Forbes 30 Under 30 for 2022 Lists BBA Student Jules Simiand

For its sixth edition, Forbes France dedicated its 30 under 30 list to the rising stars of the French entrepreneurial ecosystem and included Jules Simiand Brocherie, a second-year Business Administration student at IE Business School as the youngest to figure on the list at 19 years old. ExtraStudent, the project he started at 18 earned him a spot among the: “leaders, creators, artists, and athletes who are revolutionizing their respective sectors, and breathing new life into fields undergoing rapid technological change,” Forbes said.

ExtraStudent is Simiand’s initiative to fight academic dropouts and support students. The platform looks like a network that allows sharing sheets, presentations and assignments for the benefit of all high school students in France. Launched in May 2020, Simiand said the idea came to him during lockdown when his peers struggled to keep up with online school. Now, ExtraStudent brings together more than 30,000 members across France and is already initiating its expansion to the English-speaking world.

Take a closer look at Jules Simiand:

You are the youngest talent this year to make it on the Forbes 30 under 30 list, what does that mean to you?

Being on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list is every young entrepreneur’s dream. It’s an honor. It’s the most prestigious list of the most promising people in the industry. For me, as the youngest on the 2022 list, it is a great honor and a great encouragement for the future. Some people say that value does not come with years, and I think that Forbes shares this. This is a very strong and promising message to all the young people who are afraid and don’t dare to take the entrepreneurial step. 

Forbes 30 under 30 rewards those who have revolutionized their sector. What is it about ExtraStudent that revolutionizes its approach?

ExtraStudent is the first social network dedicated to education. Peer-to-peer learning is a new paradigm of education that we are implementing through digital technology. It’s completely new. It’s a significant wager, which I believe they intended to promote.

Where does ExtraStudent stand today? Do you plan to expand to other educational systems?

In France, ExtraStudent currently has over 40,000 subscribers and a cutting-edge, interactive application with a wealth of educational data. I hope that tomorrow it will be a big forum for discussions on orientation, homework help and a database of information on high schools and colleges. A system that we hope to extend to other European countries first and then to the United States.

What is life like for a student-entrepreneur living between Paris and Segovia?

I now spend practically all of my time in Paris which helps me work effectively because my activities are concentrated, but the disadvantage is that I don’t really have a student life there. I have a really unique daily routine where I wake up early, go to the office, brief my teams, do my day’s work, and then return late at night, sleep, and repeat the process the following morning. It’s challenging since you make numerous compromises, see your friends less frequently, and are constantly focused on work. However, I enjoy my work and am aware of its impact. This is just the beginning.

What future projects are you currently working on?

We seek to establish a connection between students and schools. To help students understand their surroundings, we wish to educate them on the various schools that are available. To accomplish this, we will compile comprehensive data on all of the schools in one place. Adding a new phase to the orientation procedure will enable the students to be well-versed in the school of their choice. Once the student is enrolled in that institution, we also want to give the schools the freedom to talk with and update their students directly on the many activities going on there as well as any important information. On the other hand, our system will remain the same. Users will still be able to search through hundreds of course documents and have free chats with thousands of ExtraStudent members. Only the features will continuously advance to the leading edge of digital.

Do you have a message for your fellow students, alumni and entrepreneurs?

Stop censoring yourself, stop believing you can’t do it, stop thinking it’s for others. Do. Avoid asking yourself questions since you will likely not get the answers you need and will end up wasting a lot of time.

“There is still much to be done– the world is changing and evolving, and you and I are the future builders.”

Extracts from the Forbes Magazine: