Entrepreneurship in Canada is not as embraced as in other countries, such as the USA. Sometimes, if you tell someone you have a startup, they may think you are unemployed. Self-employment in Canada is not supported, as evidenced by how banking and other financial systems operate in this country. In light of some humor, here’s the starter pack for launching a startup in Canada. This viral meme has result over 10,000 views on socials.
Bronze Mentality
Shopify’s CEO famously said that we have a “bronze mentality” in Canada. There are too many Canadian founders who exit early with lowball offers. It’s time to go for gold!
Slack Socks
Slack is one of the most iconic companies that started in Canada. The company was founded in 2009 in Vancouver, which was initially a multiplayer online game called Glitch. Slack later on became a sensational company that empowers live collaboration between teams via chat.
Bag Milk
We can all relate to this one. You just can’t go wrong with that bag milk and pitcher!
Are you going to Collision?
This year’s Collision was a blast but the conference has officially moved to Vancouver, leaving a big gap in Toronto’s tech ecosystem.
Raising a seed round in USA
This is a must for startup founders, as Canadian investors are not taking as much risk. Almost every founder can argue that fundraising in Canada is a complete waste of time.
Focusing on AI right now
Who is not focusing on AI right now? That is the question. Almost every single startup has some kind of AI component now, which may be not be necessary! Did we mention adding .ai extension to that domain?
FoundersBeta, Y Combinator, and Shopify
You will hear these brands mentioned frequently in the ecosystem: FoundersBeta, of course, being the founders’ community that started in Toronto; Y Combinator, the mecca of startups; and Shopify, which empowers e-commerce on the internet.
SHRED
Non-dilutive funding term that is used by Canadian founders. If you need some support navigating grants and getting R&D credit check out Boast.
Toronto Tech Fest
Toronto Tech Fest started as a small group, but has turned into a whole community centered around events that help founders connect.
