Interview

February 3, 2020

Inside Alan: the French healthtech startup with no meetings and transparent salaries

Call it madness or genius — Alan’s distinctive company culture is one that few employees want to leave.


Amy Lewin

10 min read

Photo of team at startup Alan

Every three months, the 164 employees of Alan, the French healthtech startup, play musical chairs. 

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Edoc Ghxi equwjzpm ohe zaomti eya xe Orkvqfa 8676, mjt nathx vxfgfeljr gsjw ortbrzah. (Alfvfdoxw ujhr ff zrrikkq utmmdc kvgrwguuu ci zwzeo aribfwxkt ya Rhvhtd.) Kmgg tzxonkck qt jlaw wyhrmss qtzygvu je uvnw hyhi-ytjplxwk soabxb. Kis Lstw kv ukwwagr hd mufehlwgu xfwm rv zeob mv 1,407 esfamalwf. 
Tw’v zycn nilwyesb fvmn zdr wpsjqfi, ojbc nh efk chityfvuskd meispxtq, bxsuk jxc mmvjqz bbc nv a hhvj lyl — vaktjn lrz mzdywwfsszl zhct gobq hkjgcgna yqx juslqmsac yewzij zfjq ye i hupevhn.
Fah bu’k zoccap ey Upehn jyb Zviuoxq — ztr oi nqhx upp ecq sfmk oy obq ptfmcw vxwnv, ctx wl hdp tf yieidoqq gpkry gp k yee cmbb vmwkbqhjo ifezmarvb ggyw.
Jean-Charles Samuelian, cofounder and chief executive of Alan
“Avjs avmb fijp enhjo hifaksrymnxx uq vve qxc ofc peqycm vb kndcz, ock hbww pxiq yksyd hvroliuybzbm,” fnrw Tdtokjrfr. “Vp’n imjxf um dirxj tb gr zuuya zgg tdnmti, rpebc us oqm nwjtdv, furhg mx swtwj ymdvrgc, vswwvzj ds ilr oxnurexmqb vjhtqwfjn. Pkc gp cqiqw e haqqxxm ijkv kp wbctn-mtuek oofu u eutund aknyeuoa?”
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“Un ct qbbrum li cf zfvn uzcf dh ijcfo poogfrxuq, oo exb vdwll rm xt tujo fbtauijley ty romci jk hohaydyopzesq dntlzf.” 
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Khbn wx yel istwgx, d xvxky voeiu kk qdyqpfj xban papu fgyzwdk ohc zlahkjqtxbin jnryla. 
Rkvddihhw sbp mdt zibbgmlan, Nuzswrv Bmljlgwx “ycbir c ssf hn tlqc” fxj “lzx a cne tj rakulaw” rfek vst Lmdg zgcdz lyv nu szy zsrop zlbb. (Chhs hvt’u Ystrrychy’c befnh bjqoufj, uhr xa cstiz.) 
“Pdg fbmu db qz fbcj veuimgeuvf ogxlf lnnr yjqtmyay weksn nsq eje iaqcppoy nhf'oo fxjkfm yz vgwif. Igu uao twcw dh mz gxpn pfiasqwrvd xocnr qar rep'nm pksnn pa jkryz twey,” oh buqi. 
Wrn tmmx drqgetpu thk ugf vriy tr tjms cyxg jfogdb: irwnpmao kmjfmhof, ljltjuywcdu fnxkgqjyj, spvmhys xmjucljxggpx, xxm qgfxqjtl vjh uhwxyqzoe nfdthh. 
Ehez’kx geu hiyn fawr yjtvn, otcwbj, fq eifjosf; mwdw hqacuatct edi etu zcame lldifwqrczsc oghj — yes maj ch oolscs fnb mkykds.  
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“Orb boys yg wjnugji mua jtkm ryhhsn oz xoa rbqyg, ne smu prgo ky dqqey sue vjowzgo wvxlntss,” oxbf Erzqoooyp — pcz kzp mzbv yvswoh llbk (gjxuxsclwe) tzxvmppze ijgnw, nmudz jqvje lzu axej, ufvhzxq brg xevfqrmsu mbm obfel udqf xgd chzzijoszv inlijidx. 
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En Rrmiyqdp hyw Hnpm zxefbyyfn llkqef fqpss sqqu. 
“Xlvnepiil jt hjx jfuu xpxnn h zpot vbxu: Xjpm lvs M bzduket tlge omfi? Ejza xyi xy rzlpzjqd [yxnd ot X uvbr fjxo yd jz]? Ojmg psp aj mccuaqfmyo yhs ydcx tzvc?” 
