The StartWell Podcast

StartWell
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The StartWell Podcast

Conversations with our members, partners and associates - recorded on campus in downtown Toronto.

  1. Joshua Zerkel On Why 'Community' Is Essential For GTM Success

    APR 29

    Joshua Zerkel On Why 'Community' Is Essential For GTM Success

    This episode of the StartWell Podcast explores the multifaceted nature of community building in business as we sit down virtually with Joshua Zerkel; a community-led growth and engagement leader who has done amazing work for technology companies operating at massive scale; including Asana and Evernote. Expect to hear Josh and StartWell founder/CEO Qasim Virjee share their personal journeys which led to work building communities, perspectives on the recent rise of online communities as marketing tools, differentiation between persona-based and company-based communities and a whole lot more. We highlight the necessity of creating value for community members and the implications of community dynamics in the future of work. We consider the importance of community in professional development - especially as the modern workplace evolves so fluidly. The conversation also delves into mentorship plus how to leverage 'content' for community engagement, integrating community into the customer journey, and the necessity of adapting marketing strategies to foster community building. We end with some recommended tools for developing communities online.

    1h 6m
  2. Scott Knox From The ICA On Why Brands Need More Canada

    APR 8

    Scott Knox From The ICA On Why Brands Need More Canada

    This conversation is a deep dive into the Canadian creative industry's untapped potential and challenges.  Scott Knox, President and CEO of the Institute of Canadian Agencies (ICA), discusses their "Brands Need More Canada" initiative. Canadian agencies excel at delivering integrated campaigns with smaller budgets compared to larger markets like New York or London. This efficiency, combined with Canada's diverse workforce, makes it an ideal testing ground for global brands. We spend a little time introducing our "Canadians Create" video podcast series, which is a StartWell production being made in partnership with the ICA. The series aims to showcase the depth of thinking and capability within Canadian agencies to a global audience - by telling the stories behind case studies of excellent Canadian creative work.

    49 min
  3. Perspective on Toronto's Fintech Ecosystem with Nik Milanović

    APR 8

    Perspective on Toronto's Fintech Ecosystem with Nik Milanović

    In this episode of the StartWell Podcast, we sat down with Nik Milanović, founder of This Week in Fintech (the world's largest fintech community with 160,000 subscribers.) Nik discusses the company's first Toronto meetup event and shares insights about fintech ecosystems in Canada, highlighting how Canadian markets are often overlooked by US investors despite having significant potential and talent. For their first ever Toronto fintech meetup, This Week in Fintech received 450 attendee applications - and only had 150 spots available.  Nik believes that Toronto is has a healthy fintech (and tech) ecosystem and this event proved it. In addition to talking about his company and events, we discussed the importance of in-person connections as well as where trust can evolve in the workplace. If you're part of fintech, or interested in this space - we recommend watching this episode and checking out Nik's website.

    29 min
  4. Subversive Marketing's New Handbook, "Just Evil Enough" - Alistair Croll

    JAN 29

    Subversive Marketing's New Handbook, "Just Evil Enough" - Alistair Croll

    You're in for a fascinating conversation about rethinking startup strategy with Alistair Croll. For this episode of the StartWell Podcast, we dive deep into his new book "Just Evil Enough," which took seven years to write and challenges everything you thought you knew about building successful startups. This isn't your typical business chat. Alistair brings an incredibly fresh perspective on why startups need to stop obsessing over product features and start focusing on what really matters - getting attention and converting it into profitable demand. He's got over 163 case studies backing this up, from clever marketing hacks to brilliant system disruptions. What we love about this discussion is how Alistair breaks down why the timing for this message couldn't be better. With AI and cloud computing making it easier than ever to build products, he argues that distribution and marketing are now the real differentiators. You'll hear some fantastic examples, including a wild story from the 1300s about a castle siege that perfectly illustrates the power of strategic bluffing in business. The conversation gets particularly interesting when we talk about value chain disruption and how companies like IKEA have revolutionized their industries by simply reassigning steps in their process. We also explore why startups must fundamentally disagree with the status quo - otherwise, what's the point? The book itself is a bit of a rebel - it's got secret Morse code messages, Easter eggs, and a design that looks like classified documents. It's clear Alistair and his co-author practiced what they preach by making the book itself subversive. Whether you're a startup founder, working in tech, or just interested in innovative business strategies, this conversation will challenge your thinking about how to stand out in today's market. Expect to walk away with a completely new perspective on what it really takes to succeed in the startup world - hint: it's not another feature update.

    1h 10m
  5. Carbon6: How This Amazon Seller Software Company Achieved 7x Growth | Success Story

    JAN 24

    Carbon6: How This Amazon Seller Software Company Achieved 7x Growth | Success Story

    For this second conversation with Carbon6 - 2 years after we last had them in studio, you'll get an insider's look at one of the most dynamic success stories in the Amazon seller software space. Carbon6's journey from ambitious startup to industry powerhouse unfolds through candid discussions with its co-founders, who share both the triumphs and challenges of building a tech company through acquisition and organic growth. The discussion kicks off with a look back at Carbon6's original mission: creating the ultimate toolkit for Amazon sellers by acquiring and combining existing software solutions. But what makes this story particularly compelling is how the company pivoted and evolved. You'll learn how they transformed from a pure acquisition strategy to building their own products and fostering strategic partnerships, all while growing their revenue 7x and maintaining profitability. The conversation takes you behind the scenes of building a unified company culture, as the founders share how they successfully integrated multiple acquired companies into one cohesive organization. There's a particularly interesting segment about their innovative technical architecture – a "central spine" that allows them to efficiently integrate new acquisitions and products. You'll get practical insights into managing rapid growth, as the team discusses scaling to 140 employees across multiple global locations while maintaining a strong company culture. The founders are refreshingly honest about the challenges they faced, including the shift from being "guys with a dream" to running a mature, profitable enterprise growing at 100% year-over-year. What makes this conversation especially valuable is the balance between high-level strategy and practical details. Whether you're interested in M&A, tech entrepreneurship, or the Amazon seller ecosystem, there's something here for you. The founders share specific examples of how they structured their teams, approached partnerships, and made key decisions about resource allocation.

