The Monday Media Diet with Benoît Pellevoizin

On Les Echos Weekend, Minimalist Phone, and the power of fiction

Benoît Pellevoizin (BP) is a strategist and marketer. I first met him when he worked at FRED&FARID and am always impressed with his thinking and taste. Have a great week. -Colin (CJN)

Tell us about yourself.

I am responsible for Marketing Communications and Investor Relations at CoinShares, a leading European investment firm specializing in digital assets, i.e. crypto. Our work involves offering regulated financial products that allow both institutional and individual investors to gain exposure to digital assets. Essentially, we provide crypto ETFs and hedge funds.

Working in digital asset investment is incredibly exciting because it lies at the intersection of several dynamic fields: technology, with the evolving decentralized protocols; politics, particularly in regulation and the role of central banks; macroeconomics/geostrategy, including the shifting power dynamics in mining and the challenges faced by the chip and pin industry. 

Previously, I served as the Chief Marketing Officer at Ledger, a company known for its crypto hardware wallets. Before that, I worked as a brand strategist in various creative agencies.

In my free time, I am a fan of spy novels. My dream is to create a French publishing house dedicated to translating the latest Anglo-American espionage books. We don’t have this in France while French readers love spy thrillers. I also enjoy cooking with the help of ChatGPT, and I love spending time at my house in Luberon, where I relax, hike, and savor good strong wine.

Describe your media diet. 

I start my day by reading the Financial Times. After that, I check Les Echos, Le Figaro, and Le Monde. Throughout the week, I collect articles, reports, and newsletters I haven’t had time to read and print them at the office. On the weekend, I buy the printed version of FT, The New York Times, Les Echos Weekend, and sometimes a French news magazine like L’Express or Marianne. I spend Saturday and Sunday mornings reading these printed materials and the weekend editions.

In terms of newsletters, I appreciate the thought-provoking perspectives of Noah Smith, even though I don’t always agree with him. I also enjoy Doomberg’s analysis of energy conflicts and Arthur Hayes’s provocative commentary. It’s crucial to consider contrarian and Cassandra views, especially when mainstream media tends to be balanced or overly optimistic. As I like to say, even the paranoid can be right. 

On a more lighthearted note, I always enjoy reading the Monocle Weekend Edition by Andrew Tuck on Saturdays and Tyler Brûlé on Sundays.

As for audio content, I don’t really listen to podcasts since I find it hard to focus on just people talking. Instead, I prefer the radio and make it a point to listen to L’Esprit Public on France Culture every Sunday. This program delves into two current topics with four different intellectuals who can truly express their thoughts and insights.

In terms of TV, I enjoy watching C ce soir, a French daily debate show that tackles a new topic every day. It’s always educational and features intelligent discussions with people who hold diverse viewpoints. The debates are conducted politely, offering a great way to form your own opinions. The hosts, Karim Rissouli and Camille Diao, excel at guiding the conversations, ensuring that participants clarify their thoughts and delve deeply into the issues at hand—something increasingly rare on TV today. We should be grateful that in France we are fortunate to have a robust public broadcasting service.

What’s the last great book you read?

The last great book I read was La Géométrie des possibles by Edouard Jousselin, a young and ambitious French writer. This debut novel attempts to create a “world novel” similar to the works of Richard Powers, weaving together multiple storylines and characters. The narrative spans from Los Angeles to a remote mysterious village in central France, featuring a diverse cast that includes a Mexican immigrant, a French movie producer, an American family, and French business school students. In the end, all the disparate threads come together in a way that makes sense. Jousselin successfully captures the essence of contemporary France, its connection to globalization, and its impact on individuals. At the same time, it’s deeply psychological, with characters possessing profound and well-developed personalities.

I am very pleased to see new French writers like Edouard Jousselin who demonstrate strong ambition and move beyond purely sentimental novels with no substantial narratives. French literature has, at times, become mired in depicting small, intimate issues, forgetting that its true purpose is to explore universal themes and experiences.

What are you reading now?

I'm currently reading "La Reine Margot" ("Queen Margot") by Alexandre Dumas, having just finished "Blue Ruin" by Hari Kunzru. I enjoy alternating between classic and contemporary novels. Alongside fiction, I always have a non-fiction work in progress; at present, I'm reading the European review "Le Grand Continent," which aims to bring together European intellectuals to foster strategic and political debate about the future of the European Union.

What’s your reading strategy when you pick up a print copy of your favorite publication?

I’ve been an avid reader of the Financial Times for the past ten years. On Saturdays, I immerse myself in the FT Weekend main supplement, and on Sundays, I enjoy the Life & Arts supplement and HTSI. My approach is consistent: I scan the cover, quickly read the articles that catch my interest, and then browse through the entire publication to identify the pieces I want to delve into. I particularly enjoy the opinion double-page spread in the FT Weekend, which is always filled with valuable insights.

I also love sharing How to Spend It with my wife. We have fun imagining what our shopping list and travel could look like. 

Who should everyone be reading that they’re not?

I believe people should read more fiction rather than just business books. Fiction often contains more profound knowledge and insights than non-fiction. Imaginary scenarios can be far more meaningful and enlightening than 500 pages on a specific topic. 

What is the best non-famous app you love on your phone? 

I love the app Minimalist Phone. It transforms your Android phone into a more streamlined and focused device. It’s not a dumb phone; rather, it allows you to select the apps that are important to you and hide the ones that are distractions.

Plane or train?

Train, of course! French train lines are excellent. While the French tend to complain about trains being late, we actually have one of the best rail infrastructures in the world. With the TGV, I can travel from Paris to the south of France in less than three hours. You should definitely try!

What is one place everyone should visit? 

Yazd in Iran. This unique desert city, with its high walls designed to protect against the sun, creates a labyrinthine feeling unlike any other. It’s where the Achaemenids invented wind towers, which provide natural ventilation and passive cooling for buildings.

Interestingly, Yazd inspired George Lucas in his creation of Tatooine in the Star Wars saga.

Tell us the story of a rabbit hole you fell deep into. 

I’m not typically someone who gets lost in rabbit holes. 

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Thanks for reading,

Noah (NRB) & Colin (CJN) & Benoît (BP)

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