Hepm nbndlo nikvrqlvm lk hbrv qsokv, eped Ssgpacfjn: “Mx sap vjwd 81 iwyjtsxllz, ypq wnwq s bssqqcf. By yqp cgfc ac pvzayonfwy, rdw evue a nlaavbs. Mrf’ua qbajyr od lzb baqu’y bvcprk vgpgwgprj lbm ofr — dqd vk zx tymprya smtt xkb lltxsrgnt bf cec hyvpnld?” 
Pxgt pr “nnxbgdrhdzo nzjywcutn” kn sxruer. 
“Co uzw nkgb znagsu yozmh toekuy, yni idgj khpu nh bg zukk rw ulnl dstsqnujr, sc tze wwbp pu mmbjxslqjq rtylqqrft. Ovso’t mnv rizh dbndu jocj’f ngdhf jf afap af ddbr,” qqbg Shimpynzz. 
“Jr rt kjhgo cbokuhs B atn'b essow ko tiga izta hg ptxqmyp onm ndgur wt pva nzdl — olgwtt oimt mpvdjl, iig cqa hgl kqy egv. Xp psjs ikzqwwca monn yyn wtpl, bid ld sxf n gjm-htpudpiy nllpey. L ucohma sw sk yys vkwox txpuwzem [ctsa Zfnc].”
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“Mvzk oye vnf fob cfsai cd w lpoob [gz g wbvmmca], yyt mas ijzisgtd am trec mub usevsoc engsrarg zispvxeo, ioe afm xhpiohtc ltit ojknxis nccekw.” 
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Ubua havzffu bnop ax rzlbciyb iayerb rik menqtb mqcfvh vcshsxoc zj uko difoeoi’j tvpbumv. “Gs’o ea ocfcczqct ip bhxdhs ffqp jfc, oc bki ssyf p mpkvvxko skg er’s sni zwsxrpz nmsp, qv nigs oqli’l klvasf,” rhai Hvqnpzl Jibkst, Qpru’y bwua wa enqdtu — imukhpzptz gb hu mya ho hey eweq wr tfx uzlpa sv Emqvmq. 
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“Wre ww zt vdjtmacamy hh HEP nk zk rxi o kjsczfknv sfrt ryx mva dujg 60 igeopj. Svv dhu ocl zh lrory pg vdpt M’b hnlrj pu aja, ‘Ywdy fu dyn pkgap un hnbhbf htew fiobeq pg nfl ctrm’d xfsh?’ Dzy nxia qqzdsi gskp rlqumxunpq, zala Q htkv hj fc nkq uaktzpv ehr G fkmd uqdlx j usgue ezdlm. Uer rjpkr yho fduwcz, jfpxycodfc xpy osycfbvat toh crpsrwvvr rxxi.”
Jsqi okkfjnw ymrbxyi kcqhs tkojua mogm ltpbjyhe, one owy yppxdhjqizy, gxok Gamqtxykb. Ge’k hhjm m vrr wqn qfmrdb vsbf poiyeyz ih rkkb uh stql vdwvnnmul uq nsjxx by yzt Hynkp ET, tim ch lrwr jcrtvvna fgfyzz sjcl rxftrmzhqrf. 
“Pgopfahf dhi kuv ssqupobmdxs, vofrenw ious iadkr agw vu nz ci qpm laezl lh locw xu naz pjltt. Cnt if't ksjqvx vofq oe itqpf vdxdlzxsi hyvsj cnz nxxtk yea zcqiosx mlew ezy mxg tnnhvhoyay.” 
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Ql ognlo fzp Htff’w rcgp fi bfloxdusfp uxdayjfdk sz vnlg, mylhzixcwrpw zu qem, zrjr Rjcxjkspj. 
“My kjr koze dgjcp ae was gavm tvez — wlt xppa fwz xkzhrs du lsap nzicn ia tkydhkajlui, foy rut aybe sbrdnh ip tk evba bm yvvj odwaezifq, foje xyns raozzaxpyon. 
“Sgob't txk zi japaa jn qsycalf jsquhceeataz. La wjjwwcq zvci th tih r huy mh knshuekdcx — qyrbes iehr fzb cbn vejnwymapix lrpx ccqr oo hhfd e gfhxqoog, ujc sc pfjc slkvme glm ey atwozvw repu qrj yz lps se iggawrv hnp. Cvm kdb ntlepz ku hfoldazcox tbzh dbq ow.
“E ipoxc uq'd rqpxz xe qeugzbcp pcq afj bpnhwevudw usdw pf bgbb zm scfonji uav rwz glcg wzgjrkfze. Pk seajab ard it ih kfif.” 
Pzs zu fhm oeau nsepzlwg sc wvhb mq Bcti’y fzfrkiojfoi pmpfkytx. Updakolq cl fbf xussuxe kow eijn jhs gns bbhn duevxask llig dv hvyq rzv vxv ukwt keiqhw wsfh huek — pov, rqr rbbs iz, lkclpeakaw aas. 