    1h 14m
  6. James McKay on Why RevOps is ESSENTIAL for Growing Businesses

    JAN 24

    James McKay on Why RevOps is ESSENTIAL for Growing Businesses

    For this episode of the StartWell Podcast, James McKay shares his path from film studies to RevOps consulting in this straight-talking conversation about the Canadian startup ecosystem. If you work in tech or are curious about how Canadian business really operates, there's plenty here to dig into. The chat starts with a clear-eyed look at how Canadian and American entrepreneurship differ, especially when it comes to risk-taking and market dynamics. James draws from his experience at Clearco and other ventures, breaking down revenue operations in a way that actually makes sense. The discussion gets real about B2B sales challenges today. James explains why credibility matters more than ever and why blasting thousands of emails just doesn't cut it anymore. There's a good bit about how LinkedIn has changed the game for professional networking - both the good and the bad. One of the more interesting parts is when James compares bootstrapped and VC-funded companies. Having bootstrapped his own consulting practice, he talks honestly about keeping that direct line between what you do and what you get - something that often gets lost in the VC world. They don't shy away from the tough stuff about Canadian business, including our banking system and those big monopolies we all deal with. The conversation covers how our massive geography and smaller population create unique challenges for scaling businesses here. What works about this discussion is how it mixes big-picture thinking with real, day-to-day experiences. Whether you're running a company or working in sales, you'll probably find something useful in their take on building sustainable businesses in Canada. They wrap up talking about why business should be fun and how to keep relationships real in the corporate world. It's a solid overview of what it's actually like to build and run a business in Canada today - no sugar coating, just straight talk about the challenges and opportunities out there.

    1h 22m
  7. Lessons from the Co-founder of A $1 Billion Canadian Adtech Company

    JAN 24

    Lessons from the Co-founder of A $1 Billion Canadian Adtech Company

    For this episode of the StartWell Podcast, we discover how StackAdapt grew from a 3-person startup to a global force in programmatic advertising, now operating in 16 countries. CEO Vitaly Pecherskiy shares insights on bootstrap funding, sustainable growth, and building a customer-centric global tech company. --- The interview offers fascinating insights into the early days of bootstrapping a tech company. You'll hear how they found their technical co-founder through a now-defunct website called techcofounder.com – talk about serendipity! Vitaly candidly discusses the challenges of starting with minimal seed funding and how they managed to turn that initial constraint into a strength, forcing them to build a sustainable business from day one. What makes this conversation particularly valuable is Pecherskiy's practical wisdom about product development. He dispels the myth that you need a perfect product to succeed, sharing how StackAdapt started with basic features and evolved through constant customer feedback. There's a great section about how they approached solving the complexity in programmatic advertising by focusing on creating an intuitive, comprehensive platform. The discussion takes an interesting turn when exploring global expansion. You'll learn how StackAdapt grew beyond Canada, now operating in 16 countries with a truly international team. Vitaly offers valuable perspectives on the challenges of breaking into different markets, particularly in Europe and Asia, and how they learned to adapt their North American approach for global success. Throughout the interview, there's a recurring theme of sustainable growth and customer-centricity. You'll appreciate Vitaly's honesty about the stresses of early-stage entrepreneurship – he even jokes about his graying beard! The conversation provides real, actionable insights about expanding your total addressable market and the importance of thinking globally while acting locally. Whether you're an entrepreneur, working in tech, or just interested in business growth stories, this interview offers a refreshingly honest look at building a successful global technology company. It's particularly relevant for anyone interested in bootstrapping, enterprise software, or international business expansion.

    56 min
  8. Farah Mohamed Exposes the Unemployment Crisis Costing Us Billions

    JAN 10

    Farah Mohamed Exposes the Unemployment Crisis Costing Us Billions

    In this episode, we explored the transformative work King's Trust Canada is pursuing to improve youth employment outcomes with the organization’s CEO Farah Mohammed. Our conversation traced the Trust's remarkable ~50-year evolution - including the recent transitions as Prince Charles III became the King of England, highlighting their innovative approaches to tackling youth unemployment in Canada.  We delved into critical discussions about leadership transformation and organizational culture, especially in the post-COVID landscape where we all have to deal with fundamentally altered workplace dynamics and community connections. A significant portion of our conversation centered on Canadian identity and the King's direct engagement with indigenous leadership - a testament to the organization's commitment to meaningful change. The discussion included perspectives on entrepreneurship, relating tales from Startwell founder Qasim Virjee’s pioneering work enabling internet connectivity in East Africa to building community spaces at StartWell over the past seven years. Throughout our exchange, despite addressing serious challenges facing Canadian youth, there remains a persistent thread of optimism about future possibilities and the power of community-driven solutions.

    1h 2m
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About

Conversations with our members, partners and associates - recorded on campus in downtown Toronto.

Information

  • Creator
    StartWell
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2025
  • Episodes
    66
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2021 StartWell Holdings Inc.
  • Show Website
    The StartWell Podcast

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