David V.

Over $500M in Sales. 12 Toronto tech leaders. One dinner table... A powerful reminder of what really drives business in 2024. Last night, I hosted top GTM executives from Google, Cisco, OpenText, Stack Adapt & some of the fastest growing startups. In a world obsessed with digital transformation, one truth stood out: real relationships close enterprise deals. Why this matters: • Top execs are flying weekly to NYC & SF • Multi-million dollar deals are getting closed in person • Trust = currency in enterprise sales • Digital tools support, but don't replace relationships The reality of enterprise sales in 2024: • One champion isn't enough • You need buy-in from entire teams • Face-to-face builds deeper trust • Community drives opportunities Key lessons from the room: • Enterprise sales cycles are getting more complex • In-person meetings convert at 3x digital • Community is the new competitive advantage • LinkedIn is underpriced attention This wasn't just another networking event. This was Toronto's top minds sharing battle scars and victories over good food and better conversation. Shoutout to all the amazing GTM leaders for your insights. Max Woo 👋 Saad Khan Yugbodh Singh Steve Young Neil Duffy Shwetha Vincy Michael King Nabeil Alazzam Leo Vynnyk Hamza Farhat Ali Vik Kandeth Want to join the next gathering of Toronto's finest? Drop a 🤝 below. These insights are reshaping how we're building at Virio. #toronto #b2bsales #enterprisesales

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🌟 Calling All #Montreal GTM Leaders! 🌟 🚀 Exciting news! Our Pavilion community in Montreal is not just growing—it's thriving! And the picture I'll share shows just why. These incredible leaders are the heartbeat of our community (you can see a few of them below🤣), making each meet-up more than just a gathering—it's a powerhouse of insights and camaraderie. 📅 Join us on December 12th at Stay22’s office for an event on - 2025 Planning, Challenges & Insights - 📅 We're almost at full capacity, so secure your spot by emailing me at [email protected]! 🤔 Why join Pavilion? It's not just about what we do—it's about why we do it. It's not merely meetings or networks; it's a belief in building relationships, not transactions. It's about giving before getting, playing the long game, and supporting each other in real, impactful ways. 🔗 Here's why Pavilion stands out: 🌱 We build meaningful connections. 💡 We share freely and support generously. 📈 We're about making a lasting impact, not quick wins. ✨ Imagine being part of a community that aligns with your deepest professional values, one that offers support, growth, and real human connections. That's Pavilion.🔥 👋 If this speaks to you, don't just watch from the sidelines. Be part of something bigger. We're not just building features; we're igniting a movement. #PavilionMontreal #GTMLeaders #Networking #ProfessionalGrowth #JoinUs #CommunityPower 💌 Email now to not miss out on our December gathering at Stay22. Let's make magic happen together! ✨

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There are some events that fundamentally shift trajectories. In 2017, the Canadian tech sector rallied in response to the Trump travel ban, defining itself as place that embraced innovators with open arms. Last night, the BetaKit Town Hall ushered in another momentum shift in Canadian tech as some of the sector's biggest names gathered in reaction to the Canadian budget and how to approach the current challenges facing productivity and innovation. My takeaways: FOR GOVERNMENT Tobias Lütke continued his criticism of changes to the capital gains tax, which he described as a clumsy and misguided move that "taxes innovation the way we tax cigarettes" and will serve as the same disincentive of behaviour. But Lutke's overall assessment of the budget may be a bigger problem for Ottawa, as he called out the discrepancy between "what the government says it wants and what it shows it wants." No one likes a hypocrite, and it seems that capital gains has focused the sector's attention on a government innovation and spending narrative that may not hold up to scrutiny. FOR INVESTORS AND INDUSTRY Ivan Zhang from Cohere pointed out that of all the companies and founders in the room (and there were a lot) almost none could claim a Canadian as their first customer. Courage is required to back new ideas and new products, and the room seemed to agree that courage is in short supply in Canada. FOR BUILDERS When asked what he would love Canadian tech to be the best at, Lutke said "craftsmanship." It was one of the most surprising moments of the night for me, and I love the idea of defining ourselves around building beautiful and truly unique products - not just the idea, but the implementation. "If you build something great, it sells itself," he said. FOR EMPLOYERS Jocelyne Murphy had the mic drop moment of the night, and may have single handedly changed the tech sector's approach to hiring when she talked about the negative impact that drawn out recruitment processes and repeated layoffs are having on her isolated generation. FOR BETAKIT The energy and interest in the room is yet another proof point that storytelling matters. People are looking for a centre of gravity for Canadian tech and innovation and somewhere to convene around the issues that affect their lives. BetaKit aspires to be that place. Big thanks to everyone involved, especially Satish Kanwar Arati Sharma Douglas Soltys Lauren Arnold Category Communications eThereLIVE.com

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Reposting as I am a lover of great graphic design.

