Project: PartnerNote
PartnerNote is a B2B SaaS for generative ambient music. It targets businesses such as gyms, cafés, hotels, and restaurants that need licensed background music. The core claim is that music generated without a human author may fall outside SACEM and SPRE licensing requirements.
Legal thesis
SACEM and SPRE require licensing fees for music played in commercial spaces, but their frameworks assume music has a human author. Steven’s January 2026 research examined whether algorithmically generated music in real time escapes the concept of fixation entirely, because the music exists only when played and is authored by no one. “Territoire juridique vierge. Potentiel commercial énorme. Risque proportionnel.”
A brief was sent to Nomos (an IP law firm) for formal legal validation.
Structure
SAS registered with INPI, early 2026:
- Steven: 51%, Président
- Dimitri: 49%, Directeur Général
- Capital: 100€
Steven handled the legal structure, market analysis, economic modeling, barème calculators, UI mockups, the landing page, and the strategic dossier. Dimitri built the “congruence” engine, the generative music component. Steven reviewed it technically, found bugs, and opened GitHub issues.
The cofounders interview
One of the most explicitly named turning points in the project was a structured conversation between Steven and Dimitri about work methods, roles, possible tensions, and blind spots. “Faire passer une bonne entente intuitive dans un espace un peu plus formel, un peu plus robuste, un peu moins vulnérable à l’ambiguïté.” After this, the project ceased to be only promising and became structurally defined.
Risk of meta-building
Steven explicitly names the risk of his own pattern: “I know what this looks like from the outside. Ça ressemble à du meta-building. À de la construction récursive qui substitue l’exécution.” This is the first project where he simultaneously observes the pattern and argues why this case is different: there is a legal structure, a calendar, a cofounder pulling toward the field, and the project has ceased to be an intuition and started to exist as a thing in the world.
April 2026 status
As of March 31, 2026: no MVP, no demo, no sales. The legal structure exists. Dimitri’s engine exists. The surrounding dossier, market study, and mockups exist. The project is structured but not yet generating output.
April 2026 goals include advancing PartnerNote as one of three main fronts.
Financial stakes
PartnerNote gives Steven access to:
- Prêt d’honneur 0% (through entrepreneurial support programs)
- Aides for real tools and infrastructure access
This is directly significant: after years of building with duct tape and willpower, the legal existence of the company opens real resources.