The Hard Part with Evan McCann

Vitaly Pecherskiy is the CEO and Co-Founder ofStackAdapt.StackAdapt is a digital advertising platform specializing in native, display, video, connected TV, audio, in-game, and DOOH advertising.Takeaways - Vitaly's time at AdParlour, Hussein Fazal's (Super.com Co-Founder) first company.- Bootstrapping StackAdapt early days.- Capital efficiency has been a core principle for StackAdapt's growth.- Maintaining a startup culture even as the company scales.- PMF is an ongoing evolution, not a one-time achievement.- Thoughts around decision-making.- The impacts of AI on advertising.- Motivation and competition drive Vitaly and his co-founders.- Co-Founder relationships.- How leadership roles change.- Find focus amidst rapid growth within the business.- The desire to build StackAdapt into a household name.Chapters00:00 The Genesis of StackAdapt03:51 Evolution of the Advertising Industry05:49 Bootstrapping and Capital Efficiency11:42 Scaling Leadership and Company Culture17:52 Maintaining Startup Energy in Growth20:19 Customer Evolution and Product Market Fit22:31 The Impact of AI on Advertising25:12 Shifts in Decision Making and Growth28:34 Personal Motivation and Competitive Spirit30:51 Adapting Leadership Roles Over Time34:09 Trends in the Advertising Space37:56 Focus Amidst Growth41:44 Building a Household Name43:35 Quickfire Round: Insights and ReflectionsKeywordsStackAdapt, advertising industry, capital efficiency, company culture, AI in advertising, product market fit, leadership, growth strategies, motivation, decision making

Kevin Michael is the Co-Founder & CEO ofTempo Labs.Build beautiful UIs 10X faster with AI - Tempo generates and edits high-quality react code directly in your codebase so you can ship UIs in minutes.Takeaways- Working at Chamath's Social Capital.- Customer obsession is crucial for product development.- AI will enable teams to focus on unique intellectual property.- Benefits of YC for Tempo.- Selling to startups.- Effective product launches (Product Hunt, etc.)- Investing in content for PLG.- Dogfooding Tempo.- Selling to developers.- AI pricing strategies.- WOM is vital in a noisy AI market.- Building in a noisy AI space.- In-person versus remote.- Intentionally choosing to build in Toronto.Chapters00:00 The Impact of Social Capital Fellowship05:15 Navigating Product Development at Perpetua09:29 Transitioning from Perpetua to Entrepreneurship11:10 The Genesis of Tempo Labs14:25 Identifying the Ideal Customer for Tempo17:05 The Future of Engineering Teams with AI19:04 The Value of Y Combinator21:31 Selling to Startups: Opportunities and Challenges24:07 Strategies for a Successful Product Launch24:36 Investing in Content for Product-Led Growth25:17 Dogfooding: Building Products for Yourself27:25 Challenges of Selling to Developers30:21 Innovative Pricing Strategies in AI32:21 Filtering Through the Noise in AI33:37 Building a Strong Hiring Culture39:03 Choosing Toronto: A Strategic Decision42:03 The Importance of Networking for Fundraising44:08 Personal and Professional Excitement46:07 Navigating Hard Times in BusinessKeywordsSocial Capital, startups, product development, entrepreneurship, AI, Y Combinator, Tempo Labs, engineering teams, product-led growth, customer collaboration, Product-Led Growth, Content Marketing, Dogfooding, Developer Tools, AI Pricing Strategies, Hiring Culture, Toronto Startups, Fundraising, Networking, Startup Challenges

