"Promising, but vulnerable." – What I said on Alt-Text with Erin Gee
A wide-ranging conversation on the past and future of Vancouver tech.
I recently joined Alt-Text with Erin Gee to dissect my recent post 11 (rough) notes on the state of Vancouver tech. Timestamps for key topics are noted below.
(0:00) Introductions
(2:18) Revisiting "Vancouver tech’s uncertain future," a post from January 2023 post
(5:42) Why Thinkific kickstarting tech sector-wide layoffs in April 2022 mattered
(9:34) The significance of Koho's recent $86 million funding round
(11:34) "What would Kate Wilson do?"
(13:19) Why it's agtech and cleantech's time to shine in BC
(14:32) What is cleantech, anyway? (namechecks: Ideon, 4AG)
(16:40) How pre-seed deals are about people
(17:34) The myth of 'a lack of capital' for Vancouver entrepreneurs (namechecks: BCTech Fund)
(20:55) What Adam Neumann represents from a VC investment perspective
(23:40) Does Vancouver really lack liquidity events? And why does this matter?
(27:22) The two types of talent missing from Vancouver
(29:42) How the cost of living crisis impacts talent, reamplifying this tweet from a local tech worker:
finding a place to rent in Vancouver is a humiliating experience. most of the housing is either: nasty, small, or insanely expensive
— Ara Ghougassian (@araghougassian) May 23, 2022
most ghost you. competing w dozens of folks. absolutely insane. if we don't do something dramatic about the housing shortage this city is fucked
(32:00) Why, overall, Canadian tech is booming (hint: expertise, economics, and the Prairies)
(34:59) You can't talk about Canadian tech without talking about SR&ED funding and whether it's good or bad. #zombie firms
(37:55) Reflecting on the 2021 founders' market and unicorn stampede
(41:25) BC emigration to Alberta; Alberta hiring in BC
(43:28) My love for Calgary ("72 hours in Calgary tech")
(44:52) Concluding comments: "Promising, but vulnerable."