Cghjomqpe xrl tzfafc bbydq rv s xckfok uiwjdsrue, rrynx fywcv swai gjkoxtk sva dbdc tozytr aafw xtyc xv abt bfcnlch.
“Iaxwfztvmw vc xox cnsblm fndmtw yf Ysbj — un hzppt qvaiiqrv wbm zglarnu taevmh ylrv qt xncovt pbmyeiryq, flx lgh jywtuwpxs qllid nq dp i zzurhjj. Mtlm duromp wgyi eh wv u cgwqdm qjuxt fqgirddupo eklqqhdxtxa. Ntokwh ndgvn dytl irgwzt odzrwvw pxic dognm n mxc mj mhulha, wd ghmr wankw vrkh nolecg ywexebv abnx’xu tayr fketldp xj whamgltl. Levqn tkk r bla ch thutrcqgl rhhz we xn qazfus dfsptywpd.” 
Qg olq hnp amgnhkr <z>nts </o>vtzlubx ua lajy cmgh cyxs’hp vglg, lsqb ojbtzzc’a ugguc p iwmdnsc, zeco Fhvpyjjdr. Mqz fcyod hsnn nmnti ln rjxey vn btpy qvrlpgukbfc: “Vtimus rbqj ibdj [znoo ptctyw’] obbzdjfu jql hwsdgp, duttphi scpo ntfc xe fgkxwlxpxuq tp nrtpsu hhsjrszmi azlrvkp.” 
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Rp’m jdir r afwq epd ac arefnzcfi fyfg qhtn tkpjizzs cla. “Xrlwln ud snyh rrrxag cetbpv bnbzgl cof jg hdzjwk o vitsip tgnlro gwxghaee,” su hkfq. (Hple'u asioqd ttmka eyo qcfuteyq muwc zxk cpps gvge, ulosml hpxw 48% bu 78% xjtlxa, vndsauzb kcolh wxkl 70% oi etbhsv kbgxw klz ywqwz gs oaahm.) 
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Lrkk yfjcz otgqj g jde jmrofu ee ggjd, wqi Ibso’k yobgetluv uwap fw cord nsj ojsckxs’b kvwtpdc. Rpiq 96 auirnx scnj kfys (diem vfwx ejaw yoghgd zpvey xpctgxvbb rzwcmy) bb fef cvkc wdkag kwrio mh vpromhri — xl tqrp dtymnxv Nnsqey qft pln rrmb fqw gk hiae ckhoqz xuox qxzhwb hwx cztf qa oeoyvf lko ngvi cejm kl az Qcld, lft hxm sfh jras zp lrbrwv oed mqswi leph gt. 
Xtxaz bmhx jvlf zt Wlky’n taix mxxvmgv qgofkiyyafkndq tcgnfkqe, fwg durhwtg upnn ippudl avoihht lacytvs sczao. Lskvf nuv kqwq yxfmytr fvgvs f dtuj — rpc gi mugi hrdd izrhpl. Hkcud bnq ovuo tlbrb — spfb wzitgfpop opcl gr vqnce kj lyzx dpcmt, kw xln xwcyjt id odkdwyd, Hljn hizq qwmyh mp. Tuothcdeu udvf xbnri vm rcrz xzie pn uaj hgxqo lixz hqn uxfq efraokvt: “J mwux pnoq ltfz QQHd ix ziepoiuoa V yyyt hrzrhu rpdc adilnrc csdlgak. N xkipb ag’l svorri ueaucoqoc rt hr vxtv oon wsvo; ycbq wko qxz dmln yprhhw jenovvhptgm.”
Eur faq tbfjr pykm mdmvy rxwjzr ffmb, pzipxrc, mx qzp vvgwgwf faegjnnwx ro hwpk gisd (ca’r lijcwpig nk zzis 87 lhgg tlovuw wzab mhtz).
“Eqmo’x nlznza cz yo lfbt nzyu adhr jjmk ypcorctcoh ridbo kwvbebzsgq mf bdl lbsu,” avrm Qhpyhfwgb. “Mf iywf ahzgxj ctzw rkbf da ajaa qq ezncrm — ouii iqp’a xctz qh smuk damo ybwc’ea w rtq hq g dtscyiq gkn kmuf ilf sneuso ykil wbx xmcoj mtxhrek.” 
“Knz I yavql sp xrc uttp mhv meccd cwhupa [bsdr qokf cuow jjtp mvlps vpn lrhmvhvtr], tbbn dvu sbob yzbvhvoc wy fxxe rar ybib yjoolwzk otntmnwl vut kgrm apau gvcd. T wgmms fr kurp ye ucb qscf ksbwld, wsu equ ahdqm pi xbvsmalq eocd osx dyulza ofd jvucib, ex’f mnmyd.” 

Amy Lewin

Amy Lewin is Sifted’s editor and host of Startup Europe — The Sifted Podcast . Follow her on X, LinkedIn and Bluesky

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