Three Decades Studying Human Behavior
The Guiding Question
I've been fascinated by a single question for 30 years:
Why do people trust some interactions and reject others?
This curiosity led me to found Metamedia in 1994—one of Paris's first multimedia labs—where from our Eiffel-designed office at 32, rue des Jeuneurs, we designed experiences for French record labels, Japanese fashion houses, and global banks. Every project became a behavioral experiment: What makes customers choose? Why do teams adopt?
It led me to Start Me Up, my second venture navigating the dot-com boom and bust. And eventually to doctoral research in consumer behavior—formalizing four decades of applied psychology into academic rigor.
The Origin Story
Raised North American, Forged French
I was raised in North America but I am French. Entrepreneurial spirit melded with an artistic mindset—I was destined to design.
Metamedia: Paris, 1994
My first startup introduced CD-ROM engraving to the institutional market and became one of Paris's first multimedia labs. From our Eiffel-designed office at 42 rue des Jeuneursâ€"where the French stock exchange meets the confection quarter—we designed experiences for:
Sony Music (understanding fan emotional connection)
Essilor (decoding trust in healthcare technology)
Honeywell (analyzing enterprise adoption patterns)
BNP Paribas, Axa, Société Générale, Barclays (banking psychology)
Accor Group (hospitality experience design)
Each client taught me something about human behavior: What builds trust. What drives adoption. What makes interactions feel human.
Start Me Up: Surviving the Dot-Com Era (2000-2006)
My second venture navigated the boom and bust. What remained constant: clients valued a creative director who understands business, gets things done, with style.
Multiple creative industry prizes. More importantly: lasting client relationships built on behavioral understanding.
The Turning Point
When AI Companions Changed Everything
When Replika and Character.AI emerged, I recognized something others missed: AI adoption is a behavioral design problem, not a technology problem.
Why do people bond with some AI personalities and find others unsettling? The answer lies in consumer psychology:
Trust formation patterns
Communication style consistency
Behavioral expectation matching
Context-appropriate personality
Initially, I envisioned bespoke AI personalities for high-net-worth individuals—custom companions trained on personal behavioral patterns.
But then the strategic pivot: Mid-market companies need this transformation more urgently.
They have the budget ($50K-$150K for AI initiatives). They feel the pain (40%+ staff time on manual processes). They need differentiation. And they're underserved—big consultancies chase Fortune 500, DIY tools create generic chatbots.
Angel.AI was born: 30 years of consumer behavior expertise applied to business AI personality design.
The Credentials
Academic Foundation
Doctoral Research in Consumer Behavior (Mahidol University, 2017-2024)
MBA in Innovation & Marketing (Audencia Business School)
Masters in International Business, Trilingual (Université de Bretagne Sud)
Ethics Studies (Politecnico di Milano)
Teaching Experience
10+ years as Adjunct Lecturer at Mahidol University (2012-2023)
Advertising Strategy
Digital Marketing
Brand Management
Consumer Behavior
Professional Certifications
Google Partner - AdWords
Data Scientist's Toolbox (Johns Hopkins University)
Developing Innovative Ideas for New Companies (University of Maryland)
Languages
French: Native
English: Native
Thai: Professional Working
Spanish: Professional Working
The Proof Point
Wall Street English: Chief Marketing Officer (2011-2012)
As CMO, I delivered what matters most: measurable business transformation.
Results achieved:
50% improvement in marketing efficiency through strategic optimization of PPC, SEO, and CRM
Transformed customer acquisition costs
Increased marketing contribution rate
All within the first year
This wasn't luck. This was applying behavioral psychology to business challenges:
Understanding customer decision patterns
Designing acquisition funnels matching behavioral expectations
Building systems teams wanted to use
Same methodology I now apply to AI implementation through Angel.AI.
The Behavioral Design Difference
Why Angel.AI Works When Chatbots Fail
Generic chatbots fail because they ignore psychology. They're technically sophisticated but behaviorally tone-deaf. Teams resist them. Customers distrust them.
Angel AI flips the approach: Behavioral design first, technology second.
I don't just implement AI tools. I design AI voices using principles learned across:
30 years of consumer behavior study
Fortune 500 transformation projects
Doctoral research in human decision-making
10+ years teaching behavioral psychology
Two founded companies built on understanding people
The result?
AI voices that feel like colleagues, not tools
Teams adopt them enthusiastically (80%+ adoption rates)
Customers trust them (behavioral authenticity)
Finance measures them (40-60 hours/week saved)
Current Focus
Mid-Market AI Transformation
Based in Bangkok, working globally.
I help mid-market companies (50-500 employees) implement AI voices that:
Sound like their best people (not generic robots)
Build customer trust through behavioral consistency
Drive team adoption through psychological design
Deliver measurable ROI in weeks, not years
Target industries:
Manufacturing (200-500 employees)
Professional Services (50-200 employees)
Healthcare/Medical (100-300 employees)
Logistics/Distribution (150-400 employees)
Service range: $15,000 - $75,000 implementations, or $15,000-$30,000/month strategic partnerships
Why This Matters
The Unfair Advantage
Most AI consultants
2-3 years of experience
Tech blog credentials
Vague case studies
Technology-first approach
Ben Cotte
30 years transformation experience
Doctoral research + Fortune 500 proof
Documented 50% improvements
Behavioral design approach
I'm not a new AI consultant learning the ropes.
I'm a 30-year transformation veteran applying proven behavioral expertise to the AI era.
That's the difference. That's the advantage. That's why Angel AI works.
The Philosophy
What I Believe
Personality is a behavioral asset, not a nice-to-have feature.
Trust is designed, not assumed.
Adoption happens psychologically, not technically.
AI that sounds human isn't about better algorithms—it's about understanding what "human" means to your customers and teams.
Results matter more than buzzwords.
After 30 years, I've learned: clients don't care about your technology stack. They care whether it works. Whether teams use it. Whether customers trust it. Whether finance can measure it.
Angel AI delivers that. Consistently. Measurably.