In a world crowded with self-proclaimed tech visionaries, Jean-Philippe M.L. Schepens van Thiel stands apart — not because he speaks about the future, but because he listens to the oldest teacher of all: nature.

Jean-Philippe, the dynamic & visionary CEO of AxonJay and a self-described “techno-positivist,” believes that technology, if shaped correctly, can make business decisions not just faster, but wiser. His view isn’t theoretical. It’s rooted in a lifetime of observing both markets and migratory birds, two ecosystems where survival depends on agility, timing, and deep intelligence.

In our conversation, Jean-Philippe smiled modestly as he explained his philosophy: “The Earth is an algorithm that has been optimizing itself for over four billion years.” It’s a signature insight — blending a mathematician’s rigor, an ornithologist’s patience, and an entrepreneur’s drive into a remarkably fresh perspective on AI and business.

At AxonJay, Jean-Philippe leads a quiet revolution: predictive AI that is transparent, teachable, and constantly evolving. Instead of static models that decay over time, AxonJay’s algorithms learn, adapt, and improve — much like Darwin’s finches. Every prediction made by their system reveals not just the answer, but also the “why” behind it, inviting users into a rare partnership with the machine.

The company’s name itself tells a deeper story. “Axon” refers to the neural fibers that connect brain cells — the thicker and more active they are, the sharper the mind becomes. “Jay” honors one of nature’s smartest birds: the blue jay, capable of remembering up to 27 different locations where it hides food. Native Americans once observed these birds to predict weather changes based on their gathering patterns — a living testament to real-time, high-stakes decision-making. “That’s what we want for our customers,” Jean-Philippe said. “To spot rare opportunities, to remember important signals, and to act with precision.”

This transparency and agility are no trivial features. As Jean-Philippe pointed out, most AI systems today are black boxes, expensive oracles you must keep revisiting for updates. The consultancy model gets rich; the user stays dependent. Jean-Philippe offers something braver: autonomy. With real-time feedback loops and reinforcement learning, AxonJay empowers users to continuously sharpen their AI models without needing to start over every few months.

But what truly elevates Jean-Philippe’s work is his insistence on the human core of technology. In his words, “AI will not take your job away — but it will certainly transform it.” His vision is not of machines replacing people, but freeing them — from endless cold-calling, from guesswork, from soul-crushing inefficiency. Salespeople, he believes, should have richer, more meaningful conversations — not ask if someone’s interested, but show up already understanding their needs, already in sync with their timing.

The results speak for themselves. Take the Belgium-Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce, where AxonJay’s platform doubled client engagement rates — not in a year, but in a quarter. The secret wasn’t brute force. It was precision. It was timing. It was the art of being in the right place with the right message at the right moment — just like the smartest birds choosing their migration routes.

Jean-Philippe’s career is a tapestry woven from economics, statistics, ornithology, and a deep reverence for organic systems. Even his previous company, Swan Insights (Social Web Analysis), paid tribute to Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s Black Swan theory. In Jean-Philippe’s universe, birdwatching and market-watching are not different disciplines; they are part of the same deeper quest: understanding complex, evolving systems — and thriving within them.

Now, as he prepares to bring Axonjay across the Atlantic, setting up shop in New York, Jean-Philippe’s mission is clear. He’s not selling AI. He’s selling something much rarer: a way to see the world more clearly, move more intelligently, and act at the perfect moment.

The Earth, after all, has been doing it for billions of years.

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🚀 Meet Jean-Philippe M.L. Schepens van Thiel 

As CEO of AxonJay, Jean-Philippe blends nature’s oldest lessons with cutting-edge predictive AI — building transparent, real-time systems that help businesses make faster, wiser decisions.

In our latest conversation, he shares why “The Earth is the ultimate algorithm” — and how understanding it can transform how we sell, connect, and grow.