12 March 2024
Over the past twenty years, Patrick d’Astous founded two companies, which he sold at a profit, while investing in some twenty technology start-ups. This innovation catalyst knows both sides of the entrepreneurial coin.
His expertise lies in creating optimum conditions for a start-up to transform its initial project into a commercial success. A tax partner at EY (Ernst & Young), Mr. d’Astous teaches Technological Entrepreneurship at ÉTS. He draws directly on market realities to share his experience with students, while deconstructing preconceived ideas.
With a bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering from the Royal Military College of Canada, an MBA from Strayer University in Washington, DC, and a master’s and PhD in Software Engineering from Polytechnique Montréal, Patrick d’Astous is a person of many different interests. “Sometimes our path takes us in a direction completely opposite to the one we thought we were taking,” says d’Astous.
A Man of Challenges
One thing is certain, Patrick thrives on challenges. Whether it’s choosing his course of study, the type of companies in which he invests, or the method he uses to improve teamwork, Patrick analyzes the options and then makes a decision based on his instincts. “Investing in start-ups means taking a risk. Half of them won’t exist in five years’ time.” Yet d’Astous is proud to say that, of the twenty or so companies he invested in since 2003, 70% are still in business.
Grey Is His Favourite Colour
Nothing is black or white; everything lies somewhere in between. Surrounded by advisors, an entrepreneur is often faced with several options, all equally sound. Yet, they must take the risk of making a choice. “Indecision is a killer, in business as in life!” says Patrick, referring to his studies in military science.
Three elements help an emerging business to break through: formulating working hypotheses, test planning, and finding the financial resources to execute the plan. “Founding a company is an extreme sport,” concludes d’Astous.
The author of several articles and a book on best practices in software development, Patrick studied cognitive synchronization while pursuing his PhD. He found two flaws in software development. The first is the delicate operation of pooling segments designed separately by different people. The second is the tendency to integrate anomalies into the programming background, perpetuated from one version to the next. “The methods may have changed, but the problem is still there,” laments Patrick d’Astous. His research has led him to give conferences on cognitive synchronization worldwide.
ÉTS teaching professor Patrick d’Astous
Centech and Teaching
Also an entrepreneur-in-residence at the ÉTS Centech for the past three years, d’Astous supports young, high-potential technology companies. When a teaching position became available, Patrick accepted the challenge of returning to a profession he had neglected for some twenty years. “I’ve always taught ‘grey’ subjects; in other words, the answer to a question is often: it depends.”
If there’s one thing Professor d’Astous would like to impart to ÉTS students, it’s learning to make a decision and trusting their instincts.
When Patrick d’Astous has some free time on his hands, he gets on one of his horses and takes on an obstacle course just to meet the challenge of the day.
