The Hard Part with Evan McCann

Anson Yu and Hudhayfa (HudZah) Nazoordeen, co-hosts of Socratica, discuss their unique initiative fostering interdisciplinary collaboration among creatives. They share how Socratica was born as a countercultural response to post-COVID isolation, emphasizing community ownership and personal agency. The duo explains the concept of 'permission' that allows members to explore diverse interests freely. They outline the structured sessions and emerging community nodes, highlighting the critical role of alumni and the evolving symposium in maintaining vibrant connections.

Mark Ang is the Co-Founder and CEO of GoBolt.Takeaways- GoBolt started as Second Closet, focusing on student storage.- Their TTC ad which got them a great ROI.- The pivot to GoBolt involved a complete rebranding and change in the business model.- Building trust with customers is crucial in logistics.- Nuances in the 3PL space.- Last mile logistics. - Integrating technology + human operations.- Determining how and when to launch new markets/cities.- Why account management is still a business function that Mark owns.- How GoBolt seeks to be a partner with their clients.- Innovative capital strategies to enhance efficiency. - Consumer expectations for delivery speed. Is it the same day? Next day? Two days?- Why GoBolt uses EV delivery trucks, not just because of environmental reasons.- Building proprietary software to optimize logistics operations.- Compartmentalizing setbacks can help maintain focus and progress.Chapters00:00 The Early Days of GoBolt05:09 The Pivot: From Second Closet to GoBolt09:22 Understanding the 3PL Landscape13:25 Optimizing Last Mile Logistics19:01 Merging Technology with Human Operations25:00 Market Expansion Strategies28:09 Innovative Capital Strategies in Logistics33:17 The Evolution of Delivery Speed Expectations37:26 The Shift to Electric Vehicles in Logistics41:37 Focus and Discipline in Business Growth46:02 Building a Resilient Company CultureKeywordsGoBolt, Second Closet, 3PL, logistics, e-commerce, market expansion, last-mile delivery, startup journey, business pivot, trust in logistics, logistics, capital strategies, delivery speed, electric vehicles, business growth, company culture, innovation, efficiency, entrepreneurship, technology

Jean Schmitt is the Managing Partner of Jolt Capital.Jolt Capital is a private equity firm specializing in investment in growth capital technology.Jolt Capital generates returns for its investors by enabling growth-stage technology-rich companies with strong fundamentals to execute their scaling strategies, in sectors that offer strong exit potential across hardware-driven or software-driven solutions: photonics, advanced materials, cybersecurity, electrification, smart sensors, semiconductors, personalized health, and more.They provide growth capital to their portfolio companies (from €10M to €50M in tranches).Takeaways- Misconceptions and realities of deep tech.- The returns that can happen in deep tech.- Investing in deep tech requires a long-term commitment and patience.- Sourcing investments in deep tech often involves identifying strong IP.- How to identify what strong IP looks like.- Evaluating deep tech companies.- Why the focus on later-stage companies.- Why Jolt is excited about Canada's deep tech scene.- Playbook for scaling deep tech companies with leadership and sales.- Jolt's first investment in Canada.- Dynamics and breakdown of the European tech market.Chapters00:00 The Genesis of Jolt and Deep Tech Investment05:06 Misconceptions and Realities of Deep Tech09:44 Investment Strategies in Deep Tech15:07 Sourcing and Evaluating Deep Tech Companies19:53 Trends and Market Dynamics in Deep Tech25:02 Geographical Focus: Europe and Canada29:58 First Steps in the Canadian Market34:58 Building and Scaling Deep Tech Companies40:01 Learning from Global Investment PracticesKeywordsJolt, deep tech, investment strategies, intellectual property, market trends, Canada, Europe, technology companies, venture capital, growth stage

Jelena Djuric is the Co-Founder and CEO of Noble.Noble is changing how stablecoins and other real world assets are issued on blockchains by combining minimalistic, high security architecture with the cross-chain efficiencies of the IBC protocol.Takeaways- Jelena's political science and economics background shaped her interest in crypto.- Background on Stablecoins.- Providing infrastructure for stablecoin issuance and transactions.- The market for stablecoins has exploded, reaching a valuation of $220B.- Noble's protocol is designed to support various stablecoins across different blockchains.- The $1B Stripe acquisition of Bridge signifies mainstream interest in stablecoin infrastructure.- Why Robinhood and many others are launching Stablecoins.- The concept of "App Chains".- The Cosmos model allows for application-specific blockchains, enhancing performance and sovereignty.- Noble's infrastructure leverages existing open-source protocols.- The crypto space is evolving with various business models, including transaction fees and token representation.- User experience - making stablecoins feel like traditional money.- Fundraising in the crypto space.Chapters00:00 Journey into Crypto: A Unique Background03:12 The Rise of Stablecoins: A New Financial Paradigm05:57 Noble's Role in the Stablecoin Ecosystem08:48 The Future of Stablecoins: Diversity and Innovation11:56 Speed and Efficiency: The Promise of Stablecoins15:00 The Concept of App Chains and Noble's Vision27:04 Understanding Blockchains and Noble's Approach29:23 Technical Infrastructure and Engineering Challenges33:38 Business Models in the Crypto Space37:05 The Future of Stablecoins42:06 Trust in Crypto and Financial Systems44:17 Funding and Growth Strategies45:58 Personal Insights and Future AspirationsKeywordscrypto, stablecoins, blockchain, governance, financial technology, digital currency, Noble, Ethereum, Bitcoin, decentralized finance, blockchain, stablecoins, crypto, Noble, Cosmos, business model, trust, funding, technology, engineering

