StartupNorth

Author: PWC

  • For the love of failure

    One of the main cultural innovations in Silicon Valley is the acceptance of failure. It is an acceptance that extends almost to the point where if you don’t have at least one specatacular mess-up in your past, you haven’t truly lived.

    A healthy acceptance of failure goes hand-in-hand with a passion for risk taking. No one searches out failure, of course, but if you find it and live through it, then that implies you’ve taken a valuable risk and (hopefully) learned from it.

    The traditional view is that Canada is very risk-averse and while this stance has served the country well in some markets (banking sector, anyone?) it isn’t so great for fostering building start-ups.

    Basically, the equation is no failure means no risk. And no risk means no entrepreneurship.

    But again, this is the traditional view of Canada, and one that seems to changing

    So talk about your failures. Heck, begin to celebrate them and wear then as a badge of honor. But in doing so make sure you also mention what you learned and how there is no way you’re gonna do that again.

  • Cisco looking for Canadian innovation

    We understand that the good people at Cisco are poking around up North for some start-ups to play a role in the company’s expanded focus  into the datacenter, virtualization and smart grid markets.

    These are key new markets for Cisco and clearly they want to know what the most innovative start-ups are up to (isn’t the hunt for innovation why all leading companies come poking around here?)

    Cisco’s got a few criteria (big companies love their processes!) but it should be pretty easy. To summarize: :

    1)      Companies must be active in the datacenter, virtualization or smart grid markets

    2)      Must have existing VC investment

    3)      Ready/able to take their business to the next level

    4)      VC-pitch PowerPoint will be accepted only. (they can’t review websites, datasheets or whitepapers)

    The people doing the poking are Cisco’s Corporate Development team, who are responsible for investment, acquisition, strategy and partnerships for the company. So if any of these options sound appealing to you, forward your slides to Tab Borden of the Canadian Consulate < [email protected]>

  • C100 sees the SUN

    The C100 is now coming at you live and in 3D right here on Startup North.

    What does that mean for you? Well, as if Startup North wasn’t already an indispensible source of news, insights and opinions on the rapidly expanding  Canadian start-up and venture capital scene, you can now check this space for regular news and views on innovation from the unique perspective of the successful Canadian tech entrepreneurs, company execs and VCs in Silicon Valley who make up the C100.

    What is the C100 you ask? Remember in Pulp Fiction when Jules Winnfeld (Samuel L. Jackson) refers to Vinnie Vega (John Travolta) as “my man in Amsterdam?” Well, that’s us. We’re your man in Amsterdam.

    Except we’re a group of men and women… and we’re in Silicon Valley.

    But more importantly, C100 is a huge fan of both technology and of Canada and we’re here to share our thoughts, insights and contacts with the established and the up-and-coming, with the best dreamers, entrepreneurs and innovators Canada has to offer.

    So check us out online, visit our blog, get mentored, but most importantly stay tuned to StartUp North where we’ll be looking for new ways to increase the connections and communications between Silicon Valley and Canada.