The BetaKit Podcast Channel

"The company was my identity. I had this huge void to fill and I didn't know what to do with it." Boast.ai and Traction co-founder Lloyed Lobo shares his personal struggles managing his self-described addictive personality after leaving the day-to-day business before digging into the keen insights contained within his new book "From Grassroots to Greatness - 13 Rules to Build Iconic Brands with Community Led Growth." Sponsored by TechExit.io, taking place October 25 in Toronto.

"There is especially in tech still a stigma around being a parent and being a contributing member of a company." Founders Erin Bury (Willful) and Marie Chevrier (Sampler) join to discuss the dumb restrictions on entrepreneurs trying to receive parental leave benefits, plus tips (and encouragement) for entrepreneurs preparing to ship a new bundle of joy. Sponsored by Zoholics Canada 2023, Zoho's premier user conference. Use the code "BETAKIT25" for a 25% discount!

We know you love VCs on the BetaKit Podcast. So here's an all-VC episode of the BetaKit Podcast. Featuring: Chris Neumann (Panache Ventures), Matt Cohen (Ripple Ventures), John Ruffolo (Maverix Private Equity), Michelle Scarborough (Thrive Venture Fund), Satraj Bambra (Round13's Digital Asset Fund). Sponsored by Zoholics Canada 2023, Zoho's premier user conference. Use the code "BETAKIT25" for a 25% discount!

"One of the things that's funniest in tech is the complete and utter lack of self-awareness." Comedian and podcaster Alexis Gay joins to share her transition from working in tech to creating content that perfectly articulates the absurdities of working in tech. This episode originally aired on October 21, 2022.

"I sometimes feel like Canada needs to up [its] risk-taking ability." "It's the latest shiny thing that a lot of people are running after." "Markets are now audiences. Your competitive moat is your community." Canadian tech luminaries brave tornados and beanbag chairs to discuss renewed due diligence, DEI, and AI's impact on investment theses in this compilation of interviews recorded live at Startupfest. Featuring: David Nault (Luge), Sue Umapathy (RBCx), Shambhavi Mishra (Antler), Brittany Charlton (Ohh Foods), Nicolas Du Parc (Fonds FTQ), and The Crolls (Startupfest).

"I don't think our entrepreneurs are not risk takers; I just don't think our culture is set up to accept those risk takers." It's a Canadian tech summer vibe check as the gang answers submitted listener questions: on the low government trust battery in the wake of another cabinet shuffle, cleantech tax credit delays, and a Hypergrowth program designed to pick winners; whether or not Canada can handle 10,000 H-1B visa applicants given our national housing crisis; and yes, whether or not Canadian entrepreneurs are taking risks and solving big problems. We also reveal our wardrobe and video game picks to ensure a Hot Tech Summer. Sponsored by Dynabook. Make smart business moves with Dynabook Tecra A40 & A50 laptops.

"For a lot of Indigenous storytellers, there's a lot of interest in those [tech] platforms, because those entities haven't said no to our community for 50 years." Indigenous content creators are caught between a rock and a hard place with the Online Streaming Act and the Online News Act—it's sadly familiar territory. Award-winning Anishinaabe writer, broadcaster, and arts leader Jesse Wente joins to evaluate the options offered by Big Tech, traditional media, and the Canadian government before providing strong prescriptions better suited to the situation. Sponsored by Dynabook. Make smart business moves with Dynabook Tecra A40 & A50 laptops.

"The BetaKit Podcast is very much a pro-dog podcast." Dr. Theresa Johnson (Airbnb), Harper Reed (General Galactic Corporation), and Neha Khera (2048 Ventures) join for a wide-ranging conversation on shooting particles at satellites (for science!), founder-market fit, working for Barack Obama, when to quit, shutting down your company, angel and early-stage investing, and building jetpacks for dogs (for science!). Recorded in front of a live audience on the main stage of Startupfest 2023. Sponsored by Palette Skills.

"The crux of the Girlboss movement's problem is that it wants women to behave more like men and the answer is for men to behave more like women at scale." Elizabeth Holmes is now in jail, her imprisonment signalling a clear end to the Girlboss Era. Chelsea Fagan (The Financial Diet) joins to discuss what killed the Girlboss, the cynicism and superficiality behind the term, and the need for better public archetypes of entrepreneurship for women—and especially men. Sponsored by Palette Skills.

"People in Canada are at their wits' end about areas of our economy having a lack of competition and how it impacts their pocketbook." The Competition Bureau is the last line of defence for enforcing competition law in Canada. But our system is designed so that the line keeps moving. Commissioner of Competition Matthew Boswell joins to discuss the tools and powers that would help his Bureau prevent Canada's economy from becoming an endless series of three companies in a trench coat. Sponsored by Palette Skills.