Ben Cox is the Co-Founder & CEO of Page.Page uses advanced technology & AI to make it effortless for companies to gain real-time and personalized insight into government activities that can impact their business.Takeaways- Working at Shopify for over 10 years and moving from a junior role to a Director level.- Why lobbying was interesting to Ben.- Understanding the lobbying process.- Who are Page's customers?- Why AI is the unlock with information capture and analysis.- Understanding government dynamics.- AI can help cut through media biases and provide primary sources of information.- Global perspectives in government.- Staying ahead in the AI landscape.- Finding PMF early days.- Majority of the Page team worked together at Shopify and the benefits behind high trust.Chapters00:00 The Shopify Experience: A Journey of Growth04:21 Personal Growth and Career Progression06:45 The Genesis of Page: From Idea to Reality10:18 Understanding the Lobbying Process12:14 Customer Insights and Needs14:12 Navigating Government Dynamics19:31 Global Perspectives in Governance23:24 AI's Role in Information Consumption26:59 Finding Product-Market Fit29:08 Staying Ahead in the AI Landscape31:33 Building a High-Trust Team33:45 Personal and Professional Excitement37:50 Dealing with Hard TimesKeywordsShopify, Page, entrepreneurship, AI, lobbying, career growth, governance, product-market fit, team dynamics, personal development

Michelle Kwok, an Investor at Draper Associates and co-founder of FLIK, shares her journey from aspiring doctor to entrepreneur. She discusses the importance of community building for female founders and the lessons learned in scaling and monetizing a platform. Michelle delves into the emotional complexities of acquisition and her personal identity shift post-FLIK. She also highlights her MBA experience and her insights on venture capital, emphasizing founder empathy and exploring the vibrant NYC tech scene.

Amrita Gurney is a Fractional CMO. Amrita supports Seed to Series B stage startups as a fractional marketing leader. She has been a marketing leader at Audiobooks.com, CrowdRiff, Float and many more. Takeaways - Building challenger brands. - What makes a successful challenger brand. - Most founders don't know how to hire marketers. - Developing a deep customer understanding. - What Brand truly means. - Brand Strategy. - Building awareness for startups. - Alignment between the CEO and marketing. - Marketing requires a different mindset beyond just driving leads. - Cutting through noise is a significant challenge for marketers. - Creative content messaging standards are rising. - Video content remains underutilized in B2B marketing. - Founder-led marketing. -Scaling the marketing function + team. - Amrita's fractional work. Chapters 00:00 The Journey of a Marketer 06:32 Choosing the Right Companies to Work With 13:08 Foundational Marketing for Early-Stage Startups 19:43 Misconceptions About Brand 27:11 The Power of Founders in Marketing 34:02 Adapting to New Marketing Platforms 40:08 Finding the Right Marketing Fit Keywords marketing, challenger brands, startup marketing, brand strategy, B2B, B2C, marketing mistakes, early-stage startups, brand building, leadership alignment, marketing strategies, brand building, fractional marketing, content creation, B2B marketing, founder influence, marketing leadership, adapting to change, effective communication, industry trends.

Brendan Baker, a Partner at Rackhouse Venture Capital and former engineer, dives into his unexpected journey from engineering to venture capital. He shares insights on the evolution of fundraising, emphasizing the importance of narrative and networking. Discussion includes the rise of systematic funds and the transformative impact of AI on industries like supply chain. Brendan also highlights strategies for founders navigating a competitive landscape and the vital role of strong leadership in driving innovation.

Ben Gigone is the Co-Founder and CTO of Chexy. Chexy is the first tenant-facing payments platform that allows renters to earn rewards & build credit on rent, all while bringing rent payments into the 21st century. Takeaways - Growing up in an entrepreneurial family. - Genesis story behind Chexy. - Focusing on tenant needs to drive early customer adoption. - Building credit through rent payments. - Challenges behind building a fintech company in Canada. - User feedback and how to use it well. - Helping customers transition from renting to homeownership. - Hiring early team members at a startup. - Being a great early-stage CTO. Chapters 00:00 From Aerospace to Entrepreneurship 05:02 The Genesis of Chexy 11:15 Balancing Tenant and Landlord Needs 17:02 Unlocking Credit Through Rent Payments 28:26 Scaling the Tech Team 39:15 Personal and Professional Excitement Keywords entrepreneurship, Chexy, fintech, rent payments, credit building, startup journey, technology, rewards, tenant needs, landlord solutions

