ACCESS French founders and AI priests with Maxime Germain
Dec 12, 2025
Maxime Germain, Founder and CEO of Beside, dives into the revolutionary world of AI-driven phone calls. He discusses how Beside manages an astonishing 2.5 million calls monthly and aims to redefine telephony for businesses. Maxime contrasts building an AI startup in Europe versus the US, emphasizing the importance of emotional design. He shares insights on the challenges of creating an AI receptionist, the unique needs of their users, and the future of AI memory. Plus, he highlights how Beside enriches human experiences rather than replacing jobs.
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Founder's Roots In Local Business
- Maxime grew up around local businesses and built websites for plumbers and electricians as his first business.
- That background shaped Beside's focus on the real economy rather than knowledge-work tools.
Win By Small, Familiar UI Tweaks
- Beside built by tweaking familiar mobile UIs (like iMessage) rather than inventing new paradigms.
- That 3% change approach unlocked adoption among workers who use phones for business.
Priest Uses Beside For Church Work
- A priest customer uses Beside to manage inbound calls, schedules, and personal details from parishioners.
- He populates the receptionist with Bible-specific data to give meaningful responses.