Published in Plank·Dec 18, 2018To Infinity and Beyond (2015–2018 +)Here we are at the end of this six-part reflection on Plank’s 20 years of history. Since we’ve published “Year in Review” posts for three out of the four years covered in this chapter, I’ve tried to unearth some of the “deep cuts” of Plank. 2015: Reaching Farther At the beginning of 2015…Entrepreneurship22 min read
Published in Plank·Nov 14, 2018Building a Stronger Business (2010–2014)2010: Transitions and growth If one word can define the beginning of this decade, it’s “transition.” Despite a strong group of long-term clients, some major team changes began to shape Plank’s future. After five years working with me to build Plank into a place that felt like a “grown-up” company, Allen Mendelsohn moved on…Entrepreneurship18 min read
Published in Plank·Sep 7, 2018Hitting our Stride (2005–2009)At the end of 2004, I took my first real vacation since starting the company; two weeks in Cuba for the wedding of two close friends and some needed rest. I was prepared to check in on the team regularly, but the only computer in the hotel could barely connect…Startup18 min read
Published in Plank·Jul 31, 2018The Early Days of Plank (2000–2004)The Fabtastic Plankers (Steve, Christiane, Jenn, and Warren): by Luke Séguin-Magee circa 2002 Plank was founded in 1998, by some fresh university graduates hoping to make a go of it on our own. It wasn’t easy. The first chapter of our company history was full of ups and downs then…Entrepreneurship12 min read
Published in Plank·Jul 10, 2018Valuing virtual museum visitorsIn April I had the pleasure to visit Vancouver to attend the Canadian Museum Association and Museums and the Web annual conferences. They are two of the leading annual events for museum professionals, and a great place to learn more about the industry, meet new people and return inspired with…Museums7 min read
Published in Plank·Mar 6, 2018I’m going back to SXSW 2018In the early 2000’s, just a couple of years after starting Plank, I learned that one thing that people who run companies do is go to events. Once I figured out it was something I was supposed to be doing, I started to do some research on conferences that I’d…SXSW3 min read
Published in Plank·Jan 19, 2018A Series of Fortunate EventsThis is part one of a series of posts I’ll be sharing about Plank’s history in honour of our 20th anniversary. Stay tuned for the next instalment in February. Plank officially came into being in December of 1998, when we filed papers with the city of Montreal to register as…Internet7 min read
Published in Plank·Jan 6, 2018Welcome to Plank’s 20th AnniversaryPlank will mark 20 years in business at the end of 2018. We’re starting the celebrations now. There came a time a few years ago, when I realized I had a bad habit of waxing nostalgic about Plank’s past. While I remain proud of all of our accomplishments over the years, what’s more important is applying what we’ve learned to the present and future of the company. Living in the present …Entrepreneurship2 min read
Published in Plank·Sep 13, 2017A Life of LearningSharpening our skills every day While it’s been over 20 years since I graduated from university, September still brings that back-to-school vibe with it. It makes me want to buy a fresh notebook and start digging into an exciting new subject. We’ve got education on the brain here at Plank, as we spent our summer…Education4 min read
Published in Plank·May 5, 2017Down with Jerks!Rethinking the road to success Jerks have been on my mind lately. The tech industry is full of stories about the jerks at the top. And the narrative usually fits into the “nice guys finish last” cliche, where success is seen as a result of being ruthless, and the ends justify the means. But I…Startup5 min read
