Ep.143 - Un round à la fois (70M$ USD, YC & pivot)

3 Jul 2025 · 48 min
48:24

In this episode of the Ça se passe podcast, recorded live at Québec Slush, host Speaker A interviews Jérôme Soucy Rousseau, co‑founder and VP of People & Operations at Fight Camp, an at‑home boxing platform that combines hardware (gloves, punch/kick trackers, a console) with a subscription‑based software service. Jérôme walks through the company’s origins – a university‑level MEMS project that evolved from a high‑end prosumer product to a mass‑market B2C offering – and shares the personal story of the founders’ early breakup and later reconciliation. He discusses the 2016 Y Combinator batch, the $70 M Series B round, and the concept of “layering” as the organization grew beyond the founders’ operational capacity. The conversation dives deep into the challenges of a hybrid hardware‑software business: manufacturing defects, logistics, electrostatic issues, and the need to fund growth with hardware sales. Jérôme explains product evolution (MVP, second‑generation console, pricing tiers from $300‑$700 up to $1 000 kits) and the recurring $39/month software subscription. Customer acquisition tactics (50 % paid social/search, organic YouTube, word‑of‑mouth) and the impact of iOS 14 privacy changes are examined. He reflects on his leadership style – humility, low‑key mentorship, and a love for teaching – and identifies the personal traits he believes matter most for founders. Finally, he shares two key mistakes: losing sight of unit economics during rapid growth and delayed action on team‑dynamic problems, and mentions tools he currently enjoys (Perplexity, ChatGPT). The episode ends with sponsor shout‑outs and a call to join the Ça se passe community.

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