This is Nantes a drill

I just booked my tickets to go to the Uneed retreat social event in Nantes, France. Thomas Sanlis, who runs the Uneed launch platform, went on a founder retreat in Vietnam last year and loved it so much he decided to put on his own event in his city, Nantes, which is south west of Paris. 

I hadn’t realised he was organising this week-long residency until it was too late to apply. Only 10 founders were accepted. So I was really pleased when I learned that he was organising a social night before the proper retreat which is open to anyone. I don’t know many founders in Edinburgh, where I live, so I jumped at the opportunity to take part, even if it’s just for an evening. A part of me thought it’s maybe a little crazy to go alone when I don’t know anyone but then I figured if I don’t go, it’s the type of thing I’d regret when I’m 80. (This is how I make a lot of decisions now - will I regret doing this/not doing this when I’m old?) 

I follow Thomas on X so I soon began to see other founders were planning to visit for the social evening too. One couple are driving all the way from Amsterdam. Another couple are coming from Cluj in Romania. One guy is coming from Portugal. So suddenly, travelling from Scotland to France didn’t seem quite so crazy.

Also, I rationalised that I was pretty sure I’d have a good time and meet some cool founders and the worst case scenario is that I get to spend a few days in France. Not really a bad deal! I’m pretty sure with people coming in from far afield we can find a place to hang out and work together. There is also the opportunity to meet Thomas and the ten retreat participants properly. I follow a few of them on X but it’s much more fun to actually meet people in person and I know some of them are doing really well with their businesses. 

With most of the startup conferences happening in the US or South East Asia, it’s nice to see an event for founders in Europe. I’d like this to catch on and for there to be more social events for entrepreneurs. It’s also a good way to get more people to check out my High Signal newsletter and talk to people about SEO and ghostwriting. In the mean time, I’ve booked my hotel and flights. Nantes, here I come!