I. March 31, 2017: Who let the Dogs Out?
This is the first volume of The UnderDog’s weekly newsletter on the Canadian/noteworthy highlights from the technology scene.
I. Highlights
- Oh mighty Dollar: Canada’s Tech Community reacts positively to the 2017 Federal Budget.
The Verdict: Most are politely on board with the $950M focus on Superclusters (densely populated areas of business/innovation activity), and focus on STEM education for young people ($50M), especially women and girls. Canada’s “tech gurus” are all looking for a couple of key areas to be nurtured: keeping Canadian talent and continuing to grow the venture capital available for Canadian companies.
Takeaway: Make like granola and cluster (both literally and figuratively). We can’t spread our resources thin: Canada has to place bets on our strengths in hotbed regions of tech activity and in areas we excel — if you know what AI mean. BetaKit.
2. AI: the fine wine of Canadian tech? Maybe.
Talking about AI with a bunch of people in tech is like discussing wine at a tasting: only a select few distinguished folks actually understand the science of wine production, viticulture, and taste — the rest are just BS’ing.
Nonetheless; word on the street is that Canada has an eye for AI — and the perfect storm to be a world leader in the field. One writer highlights that we need to nurture AI in three ways: through our talent pipeline, through initiatives/programs, and through helping existing businesses incorporate AI. Globe and Mail.
If the coming years mark a window of opportunity for Canadian innovation, initiatives to slow the country’s brain drain will continue. This week marked the announcement of the Vector Institute in Toronto: marking a movement to make the city a global leader in AI, specifically focusing on deep learning. Also, it’s practically Google’s declaration of love for Canada.
P.S. An AI task force: a necessary step? One writer argues that “AI is different than previous technological advancements in that its impact on human life will go beyond mere automation of our jobs. Its impact will be broader than anything else preceding it.” Globe and Mail.
II. Links
1. West Coast, Best Coast: “Vancouver ranked as top startup ecosystem in Canada and 15th best in world.”
2. “Debunking the myth of higher pay in Silicon Valley” by Stephen Lake (Co-Founder at Thalmic Labs)
3. “Be a Cockroach, Not A Unicorn” by Daniel Rodic (C0-Founder at Exact Media).
4. Be smarter at the next happy hour: HubSpot demystifies the world of AI, so that you actually know what you’re talking about. This report breaks down the most well-known AI products and technologies on the market today.
5. “Your team doesn’t work for you. You work for them” by Farhan Thawar (Co-Founder @Helpful) .
III. Blog Post of the Week
Would the Maple Syrup Mafia, please stand up? (Why I started this blog and weekly newsletter)
IV. Cheeto Dust
Cheeto Dust is the Satire/Humour section of the newsletter/blog. Every week, I’ll post a new piece I stumble upon that serves up some comedic relief on the tech world.
Comic of the Week: Welcome to Business Town
V. Feedback
Thanks for reading the short and sweet first week of the UnderDog! I’ll continue to refine my curation and writing as the weeks go on, so I’d love your feedback on what to include more/less of so I can hit the sweet spot with this newsletter.
Also, I’d love to get some founders of Canadian startups to contribute their thought leadership on this blog. I personally love hearing the stories of founders and always want to hear from people who can give their unfiltered thoughts, experiences, and opinions. Drop me a line if you’d like to write/collaborate at soniasidhu4@gmail.com!
Cheers!
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