Sam Pillar is the Co-Founder and CEO of Jobber. Jobber is the easiest-to-use business management platform for home service businesses. Landscapers, maid services, and companies in dozens of other industries use Jobber to keep track of customers, schedule jobs, get paid, and more. Takeaways - Jobber began at Remedy Cafe in Edmonton with Forrest and Sam. - Early days of Jobber driving around to see and talk with customers. - Scaling the company and the product. - Staying close to customers has been critical for Jobber, especially as they scale. - Company culture and scaling it, building values and mission. - Hiring an executive leadership team (ELT). - Raising Jobber's first round from Boris at Version One Ventures. - Why the home services industry offers new entrepreneurs and young people many opportunities. - How Jobber is using AI to enhance customer support and streamline operations. - Every time the company doubles in size, new challenges arise. - Personal growth as the CEO. - Shifting trends with more young people interested in home services and how Jobber fits in. Chapters 00:00 The Genesis of Jobber 03:38 Scaling and Customer Engagement 09:49 Disseminating Company Culture 10:18 Hiring and Building a Leadership Team 18:07 Opportunities in Home Services 23:06 Product Development and Customer Needs 30:56 AI Applications in Jobber 35:07 Navigating Growth Challenges 39:27 Personal Growth as a CEO 44:08 Trends in Entrepreneurship 48:31 Looking Ahead: Personal and Professional Goals 50:25 Dealing with Hard Times Keywords Jobber, entrepreneurship, small business, software development, company culture, AI, home services, leadership, growth challenges, customer engagement

Aidan Vaandering is the Co-Founder of Reserv Labs. Reserv is the yerba mate based focus + productivity drink made for the modern consumer. Takeaways Aidan's sales skills from Shopify and how they help as a founder. The branding and positioning of Reserv in a crowded market. Nuances with Red Bull, Monster and other energy products. Understanding customer rituals and where Reserv fits in. How new rituals can drive product adoption. Starting with DTC and how you can scale to $100M+ in revenue on DTC alone. Reserv's subscription model. Figuring out taste and ingredients for Reserv. "Scrappy Marketing". Vancouver's often-overlooked CPG scene, is full of numerous success stories. Chapters 00:00 From Sales to Startup: A Founder's Journey 03:03 The Genesis of Reserv Labs 08:45 Branding and Positioning in a Crowded Market 11:48 Understanding Customer Interaction and Rituals 15:42 Direct-to-Consumer Strategy and Subscription Model 20:30 Ingredient Selection and Product Taste 30:35 Market Expansion and Customer Density 33:58 Marketing Strategies: The Scrappy Approach 39:55 Networking in Vancouver's CPG Scene 40:03 Personal and Professional Excitement Ahead 44:05 Balancing Life as an Entrepreneur Keywords entrepreneurship, branding, direct-to-consumer, product development, marketing strategies, customer interaction, subscription model, Vancouver CPG, sales experience, startup journey

Ben Rollert is the Co-Founder and CEO of Composer. Composer is an automated trading platform that allows you to build a portfolio of hedge fund-like strategies. Takeaways Ben's first founder experience with Intervaliq. Learnings from building Breather (raised $100M+). The importance of a solid business model cannot be overstated. Keeping a small team with Composer. Founder-led companies versus professional management. Understanding board dynamics. Doing market research to validate startup ideas. Using user feedback effectively. Why the team is based in Canada but can't operate here. The gap that Robinhood and Wealthsimple aren't focused on. Building products for prosumers. Building an AI product to empower users versus using AI for auto-trading. Chapters 00:00 Founding Experiences and Lessons Learned 09:03 The Breather Experience: Insights and Missteps 14:59 The Genesis of Composer: From Idea to Execution 25:06 Market Opportunities and Target Audience 32:00 Navigating Regulations and Business Models 39:04 Future Aspirations and the Role of AI Keywords founder experiences, Breather, Composer, market opportunities, regulations, business model, AI in trading, startup lessons, venture capital, trading software