equally important, and we care about it at DOT. All our services are fully remote compatible, except for particular needs such as cybersecurity, audiovisual production, and support and maintenance services, where occasional or even regular travel may be required. With such an atmosphere conducive to productivity, customer satisfaction is bound to exceed expectations since the service provided is often more than the customer expected.”
To succeed as a business, it is crucial to have an efficient team.
And if you want to get an efficient team, you have to consider first, people that works with and for you. It is quite important.
Investment in Research and Innovation: Pioneering the Future
Tell us about the company’s focus and investment in research and innovation.
Firstly, I want to make innovation a point of honor, as doing things like everyone else doesn’t interest me in the abstract. However, this should not be misunderstood! Because it’s possible to do several activities and have a great deal of expertise in each of them. In other words, all these services are supported by the dedicated centers of expertise I have built to create the dream team for each of our services today.
I created DreamOnTech to save any company in the world time and money. DOT is no longer a startup but the MMA (Multidisciplinary Multi-Services Agency) of MMAs. Among other things, I offer a single-entry point to access 25 services that are all the rage today, with flexibility never before seen in an IT company. Usually, this would make sense, given that most people want to save time and money. The point is to show that a company added to a person’s revolutionary, humanist vision and altruism can make a massive difference in this country, France, and worldwide.
DreamOnTech doesn’t claim to revolutionize IT, just to be able to respond to all kinds of requests as far as possible, with no pre-established view of customer profiles or budgets, but to meet their needs as effectively as possible. DOT has ten commitments to respect for each of the services provided, namely, Efficiency, Quality, Personalized advice, Creativity, Responsiveness, Transparency, Meeting deadlines, Team spirit, Productivity, Strategy, and Innovation. We aim to offer the right services for B2B, B2C, and, above all, the innovative H2H approach, and which are 100% reliable, customizable, and efficient.
As I said earlier, among my many roles, I'm the company's CIO. So, anything to do with R&D and innovation, I keep a very close eye on, so as to always be at the cutting edge of technology and to offer the best possible services to our customers.
When we create a concept, a project, a company, or an ecosystem that responds to global issues, we’re necessarily already anchored in the international market, so our resonance is international. The international context has always interested me ever since I was young. I always wanted to know how people lived, thought, and worked in other countries.
When you achieve a certain pedigree through hard work and dedication, you command respect, and the people around you, whether they like you or not, can’t deny that you’re changing the world by transposing your vision wherever you go. It’s called natural leadership, and people quickly realize that there’s great potential and interest in working with you. Because these people are also looking for something special, something new in this world.”
“Whether it’s my employees, my partners, or even my customers, they’ll first try to connect with people responding to significant problems linked to current issues and their personal and professional needs. From there, DOT is the only agency that has created a set of solutions to all their problems, leaving no grounds of hesitation to talk and collaborate with us. Our teams are multicultural, and we speak several languages, mainly French, English, Spanish, and Portuguese.
Furthermore, I’ve always enjoyed discovering new landscapes, learning about new cultures, and forging partnerships worldwide rather than competing against each other. Travel is the most beautiful book in the world. It was, therefore, evident and essential for me to have an international dimension in my business as soon as possible.”
DOT has no employees making us an exception to the competition; we only have highly multidisciplinary freelancers, and the permanent contract no longer suits them. Because some of them are very experienced and rather than being confined to a single position, they could offer so much more, they feel more liberated, which shows. Today, for example, freelancers can work 2 days a week as a salesperson, the other 2 days as a project manager and 1 day as a team coach for the same customer or several customers. This way, they feel efficient as they can bring out all their skills and no longer feel the compartmentalization that can be a natural brake on creativity and productivity.
In entrepreneurship, you have to accept that you can pivot no matter what, especially when you have no choice but to move forward. My initial project was designed for large-scale events and specific recruitment. Except that the pandemic arrived in the meantime, so I might as well tell you that launching a company to manage events at the time was no longer enjoyable. So, after a few months of reflection, I decided to create DOT. But, I don't regret having changed my mindset and my business. Because now, I have a huge perspective on the vision of impact entrepreneurship, with very precise ambitions and aspirations as to what I want to contribute for future generations. Moreover, I want to start my training institute, from kindergarten to doctoral school.
By co-creating a global program with those who want to change the world now, we can take into account the scale of human, ecological, climatic, environmental, societal, economic, cultural, technological, geopolitical and scientific needs. I am waiting for the French government to come forward and plan an urgent discussion on the renewal of education in France and around the world as this is more than necessary for future generations.
Tips for Startups: Navigating the Entrepreneurial Journey
Any tips for startups looking to get onto the similar pathway?
The authenticity and impact of the added value offered through a startup's services will always make the difference!
We can talk about mastering personal & professional branding, but that's just one ingredient - albeit a very important one - in the recipe for real business.
