Jean-Baptiste Coger

Yo, so let me tell you about Jean-Baptiste Coger. This guy’s the real deal in the startup game. He’s a YC W16 alum, which already means he’s been through the trenches, jumped into the deep end, and crushed it. Before all that, he was rocking a Master’s in Aerospace Engineering, dude’s got serious technical chops, no joke. But he didn’t stop there.

He’s worked at some pretty heavy hitters, Solucom, Eurocopter, places where he was probably doing some crazy technical stuff, probably leading teams, solving big problems in aerospace and consulting. Basically, this guy’s got a legit engineering brain and leadership skills in spades. You can tell he’s not just a nerd; he’s someone who can build shit, lead teams, and think big.

Then, he jumped into startups. His first big move? Birdly, which got into YC Winter 2016. That’s where I think he really learned how to hustle, how to build something from nothing, and how to deal with all the bullshit that comes with startups. He probably saw the gaps in leadership, especially in engineering, and that’s where the lightbulb went off.

Fast forward, he co-founded Plato, and man, this is where he really made his mark. Plato isn’t just some platform, it’s THE community of engineering leaders, the biggest of its kind globally. Think about that, he’s built a massive network of the top brains in engineering, connecting, sharing, leading the future of tech. That’s no small feat. It’s pretty clear that Jean-Baptiste isn’t just about building products; he’s about building communities, empowering leaders, and changing how engineering teams grow and succeed.

What does this all say about him? Well, he’s got that entrepreneurial fire, the drive to solve real problems, not just chase shiny tech stuff. His background in aerospace, working at Eurocopter and Solucom, shows he’s got the discipline, the technical depth, and the leadership grit. But he also jumped into the startup chaos, learned fast, and then turned around to create something that’s actually making a difference for thousands of engineering leaders.

Bottom line? Jean-Baptiste is the guy who’s been around the block, knows what it takes to build and scale, and is now kind of rewriting how engineering leadership community looks. He’s not just trying to be another startup founder, he’s out here shaping the future of tech leadership, one conversation at a time. No cap, he’s the real deal.