Scott Langille is the Founder of V2. V2 supports ambitious people who are building the future in Vancouver. Takeaways Scott's upbringing in a small town shaped his entrepreneurial spirit. The role of ambition and how it is influenced. The crucial role that community plays in fostering innovation. Socratica and launching the node Atelier at UBC. Vancouver startup scenes's opportunities and challenges. Building connections between ambitious individuals and accomplished founders is key to success. Diversity in experiences (art, science, tech, etc.) leads to better startup ideas. Creating a culture of builders. V2 aims to create a hub for ambitious individuals. Inspiration can come from various disciplines, not just tech. Navigating exodus - The Brain Drain Dilemma. Chapters 00:00 Scott's Journey: From Small Town to Startup Founder 08:11 The Role of Ambition in Startup Culture 16:31 Building Community: The Power of Socratica and Atelier 20:45 Vancouver's Startup Ecosystem: Opportunities and Challenges 30:19 Navigating Exodus: The Brain Drain Dilemma 34:14 Creating a Culture of Builders: The V2 Vision 45:31 Inspiration and Future Aspirations Keywords Scott Langille, startup culture, ambition, community building, Vancouver, Socratica, Atelier, V2, entrepreneurship, innovation

Kyle Braatz is the Co-Founder and CEO of Fullscript. Fullscript believes in the power of whole-person care and is fully committed to helping all providers deliver it. They help create an ongoing cycle of whole-person care by giving providers a single platform that brings together industry-leading labs, clinically effective supplements, and an intuitive suite of tools to promote adherence and outcomes. We discussed... Kyle's early aspirations shaped his entrepreneurial journey. Building a culture of impact. The concept of "whole person care" The future of healthcare lies in whole-person medicine Sustaining growth over 10+ years Cultural fit over technical skills Aligning and refocusing the whole company and how to do that well Capital efficiency - Kyle breaks down the capital infusion history of the company Why Fullscript story is under-known Kyle and his wife's impact on the Ottawa community and business community Kyle shares a story about when Fullscript almost shutdown The importance of independent thinking as a founder Acquisitions + partnerships and doing them well Building a startup mindset inside a company that has 1000+ people and almost $1B in revenue Launching new products and business lines and how to treat them like startups within the business Chapters 00:00 Kyle's Journey: From Firefighter Aspirations to Entrepreneurship 05:13 Whole Person Care: Redefining Healthcare 10:16 Cultural Integrity: Scaling with Core Values 16:08 Capital Efficiency: Achieving Billion-Dollar Milestones 22:02 Continuous Growth: Learning and Adapting 27:33 Transforming Healthcare: The Future of Whole Person Medicine 34:24 The Importance of Focus: Building a Sustainable Business 40:18 Community Impact: The Role of Philanthropy in Business 46:03 Startup Mindset: Building and Innovating Within Established Businesses Keywords entrepreneurship, healthcare, Fullscript, whole person care, capital efficiency, company culture, growth, Ottawa, acquisitions, leadership, healthcare, whole person medicine, business growth, entrepreneurship, community support, focus, resilience, innovation, technology, philanthropy

Aswinkumar Rajendiran is the Co-Founder of Maple. Maple is an all-in-one revenue management platform that streamlines sales-led and product-led billing workflows and tracks holistic revenue metrics as quickly as deals are signed without weeks of reconciliation. Maple can be leveraged in no-code or low-code mode by enabling quick experimentation-ready basic, credits-based, usage-based or seat-based billing capabilities into your product with just a few lines of code. Takeaways Attending UWaterloo and working on side projects Getting into YC and building his first company Joining Rippling ($13.5B valuation) as the first employee Learnings from Parker Conrad and the unique way Rippling builds product The decision to move back to Canada and launch Maple Why billing is such a problem and headache for companies Billing processes have become increasingly complex in modern businesses Working closely with early customers Maple's product strategy and building a full stack solution for billing Founder-led sales, how to do them well and for how long Raising money Building the right team - focusing on great engineers Chapters 00:00 From Side Projects to Founding a Startup 05:56 Joining Rippling: The First Employee Experience 12:13 Building Maple: Insights from Rippling 18:12 Strategic Selling: Targeting the Right Customers 24:09 The Importance of Founder-Led Sales 30:00 Building the Right Team: Focus on Engineering 35:51 Raising Money: Aligning Vision and Funding Keywords startups, entrepreneurship, Y Combinator, Rippling, Maple, billing solutions, founder journey, product development, go-to-market strategy, team building

