

The BetaKit Podcast Channel
BetaKit Podcast Network
The BetaKit Podcast Channel features weekly podcasts discussing both Canadian tech and innovation, as well as global tech from a Canadian perspective.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Mar 1, 2024 • 47min
How to fix SR&ED
"SR&ED's big. SR&ED matters. But it's also a value statement of where we as a country want to go." CCI president Ben Bergen walks through the #CDNtech lobbyist group's proposed policy changes for the $4 billion Scientific Research and Experimental Development tax credit following Finance's recent consultation kick-off (two years after it was promised).

Feb 24, 2024 • 54min
After Ecobee, Stuart Lombard has no regrets
“There’s a big difference between wanting to be great and being great.” After a 16-year run leading Ecobee, Stuart Lombard has stepped down as CEO and president of the smart thermostat maker. He joins the BetaKit Podcast to discuss lessons learned, building hardware in Canada, and "becoming the smart home company Nest should have been." Sponsored by the Master of Engineering Innovation and Entrepreneurship (MEIE) Program at Toronto Metropolitan University—learn how MEIE can help accelerate your career or bring your startup idea to life.

Feb 16, 2024 • 43min
Koho's CEO on going from challenger bank to actual bank
"If we had a bank licence today, I'm confident in saying we'd have the highest savings rate in the country." Koho CEO Daniel Eberhard joins to explain why the FinTech startup decided to pursue a banking licence, why it necessitates splitting the company in two, and the potential benefits for Canadians living in a culturally reinforced oligopoly.

Feb 11, 2024 • 56min
Taylor Swift and the Apple Vision Pro are the biggest tech stories of the year (so far)
“I’m just holding out hope for Nightshade (Taylor’s Version). Arm the Swifties, they’re our only hope.” Rob and Douglas play an escalating game of identifying and arguing for the biggest tech news stories: new kit like the Apple Vision Pro, Arc browser, and Nightshade, new (potential) banks like Koho, and yes, Taylor Swift. By the end of this episode, you'll either be fearless or seeing red. Sponsored by DiscoveryX Conference—Ontario’s premier innovation event, April 17 & 18. Also sponsored by the Master of Engineering Innovation and Entrepreneurship (MEIE) Program at Toronto Metropolitan University—learn how MEIE can help accelerate your career or bring your startup idea to life.

Feb 4, 2024 • 58min
Untether AI’s new CEO is here for global scale
"To compete in any field of technology, and especially AI, you have to be global." Like many Canadian tech companies, Untether AI started 2024 with a new CEO. Former Intel leader and Untether AI president Chris Walker explains why he came out of retirement for the role, and how he intends to capitalize on the company's "scaling moment." Sponsored by DiscoveryX Conference, Ontario’s premier innovation event: April 18 & 18. Recorded at CreatorClub, a one-stop hub for content creation empowering brands, agencies, and marketers to streamline their content creation process from start to finish.

Jan 28, 2024 • 45min
The war against tech enshittification
“We kinda want to leave the internet.” Inspired by Canadian science fiction author and journalist Cory Doctorow, the BetaKit Podcast articulates all the ways we find the internet getting worse. Sponsored by the Master of Engineering Innovation and Entrepreneurship (MEIE) Program at Toronto Metropolitan University. Learn how MEIE can help accelerate your career or bring your startup idea to life. Recorded at CreatorClub, a one-stop hub for content creation empowering brands, agencies, and marketers to streamline their content creation process from start to finish.

Jan 20, 2024 • 40min
Maybe the Rogers-Shaw merger won’t lower prices after all
“How often are they going to increase prices before Canadians say ‘that’s enough?’” Did Rogers (now #1 in consumer complaints) finally cross a line with a price increase so shortly after its merger with Shaw? Will Canadians (and our elected representatives) finally be riled into action? MobileSyrup telecom reporter Nida Zafar joins to discuss. Don’t hold your breath. Recorded at CreatorClub.

Jan 13, 2024 • 49min
The biggest tech questions of 2024
"We are so back." BetaKit reporter Josh Scott joins to play the most dangerous game: trying to beat his boss in identifying the biggest tech questions that will define 2024. With no answers given, no tech question is off the table. Sponsored by the Master of Engineering Innovation and Entrepreneurship (MEIE) Program at Toronto Metropolitan University. Learn how MEIE can help accelerate your career or bring your startup idea to life. Recorded at CreatorClub.

Jan 6, 2024 • 44min
Inside Canada’s entrant in the global AI hardware battle
“So many Canadian organizations today are sending their dollars, their economic capital, to AWS, to Azure, to Google. There really is no Canadian response to this today.” Tenstorrent senior director of business development Eric Duffy explains why the company’s leadership pedigree and open standard tech have attracted interest from Korean auto manufacturers and consumer electronic companies alike, before discussing the opportunities and gaps before Canadian hardware companies competing with Apple, NVIDIA, and Intel. Recorded live at ALL IN 2023 in Montréal. Sponsored by Float: Finance on auto-pilot. Originally aired October 22, 2023.

Dec 29, 2023 • 1h 3min
The Canadian YouTuber who killed NFTs
"We have industrialized grift in a way that is kind of unprecedented in human history." Canadian YouTuber Dan Olson (Folding Ideas) explains his battle against internet grifts, how his career changed after a viral video on NFTs, and why the metaverse was destined to be a dead mall. Sponsored by Goodlawyer. Originally aired May 5, 2023.