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Emmanuel Grenier of #carrefour taking a different view on a phased rollout at #techforretail: phase 1 is about developing and testing and take time to do it properly; phase 2 is then about creating value. Value creation cannot happen without a dev / test mindset. #composablecommerce #grocerycommerce

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Can A Startup Tear Down Uber By Being The Driver's Choice? "Our tagline at Hovr is 100 per cent fare is 100 per cent fair. And what that means is that the drivers take home 100 per cent of the fare from every ride that they receive." Interesting AF. Customers are given full transparency on pricing and what exactly is part of the charge (time, base pay, KMs, insurance, fees). Drivers get to keep everything except for the platform fee. Hovr does this by charging the drivers a flat rate fee each month. As they launch, it's only $20 (but that will increase in time). I think this has huge potential. There is wicked unrest in the gig economy. Drivers are tired of being the bucket for increased profitability through lower compensation. A flat rate revenue system from the drivers allows for everyone to know what their business costs are and how much they are earning. The company, who launched yesterday, already had 5,000 potential drivers signed up and 25,000 riders. Paying attention to the driver (or delivery person) is a huge opportunity to disrupt the large gig networks. The platforms that do a better job at meeting the needs of the drivers and the consumers get stickier. The stickier you are, the more people signed on and the easier it is to execute on your promise. What do you think? Would you jump onto the platform to support this type of system? -------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- Would your network find this interesting? Be the first to get it to their feed by commenting or sharing Interested in Deeper Dives right to your inbox 1x/wk 👇 Take 10 seconds to paste your email here: https://lnkd.in/dCsUAauR Want to submit a question for me to write about 👇 AMA: https://lnkd.in/e3RjBiJD https://lnkd.in/dUAMgTUQ

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🔥 Huge day for Float as we become the only company in Canada to offer a single, unified platform for all non-payroll spend. We have come a long way since our early days as a single product company. Float Bill Pay is Canada's fastest bill payment experience. Full stop. Create, approve and pay bills quickly, and reconcile the records with your accounting system. Float Reimbursements gives you the ability to reimburse employees for out-of-pocket expenses that are not on Float cards and pay quickly using direct EFT payouts. We built these products in response to customer feedback on the significant gap in the market – Canadian businesses were either forced to rely on international solutions that weren't localized for Canada or settle for outdated or clunky local point solutions. I’m excited for everyone to try it - sign up to get early access at www.floatcard.com/bill-pay

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I’ve got to attend the Google Developer Groups (GDG) Burnaby Build with AI event today. The sessions covered lots of hot topics. They were focused on demythifying AI and providing more transparency and understanding of the topic, as there is too much hype and VC investment in AI projects on the market currently. Gartner recently presented the 2024 hype cycle for Artificial intelligence, and it's clear that we may be decades away before AI-related tools and technologies are widely adopted by the early majority. Listing some of the nuggets from the sessions below: 1. We are not on the path of AI sentience, no matter how much True Believers want us to be.  2. Current AI hype is driven by corporate profits, not practical utility.  3. There are multiple use cases of AI in retail, fintech, entertainment, and travel industries with successful use cases of improved productivity, customer service, etc., including voice chatbots. 4. AI is making an impact in healthcare. However, privacy, regulations, reliability, and ethical concerns are still there and have not been resolved.  5. User persona and validation of the problem statement is the basis for the AI tool development, including any type of AI copilot for business. Some market projections Kasey Fu, AI Product Manager, shared in his presentation (which was one of my favorite sessions): - The global market for GenAI is currently at 184 billion USD (Statista) compared to 53 billion USD in 2023.  - 92% of F500 companies have adopted GenAI.  - Bloomberg projects the market to hit 1.3 Trillion USD by 2032 at a CAGR of 42%. #genai #gdg #hype #copilot #productmanagement #marketgrowth #vcinvestment

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Gotta hand it to Wealthsimple, their tax product is excellent. I used TurboTax eons ago when my personal taxes were simpler -- it was pretty grim -- and in recent years have relied on professional accountants, because, well, difficulties. This year I decided to try my hand at taxes again, mostly to see if I am still capable of completing my return with a little help from software. (Ahem. Basic math. I should be OK at this, but the skills do fade.) So far I am really pleased and impressed with Wealthsimple's tax filing product; it's easy to use (nice job, designers), blazing fast (nice job, devs), and free. I'm comparing to my most recent return as a handy reference, and so far it's nailing it. I do get that this software is probably a powerful lead gen channel for Wealthsimple, but it's actually all the more impressive in that the promotional bits within the UX are appropriately placed and not at all pushy. Job well done. Thanks Diederik van Liere for the tip.