Callum Woznow is the Co-founder of Slate. Slate is building the next-generation mobile keyboard. Takeaways Working in different cultures (Singapore and Germany) provides unique insights into startup ecosystems. The keyboard is an underexplored product with massive potential. AI can revolutionize how we interact with keyboards and the purpose of keyboards. Consumer behaviour around keyboards. Lack of innovation in this space from T9 to BlackBerry Keyboards to the launch of the iPhone. Chat about SwiftKey acquired by Microsoft for $250M. Pivot from B2B to B2C. Nuances to different global markets. Monetization strategies differ significantly between iOS and Android. The focus on "prosumer". Why keyboard products need to be perfect from a UX standpoint. Obsession around design and product. Why are keyboards so interesting and available across all apps. Chapters 00:00 Global Perspectives: Insights from Europe and Asia 08:21 Revolutionizing the Keyboard: Innovation and Consumer Behavior 15:03 Navigating the B2B to B2C Pivot: Strategies and Insights 21:12 Building a Keyboard: Challenges and Market Dynamics 26:29 The Balance of Speed and Quality in Startups 31:32 Navigating Remote Work Challenges 38:57 Personal Growth and Professional Excitement Keywords startup, entrepreneurship, global experience, keyboard innovation, B2B, B2C, consumer behavior, technology, AI, market dynamics, keyboard design, user experience, startup challenges, remote work, investment strategies, user feedback, product development, quality assurance, team communication, personal growth

Paul Lee is the CEO & Co-Founder of Patlytics. Patlytics is a state-of-the-art patent intelligence platform powered by a generative AI engine. Their cutting-edge LLMs and advanced techniques are bespoke to intellectual property and drive 80% more efficiency for IP workflows including patent generation, claim charts, infringement detection, classification and more. Patlytics recently announced $4.5M in seed funding led by Gradient, Google's AI-focused venture fund, with participation from 8VC, Joe Montana’s Liquid 2 Ventures, Tribe Capital, Vermilion Ventures, Gaingels, Alumni Ventures, Position Ventures and several undisclosed angel investors including select partners from premier law firms and Datadog President Amit Agarwal. Takeaways Starting his career working at Peter Thiel's Mithril with Alex Kolicich (previous guest), Joe Lonsdale and JD Vance His founder experience and working at Google Working in VC at Global Founders Capital and Tribe Capital Starting Patlytics and why AI is transforming the legal tech landscape How Paul raised $4.5M without a deck Customer discovery process and building an understanding of a new market Understanding IP and patents AI's role in enhancing product value Co-Founder relationships Chapters 00:00 Paul Lee's Journey: From Silicon Valley to Founding Patlytics 09:54 The Shift in Legal Tech: Embracing AI and Innovation 14:54 Understanding Intellectual Property: Challenges and Opportunities 20:00 Building Trust: Assembling a Founding Team 25:01 Raising Capital: Focus on Business Over Decks 30:02 Customer Discovery: Learning from Conversations 35:09 AI's Role in Enhancing Product Value 39:45 Navigating Challenges: Reflections from a Venture-Backed Founder Keywords Paul Lee, Patlytics, venture capital, legal tech, AI, intellectual property, startup journey, customer discovery, founding team, fundraising

