L.E.S.S. CEO Yann Tissot: ‘As an entrepreneur, you cannot control everything’

18.02.2021 08:05, Isabelle Mitchell

Our series about Switzerland’s most inspiring entrepreneurs and founders shines a spotlight on Yann Tissot, the founder and CEO of L.E.S.S. (“Light Efficient SystemS”): The Lausanne-based company, founded in 2012, develops unique nano-active fiber technology that sets new standards of lighting quality for the automotive and inspection industries.

Switzerland boasts countless world-class startups, and our series puts the spotlight on some of the best and most inspiring entrepreneurs and founders to find out what motivates them, what they have learned, and what they do when they are not transforming the world with their innovations. To get this behind-the-scenes perspective, we ask each entrepreneur to complete a short profile and choose at least ten questions from a questionnaire about their personal and professional life. In this article, we introduce you to Yann Tissot, the founder and CEO of L.E.S.S., a Venture Kick winner in 2012, a Venture Leader in 2012 and 2014, one of the TOP 100 Swiss Startups from 2012 to 2017, and one of the 25 most promising scale-ups in 2020. 

Name: Yann Tissot
Location: Lausanne
Born in: 1978 in Lausanne
Graduated from: EPFL with an MSc. in micro-engineering (2003) and with a PhD in Photonics (2007)
Your job title: Founder and CEO of L.E.S.S.
Number of employees: 32 employees (as of 12/2020)
Money raised: CHF 17 million
First touchpoint with Venturelab: In 2011 at Venture Ideas

“At L.E.S.S., we develop and manufacture versatile lighting solutions based on our single nano-active optical fiber that generates ultra-bright, three-dimensional and uniform light that surpasses today’s quality standards and allows for the design of unprecedented low-weight and power-efficient lighting systems, especially for the automotive market.”
 
What is your morning routine?
Well, given that this is the beginning of the year with some good resolutions and that we are now prevented from traveling much, I try to stick to the following routine: I wake up at 6 a.m., then I do 15–20 min rapid email sorting/tasks settings, followed by 30 min of sports; then I get ready and wake up the kids, eat breakfast with them and leave for kindergarten to drop one of them off and to be at the office around 8ish. The office work starts with greeting the team and then by placing a large cup of coffee on my desk.

What TV show are you currently watching? 
The Queen’s Gambit. Basically, because of the social pressure. I was the only one at the office who hadn’t seen it yet. But it’s good.

What book are you currently reading?
I recently dived into A Promised Land by Barack Obama, and it is very interesting.

What is always in your fridge? 
Mocha yogurts and Gruyère cheese—they have followed me since I was born, I’m afraid.

What are you most proud of? 
My two (soon three) kids, obviously. And second, of course, to have turned an idea into a sustainable, growing business.
 
What is always on your desk? 
A cup of coffee.

How and where do you clear your mind? 
As a proud dad, it’s during the short but precious times when I play with my kids at home: reading children’s books, doing activities, and being as foolish as a kid.

What is the most challenging aspect of being a founder? 
I have always been a hard worker, and I thought I was somehow prepared for the amount of work and responsibility that being a founder demands. However, I was not prepared for the fast, emotional pace of the ups and downs and for the feeling of being lonely when making decisions during difficult times. These two aspects are the most challenging parts of the job.

What is the most rewarding aspect of being a founder? 
Being a founder.

What is the most important lesson you have learned as a founder? 
As an entrepreneur, you cannot control everything. You have to accept that you navigate an ocean of aspects that you may not even be aware of. Your job is to find solutions on a daily basis to sail toward the coast you intend to land on and be ready to land when it is in sight. Most of the time, the coast is only in your mind. Sometimes it does not appear when it should; other times, another unexpected coast appears. But there is always a coast. What’s even more exciting, to be honest, is that when you land, the story repeats itself.