Jean-Michel Lemieux has an incredible profile. Former VP of Engineering at Atlassian Former CTO at Shopify Founder of DevDegree at Shopify Restaurant owner of Arlo in Ottawa Author of an upcoming book "Build Right Side" Founder of SeaPeopleTakeaways- Early Ottawa tech scene.- Moving to Australia to work for the iconic company Atlassian.- Building trust when leading a new team.- Being a product expert as a CTO is key.- Moving back to Ottawa and joining Shopify.- Scaling Shopify's engineering team from 50 to 3,000.- Work with Founders as an executive like Tobi at Shopify and Mike and Scott at Atlassian.- JML's take on Founder Mode.- Background behind DevDegree.- JML's take on effective communication as a leader.- A strong opinion on technology tools is essential as a CTO.- Launching and starting Arlo one of Canada's top 100 restaurants.- Similarities behind starting a restaurant and tech.- Building a boat and JML's plan to tackle a massive sailing trip.- Power of writing and his book.- SeaPeople, one of his latest ventures.Chapters00:00 The Early Ottawa Tech Scene02:23 Career Trajectory and the Move to Atlassian05:15 Lessons from Atlassian08:03 Transition to Shopify10:50 Scaling Teams at Shopify15:44 Working with Founders18:58 The Concept of Founder Mode21:24 DevDegree: Bridging Education and Industry24:25 Traits of a Modern CTO26:33 Optimizing Technology Teams for Speed and Efficiency27:43 The Intersection of Food and Technology: Starting a Restaurant29:42 Navigating Life After Shopify: A Personal Journey31:36 Exploring the Seas: Building a Boat and Community34:07 Finding Product-Market Fit: Lessons from Entrepreneurship37:20 Writing as a Passion Project: Insights from Building a Book39:04 Embracing a Growth Mindset in Business and Life41:10 The Sneaker Phenomenon: Unexpected Lessons from Shopify47:22 Looking Ahead: Personal and Professional AspirationsKeywordsOttawa tech scene, Atlassian, Shopify, tech leadership, founder relationships, scaling teams, DevDegree, modern CTO, technology, CTO, product design, entrepreneurship, restaurant, growth mindset, Canada, sailing, community, product-market fit

Ian Burgess is the President and CTO of Validere Technologies.Validere is an Emissions Management Software Platform that enables customers to integrate their operational and field measurement data for regulatory reporting and corporate emissions initiatives.Over 50 of North America’s leading energy companies rely on Validere’s technology and multidisciplinary experts to understand their emissions and navigate an increasingly complex environment with clarity and ease.Takeaways- Ian's background in physics.- The journey to product-market fit took longer than expected.- YC significantly influenced Ian's entrepreneurial perspective.- Emissions reporting.- Re-architecting the product for scaling.- Proximity to clients enhances business development efforts.- Energy companies face challenges when adopting new technologies.- High-touch service for happy clients.- Gen AI adds complexity to data management.- Ian's thoughts on raising.- Reflections on 10 years of building Validere.- It's hard to hire someone who is strong where you're weak.- Success is the time average of your successes and failures.- Early days of Pioneer Fund and angel investing.Chapters00:00 From Physics to Tech: Ian's Journey05:04 Lessons in Product Market Fit13:35 Re-architecting for Success19:19 Navigating Sales in the Energy Sector25:51 Adapting to GenAI and Client Needs32:39 The Importance of a Diverse Investor Base38:17 Reflections on a Decade of Entrepreneurship45:46 The Shift to Audiobooks and Learning51:21 Finding Balance in Hard TimesKeywordstech startup, emissions reporting, product market fit, Y Combinator, energy sector, measurement science, software development, client relations, generative AI, business strategy, Generative AI, team composition, investor base, CTO, entrepreneurship, change management, Pioneer Fund, audiobooks, personal growth, work-life balance

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.