Lars Leckie is the Managing Director of Aspenwood Ventures. Aspenwood Ventures is a SF-based venture capital firm specializing in early-stage investments, particularly from pre-seed to Series A. It focuses on B2B software companies and is led by Lars Leckie and Steve Kishi, who previously worked at Hummer Winblad Venture Partners. Aspenwood Ventures continues the legacy of Hummer Winblad, a prominent early-stage software investment firm focused on advancing innovative software startups. Takeaways Journey from founder to investor. The partnership model in venture capital. Staying consistent in investment strategy. AI is a market expansion opportunity rather than a threat to enterprise software. The VC landscape has shifted towards larger funds, but early-stage investing remains crucial. The importance of capital efficiency in software companies. The market for enterprise software continues to grow despite fears of saturation. Companies should consider going public earlier to provide liquidity. The future of public offerings may shift back to smaller companies as investor appetite returns. Backing founders is about enabling them, not micromanaging. Sales strategies - when to hire and scale. Revenue milestones. Hiring the right salespeople. Chapters 00:00 From Founder to Investor: A Career Journey 05:57 The Shifting Landscape of Venture Capital 11:50 The Future of Enterprise Software in the Age of AI 17:49 The Dynamics of Going Public: A New Era for Startups 25:47 Backing Founders: The Role of Venture Capitalists 34:06 Sales Strategies: When to Hire and Scale 39:14 The Canadian Tech Ecosystem: Growth and Opportunities 45:09 Resilience in Adversity: Lessons from Sports Keywords venture capital, software innovation, enterprise software, AI impact, startup funding, investment strategies, founder journey, leadership transition, market trends, public offerings, venture capital, founder support, revenue growth, sales strategies, Canadian tech, resilience, fitness, personal development

Patrick Chung is the Managing General Partner of Xfund. Xfund is an early-stage venture capital firm built to back entrepreneurs who think laterally and experiment across disciplines. They are a pioneering partnership between some of the country’s most successful venture capital firms and some of the world’s best research universities in the United States and abroad. Patrick's bio is fascinating! Bachelor, JD and MBA from Harvard Masters from Oxford McKinsey Founder of ZEFER which hit $100M annual revenue and was acquired Partner at NEA Takeaways Patrick's journey from Harvard, Oxford, McKinsey and into venture. Learnings from being a VC at NEA. The genesis story behind Xfund and its focus. Why founders are like artists. Meeting Sam Altman 20 years ago and investing in his first company Loopt. Cultural shifts are encouraging more graduates to pursue entrepreneurship. University bias often leads to safe career choices and how to change that. Providing term sheets upon graduation provides real choices for potential founders. Talent over industry. The importance of co-founders. Navigating university policies on IP. Chapters 00:00 Patrick Chung's Journey: From Harvard to Venture Capital 03:06 The Empathy of Founders: Insights from the Investor Side 06:04 Identifying Great Founders: The Xfund Approach 08:53 Cultural Shifts in Entrepreneurship: A New Generation of Founders 12:06 Navigating University Bias: The Challenge of Safe Choices 15:11 Creating Real Choices: The Experiment Stake Initiative 18:07 Finding Talent: Where to Discover Future Founders 21:09 Sector Focus: Talent Over Industry 23:56 The Power of Co-Founders: Trust and Collaboration 27:07 Selecting Schools: The Power Law of Startup Success 30:05 Unlocking Entrepreneurial Potential: Tools and Strategies 32:47 Commercialization and IP: Navigating University Policies 36:07 Personal Insights: Dealing with Hard Times Keywords Patrick Chung, Xfund, venture capital, entrepreneurship, founders, university startups, empathy, investment, startup culture, commercialization

