"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.
“I had to remind myself that SVB happened this year. Because it seems like it happened a bazillion years ago.”
Rob and Douglas close out 2023 in style with a look back at all the major events in a crazy year before making 2024 tech predictions.
Sponsored by Float, Finance on auto-pilot.
“The government doesn't have a great way of being able to kind of parse through and say, ‘this is bad and this is good.’ And, this is, I think, a key part of the problem.”
TMU senior research associate Stein Monteiro and former NACO CEO Yuri Navarro join to discuss the successes and failures of the Start-up Visa program in relation to its predecessor, and how improving the program might be difficult without the right data.
Sponsored by Float, Finance on auto-pilot.
“When I heard the news, I was stunned … Absolutely, it is going to be happening in Canada.”
CMD Capital’s Matt Roberts joins for an emergency podcast on the sudden demise of OpenView Venture Partners, what caused it, and the likelihood that Canadian tech will see similar zombie funds north of the border.
Sponsored by Float, Finance on auto-pilot.
"Verticalized AI applications right now are available, right now accelerating industry after industry."
Canadian tech luminaries close the year discussing AI disruption, the state of SaaS, and what marketing should be saved for the DMs in this compilation of interviews recorded live at SAAS NORTH.
Featuring Reid Robinson (Zapier), Joella Almeida (MedEssist), Solon Angel (Fresh Founders), Sarah Stockdale (Growclass), Danielle Gifford (Movement51), Patrick White (L-SPARK).
Sponsored by Float (Finance on auto-pilot) and Ada (a full customer service team, powered by AI).
"If you're pension-backed you gotta deliver returns, buddy."
OMERS Ventures senior managing partner Michael Yang recounts a turbulent year for the pension-backed VC firm, and what the future holds for "OV 3.0".
Sponsored by Cisco Secure Firewall and Ada: a full customer service team, powered by AI.
"Capital efficiency is actually really sexy."
Satish Kanwar (Good Future) and Katy Yam (Real Ventures) join for a special episode recorded live on the BetaKit Keynote Stage at SAAS NORTH, discussing the different paths available for Canadian entrepreneurs, and why 100,000 fewer are choosing to walk them compared to 20 years ago.
Sponsored by Sponsored by Float (Finance on auto-pilot) and Cisco Secure Firewall.
"We all have to thank Elon Musk for all that amazing innovation and disruption that's happening. Many changes that he has brought to X are now driving that interesting innovation."
Buffer Chief Product Officer Maria Thomas discusses how social media has changed over the company's 13-year history and how the company is building a headless ecommerce equivalent for posting 'content' on a fractured internet.
Sponsored by Float (Finance on auto-pilot) and SAAS NORTH (use the code 'betakit25' to get your tickets).
"What happens when the technologists decide what they do is more important than the government and they don't want to play by those rules?
Rob and Douglas hold a post-mortem on the fever dream that was financial innovation and competition in Canada before discussing what Minister Freeland's recent announcements signal about the government's intentions. Your interlocutors then unpack Marc Andreessen's Techno-Optimist Manifesto, its approach and intentions, and how it stands in direct contrast with US President Biden's recent AI executive order.
Sponsored by Float (Finance on auto-pilot) and SAAS NORTH (use the code 'betakit25' to get your tickets).
“When you’re a FinTech you’re a second-class citizen when it comes to accessing infrastructure, and so you’re spending a lot of time trying to innovate on table stakes, which takes away from the actual innovation that you want to offer.”
Wealthsimple VP and chief compliance officer Hanna Zaidi joins for a wide-ranging conversation on what's impeding financial services modernization, and what Canadians are missing because of it.
Sponsored by Float (Finance on auto-pilot) and SAAS NORTH (use the code 'betakit25' to get your tickets).
“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) and SAAS NORTH (use the code 'betakit25' to get your tickets).
"So there are good things about the state of the market today compared to where we were in the 2000s. There are things that are not as good, and then you have fundamental issues that occurred in the aftermath of the dotcom era that never got solved."
Investor and Canadian tech archeologist Matt Roberts (CMD Capital) discusses his journey to investigate the last 20-plus years of venture capital in Canada, what he learned, and which parts of our past continue to rhyme.
Sponsored by Dynabook—make smart business moves with Dynabook Tecra A40 & A50 laptops—and Cisco Secure Firewall.
"Canada is at the forefront. Yes, mistakes are being made, but at least they're doing something. The US is doing nothing. And at the end of the day, these are American companies that are destroying the world."
Post.News founder Noam Bardin shares what it's like trying to build a new social network "in public" in 2023 and why the Big Tech platforms only fear regulation before making a pitch to Canadians looking to return news to their social media.
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 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.