Selecting a personal story from my life is no easy task, as both my personal and professional life has been long, tiring and enormously complex. As a student, I suffered the full force of hatred, jealousy, misunderstanding and malice. Today, I thank God, as all this has helped me to understand human beings better. And despite all that, I'm still standing. Young people enjoy listening to my story because it gives them the strength to keep believing and to give themselves the means to succeed, no matter how complex life may be. So, it's comforting to feel useful in this way.
I created DOT partly to support the grand ambitions of young people who are only sometimes, misunderstood or untrusted because of their great imagination and dreams.
Today’s youth also have the right to dream their wildest, most idealistic, and utopian dreams to realize them and build a better world. I’m just looking to bring hope to young people like me, who will feel much better when they see where I started and where I am today. I want to contribute my part towards making this world better than ever, and give others the interest and desire to be able to do it themselves. For themselves, but also for the next generations to come, in a world that is currently in total perdition.
I just want to help my parents financially in their retirement and my immediate family, who were the only ones to believe in what I've been doing all this time. The ultimate aim is also to help people in need, because the more I have of my own funds, the more I'll be able to give to associations or foundations and show that it's "almost" very simple to change this world as long as you have a real ethic, a moral, a deontology with consistent principles and values. All you have to do is set an example with a path, and then the paths will do the rest.”
As far as DOT is concerned, I decided from the outset to donate 15% of the company’s profits to fund the activities of the Association Commune Des Actions Solidaires (ACDAS) and other partner associations. All companies, in their way, can do this and bring about a positive change in a society that needs it so badly.
Today, all our current processes are based on The MethoDOT. The way we reason and act says a lot about our personality. When you've had such a tumultuous and complex life, you've got to find some interest in it. Isn't it more interesting if it all serves a purpose? So it's absolutely not what I'm going to wear tomorrow, nor where I live, nor my bank account, nor the make of my next car that will define who I really am after all; It's quite absurd to have such reasoning on this planet. What's more important is to inspire people and bring hope to future generations.
By telling yourself that you can start from nothing and do great things in your life. You have to have the will to do it, and never give up, because it's a long marathon, not a sprint! In any case, if you want to stay in the business, it's always been preferable to opt for the long marathon. I always want people to do better than me in every way. That’s the challenge, and that’s what authentic leadership is all about! I want to perform and be a better version of myself every day, and of course, I want people to do even more than I do to inspire me to always do more and better.
I also love writing and reading for inspiration and creativity. I'm thinking of one day writing inspirational books on how to prepare for tomorrow's world for the next generations as well as the current ones. I don’t necessarily want to be everywhere but to live my thousand and one lives without any regrets, remorse, or fear because I will have given the maximum of everything I could have done during my life on this earth.”
It is fully necessary that we need to get to know ourselves and learn from past mistakes to achieve future success. It should also provide the solutions that need to be put forward as quickly as possible to rectify the situation in the best possible way. It takes a little bit of everything to make a world and it depends upon each individual to decide where they feel comfortable and where they belong. Being an entrepreneur isn’t straightforward, as it requires a great deal of financial risk before there’s any return on investment.”
“Knowing how to decipher current events with the fake news that constantly surrounds us and the toxic information that doesn't help, doing more harm than good, is important. It's impossible to blame everyone else all the time. At some point, people make their own choices, deciding who they're going to be with, their lifestyle and so on. So they have to accept the fact that they've been in certain situations that have led them to where they are today. That's how they can begin to change the way they see things.
Lifting others up instead of putting them down. Learn to always look for the positive in others, even when our experiences seem uninteresting or meaningless.
Never assume that you're alone, and that talking about your project to your friends and family is your biggest fear, because if you want to move forward, you can't keep everything to yourself all the time without talking about it, so that people can give their opinion, directly or indirectly, on your project.
And above all, never sign a partnership until you've agreed on the A-Z operating procedure. There's no point in making partnerships if people don't share your vision. Because if you want to force things, in the end it's always the same: a lot of wasted time and money. If we want to change the world for the better, we have to start by appreciating the positive things we can do ourselves. Then, replicating our actions will do the rest.
Finally, don’t be afraid to speak out and act. Show a different and positive version of the world. Think of the future generations and the urgency of the situation. Appreciate the positive things you can do and replicate them. Be resilient, perseverant, and determined. Anything is possible.
So, there are plenty of parameters to consider before starting an entrepreneurial venture. I look forward to sharing my news with you in future adventures.
In conclusion, our interview with Joel Gueguen, the founder and CEO of DreamOnTech (DOT), has shed light on the remarkable journey of a visionary entrepreneur. From his early dreams of leading projects to his relentless pursuit of knowledge and experience, Joel's story is one of passion, determination, and innovation. Through DOT, Joel has created a global collective of experts offering a diverse range of digital services, with a focus on personalized solutions and excellence. His commitment to transparency, teamwork, and Communication has not only shaped the success of DOT but has also inspired others to pursue their dreams and make a positive impact in the world. As we look to the future, Joel's vision for DOT continues to evolve, with plans for further expansion, more partnerships, and social impact. We thank Joel Gueguen for sharing his insights and inspiration with us, and we eagerly anticipate the continued success and growth of DreamOnTech in the years to come.
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