Saam Mashhad is the Co-Founder and Chief of Product & Legal Operations at EvenUp. EvenUp uses data and technology to help plaintiffs and attorneys achieve better legal outcomes. EvenUp recently announced a $135M Series D which brings their valuation to over $1B. The round was led by Bain Capital Ventures, with participation from Premji Invest, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Bessemer Venture Partners, SignalFire, and B Capital Group. Takeaways Saam's journey from commercial litigator to co-founding EvenUp. Why the focus on personal injury law. How EvenUp streamlines legal workflows. How to build a product that seamlessly integrates into lawyers' workflow. AI's impact on legal tech. Designing a product that has to be 100% accurate and when to loop in humans on EvenUp's side. Having an ops-heavy product. Balancing market needs with automation. Launching new products. User feedback. How the legal landscape is shifting with AI + tech. Chapters 00:00 From Lawyer to Entrepreneur: The Genesis of EvenUp 06:01 Innovating Legal Workflows: The Role of Technology 12:02 Building a Product Team: The Importance of Diverse Expertise 17:55 Expanding the Product Suite: New Offerings and Features 24:03 Navigating Challenges: Personal and Professional Growth 30:06 Looking Ahead: Future Opportunities and Personal Reflections Keywords EvenUp, personal injury law, legal technology, litigation funding, AI in law, product development, user experience, legal workflows, startup journey, entrepreneurship

Jonathan Bronfman is the CEO of Monsters Aliens Robots Zombies (MARZ). MARZ is an AI-enabled VFX company dedicated to democratizing the world of visual effects. They are the creators of Vanity AI and LipDub AI. Some notable collaborations include The Umbrella Academy S3 on Netflix, Moon Knight and WandaVision from Marvel, Ms. Marvel, The Flight Attendant on HBO Max, Invasion on Apple TV+, Wednesday on Netflix, Carnival Row on Amazon Prime Video, Spiderman: No Way Home from Marvel and many more. Takeaways Where the name MARZ came from. The film industry faces a gap between perceived market value and production costs. AI should be seen as a tool to enable filmmakers rather than replace them. The future of content creation and the Streaming Wars. Movie industry insights and breakdown. The impacts of LipDub AI on foreign and multi-language content. Independent creators now have access to tools that allow for more creative storytelling. AI can enhance the efficiency of content creation across various industries. How MARZ's service business fuels the software side. Mr Beast and creators impact on content. Why YouTube is Hollywood's biggest competitor. Balancing quality and timeliness in production. Chapters 00:00 Jonathan Bronfman's Journey in Film Production 02:12 Identifying Challenges in Film Production 04:41 The Birth of MARZ and Visual Effects Innovation 07:38 The Impact of AI on the Film Industry 09:10 The Future of Content Creation and Streaming Wars 12:14 Localization and Language in Film 17:47 The Evolution of Content Creation with AI 21:56 MARZ's Positioning in the Film Industry 24:14 The Synergy of Service and Software 25:52 Building a Diverse Team for Innovation 29:17 Quality as a North Star in Content Creation 32:30 Balancing Quality and Timeliness in Production 36:19 Navigating Funding and Market Dynamics 44:00 Looking Ahead: Excitement and Challenges in Hollywood Keywords film production, visual effects, AI in film, content creation, streaming wars, localization, Hollywood, technology in film, service business, software, team composition, quality, content creation, funding, Hollywood, AI technology, production timelines, market dynamics

Gaurav Jain is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Afore Capital. Afore is a $300M fund to support product-oriented founders at the very earliest stage (pre-seed). Their sweet spot is the $1-3M round, where they can lead the pre-seed round as an institutional investor alongside high-value angels. They look for companies that are product-led and are built by founders with non-obvious insights and infectious ambitions Takeaways Gaurav's journey as an immigrant. The co-op program at Waterloo was pivotal in shaping his career. Founding Polar Mobile provided his first exposure to venture capital. Afore Capital was created to address the gap in pre-seed funding. Key traits of successful founders. Investing in founders is more about the team than the idea. Afore's investment process. The importance of AI and future of investing. Chapters 00:00 Foundational Journey: From Immigrant to Investor 04:12 The Birth of Afore Capital: Filling the Pre-Seed Gap 10:44 Identifying Winning Teams: Key Traits of Founders 14:00 Navigating the Investment Process: From Idea to Execution 20:21 The Future of Investing: Embracing AI and Personal Growth Keywords Gaurav, Afore Capital, venture capital, pre-seed investing, founder traits, AI, entrepreneurship, investment process, startup funding, technology