Why I Left Tech to Bake Biscuits
At Douceur Elise, we make refined, thoughtful biscuits to be gifted, shared, or simply enjoyed with someone you care about. Everything is baked by hand in the Bay Area...
You may remember I left Salesforce a few months ago.
👉 Here’s the post if you missed it.
So… what happened next?
Well, I co-founded a French artisan biscuit company in the Bay Area.
It’s called The French Cookie Guys, and I’m building it with my childhood friend Laurent.
Growing up, we cherished the French tradition of quatre-heures—gathering with family over coffee, tea and biscuits; sharing warmth and laughter. Today, we bring that tradition to life, baking the same biscuits we grew up with. Each one carries a heartfelt message to help you celebrate life’s special moments.
Now, let’s explore my reasons for leaving tech and start a biscuit business since, by now, you probably think I am crazy :-)
A Passion, Revisited
This isn’t coming out of nowhere. I’ve always had an interest in food. My first startup was called Eatricious (“eat nutricious, eat delicious”). It was a healthy lifestyle site with recipes and articles. I wasn’t baking professionally yet, but I’ve been baking French classics since my teens.
Starting this biscuit company isn’t a detour. It’s a return. Baking for others, and trying to turn that into a real business, is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time.
The Timing Was Right
After 12 years at Salesforce, and an entire career in tech, I found myself with the unexpected gift of time. I could have joined another tech company, probably smaller and more focused on AI. And that would’ve been fun.
But I took the chance to ask myself: What do I really want to do next?
I’d just turned 50. I’ve worked and lived in six countries. Years ago, I told my family and friends I was moving to Sofia, Bulgaria with two weeks’ notice. So no, this isn’t my first big shift. But it’s one I chose with intention. I wasn’t running from anything—I was choosing something I believe in.
A Craving for the Craft
In recent years, I missed building. Really building. I’m a maker at heart, and I felt that itch again—the need to create something tangible, from the ground up.
This business gives me that through what I call the craft triangle:
The craft of the hands – baking, shaping, refining each biscuit
The craft of the brain – leveraging tech and AI to build a smart, efficient, and scalable business
The craft of the heart – doing work that carries meaning and care
But it’s also about ownership. I’m not just designing a roadmap—I’m responsible for the outcome. I’m in the front seat of go-to-market: driving sales, testing ideas, and making sure we grow. Every decision has a direct impact. And I love that.
Building With a Childhood Friend
I wouldn’t have done this alone.
Laurent and I grew up in the same village in France. We played tennis together and still play every Friday. We went to the same high school, and stayed close even as life took us to different parts of the world—China, Germany, the U.S. He spent years as a mechanical engineer at Tesla before jumping into this with me.
Starting something with a childhood friend is a different kind of partnership. It comes with deep trust, shared roots, and a lot more joy. It doesn’t feel like a transaction—it feels like a shared adventure. And that makes all the difference.
Still a Tech Person
No, I’m not done with tech. In fact, I’ve never spent so much time actually learning, experimenting, and building with AI.
I use AI tools every day—for content, image generation, process automation, marketing, etc. I’ve learned fast because I’ve had to. And that hands-on learning has been incredibly energizing.
We use tools like Shopify, Make.com, Omnisend, and ChatGPT to connect and automate nearly everything. And it’s made me realize how much of a competitive edge comes from doing, not theorizing.
We're building a biscuit brand, yes—but we’re doing it like a tech-first company.
A Family Business, Not a Startup
The French Cookie Guys isn’t a venture-backed rocket ship. We’re self-funded. There’s no burn rate cushion. No pivot runway. We make and sell real products, to real customers, right now.
That pressure creates clarity. When we make a big decision, it’s not theoretical—it’s existential.
We’re not chasing valuation. We’re building something that has to work. That discipline—of making money, quickly and consistently—is what defines us. It’s not easy, but it’s very real. And that’s something I actually love.
Still Learning, Every Day
This has been one of the most intense learning phases of my life.
We make mistakes. We fix them fast. And then we move. From production to packaging to pricing—every step is a lesson. Every week stretches me in a new direction.
Of course, there’s a trade-off. I’m not earning what I used to. But I’m learning more than I have in years. And that, to me, feels like the right investment right now.
Thanks for Following Along
Even though I’ve changed industries, I’m still very much in tech. I use AI, automation, and digital tools every day to run and grow our business. And I’ve probably learned more—by doing—than I ever would have in a larger company.
I still care deeply about product management, and I’ll keep writing here. But now it’s from a new vantage point: as a food entrepreneur using technology to build and scale a real business. I'll share the practical applications of tools like AI agents and automation—not just the theory. And I’ll continue offering sharp takes on what’s happening in tech and product, grounded in hands-on experience.
I’ll also be sharing more about our journey with Douceur Elise—what it’s really like to start something from scratch, what we’re learning along the way, and how two longtime friends are trying to turn French biscuits into a Bay Area staple.
If you want to follow along, you can:
Follow us on Instagram @douceurelise
Connect with me on LinkedIn
Or sign up for our newsletter to get updates on our biscuits, business, and behind-the-scenes stories
Thanks again for reading. More soon.