There have always been forces bigger than me pulling me to stay where I am, where I belong, even as the entire creative industry seemed to be telling me to leave.

Going to the right place

I get the statu quo : big cities concentrate events, clients, and networks. In France, if you're in a creative industry, Paris feels like the place to be. That's not entirely wrong...

... But it's not entirely true either. Because underneath that idea sits a deeper belief: the place makes the project. If you're not in the right city, you're on the wrong path.

I carried that doubt for a long time. Then I looked at the people who made the opposite choice.

Those who stayed

Phil Knight founded Nike in Beaverton, Oregon, a suburb of Portland. World headquarters is still there. MrBeast, the biggest YouTuber on the planet, runs his operation out of Greenville, North Carolina. Population: 90,000.

Neither of them needed a gigantic city. They needed clarity on what they wanted to build. And the discipline to do it.

What I've learned

Building in a smaller ecosystem has advantages people underestimate. Less financial pressure. More focus. And when you're one of the few doing what you do in your city, you get noticed faster. Less noise.

With steez (the creative agency I co-founded), I started seeing Metz differently. I met people who had made the same choice: building ambitious projects in a human-sized city. We recognize each other quickly.

And over time, you realize one thing: your impact isn't limited to your territory. Projects grow beyond where they started, and technology closes the distance.

Staying isn't a lack of ambition. It's choosing to build with what you have.

You're in the right place.
Paul