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Benevity is a leading software company that powers corporate giving, volunteering, and grant-making solutions for hundreds of Fortune 1000 companies worldwide, including Google, Apple, The Coca-Cola Company, Microsoft, Nike, and Cisco. Their mission is to create a meaningful impact for recipient charities by connecting them with millions of potential donors through technology and automation. Earlier this year, I proudly announced Shakeout Inc.’s partnership with Merrill Lynch & Bank of America to establish our Endowment. This Endowment aims to provide scholarships for marginalized athletes aspiring to compete at the college level and forgive loans for those who, unlike myself, did not receive a full-ride scholarship. With Shakeout Inc.'s ambitious goals, partnerships with organizations like Benevity are crucial to achieving our mission faster. If your company uses Benevity, I’d love to chat about how your organization can support this impactful initiative in the athletics industry. I will focus on fundraising in 2025, and I am excited to plan for issuing Shakeout’s first scholarships and loan forgiveness grants in 2026! #CorporateGiving #Fundraising #AthleteSupport #Scholarships #LoanForgiveness #ImpactfulInitiatives #Benevity #Shakeout #NonprofitPartnership #EmpowermentThroughSport #SupportingAthletes #MakingADifference

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Hey LinkedIn Network! I am about 30 days from inVivo testing of my live product... What I need, as I navigate SaaS (XaaS) & Introduce my new Programming Language to the WORLD!.. is a cloud-3rd party to house my encrypted data that has definitive separation between Canadian and US data storage (State regulatory as well - if applicable). Someone who can do both would be pretty valuable! ▶️ Who are your favorite providers for cloud storage? ▶️ Are you a Global Start? ▶️ Have you made mistakes in this area you can warn me against! There are some (not an endorsement) regulations coming through - despite CDN/US Nafta agreements - So stay vigilant Data Connoisseurs! & let me know in the comments below! #Startup #BuildingInPublic #30DaysToLaunch #PreSeed #PreLaunch #DataChampion

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Toronto is home to Toronto Tech Fest. What started out early this year as a week long celebration of Toronto's founders, builders, and innovators at the leading edge of technology, soon ballooned into one of the city's largest tech gatherings spanning the entire innovation ecosystem and tech community. Generating this energy in Toronto, has been one of the most rewarding moments of my life as an entrepreneur and community builder. Here's the impact we've had in Year 1: ✨ 90+ events held across 4 days ✨ 255+ co-hosts and partners activated ✨ 10,000+ signups with people flying in from New York, Chicago, SF, LA to attend. By creating a platform for all participants (founders, investors, builders, community leaders) to create, connect, and catalyze each other, we amplified the power of the tech community at the grassroots to foster real change and opportunity for the Toronto innovation ecosystem. By the community, for the community. So now, with Collision moving to Vancouver in 2025, those of us who believe in the innovative future of Toronto must take up the torch 🔥! We at Toronto Tech Fest are committed to carrying forward the spirit of innovation in Toronto, across next year, and for years to come. This means activating our tech community and investing in even more innovative programming that draws in new talent, adds value for founders, builds bridges with local businesses, and showcases why the tech community in Toronto is world class. Let's fight for this future together! Comment below 👇 or connect with me or Mell Truong via DM if you're interested in joining us to make a lasting impact on Toronto innovation in 2025 and beyond.

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Want the latest Product Leadership jobs? For a limited time, access a daily updated database ahead of my Maven program available for anyone to filter and search: https://lnkd.in/gq9qY6s4 Here are 10 to get you started: 1. Chief Product Officer – Okta (San Francisco, CA) Lead a remote team to execute product strategies for identity and security solutions. 2. Chief Product Officer – Veracode (Burlington, MA) Develop and communicate product vision for Veracode's security platform. 3. SVP, Product & Engineering – Ziff Davis (Virginia, United States) Oversee product strategy and growth for a global digital media and internet company. 4. SVP, Product Management - Retail and CPG – SymphonyAI (New York, NY) Develop and execute product strategies for AI solutions in retail and CPG sectors. 5. VP of Product, BuildAI – DataRobot (California, United States) Lead the development of machine learning tools for DataRobot’s BuildAI division. 6. VP Product Management - Mid-Market – Intuit (Mountain View, CA) Build a product organization focused on mid-market solutions. 7. VP, Product Management – Shopmonkey (California, United States) Drive product innovation for Shopmonkey’s automotive shop management software. 8. Director of Product Management, Pricing & Packaging – DataRobot (San Francisco, CA / Washington, US) Develop and execute pricing and packaging strategies for AI products. 9. Group Product Manager – Intuit (Mountain View, CA) Work across SMB and mid-market teams to meet customer needs. 10. Head of Product Management, Growth - Intuit Mailchimp (New York, NY) Lead growth strategies for Mailchimp’s marketing automation platform. I also have 2 FREE workshops with 20+ year executive recruiters this Wednesday, October 9th with live Q&A: 1) The Product Leader’s Guide to Executive Search 3:00 PM EDT (with Somer Hackley - author of Search In Plain Sight) RSVP here: https://lnkd.in/gH9YU3S8 2) Unlock the Hidden Product Executive Job Market 9:00 PM EDT (with Bobby Gormsen - Partner at True Search & ex-Talent Leader at Etsy/Frame.io) RSVP here: https://lnkd.in/dph36cBD We’ll cover how 70% of leadership roles are filled through networking and recruiter relationships, and how you can tap into these unposted opportunities. Attend one or both sessions to gain practical tools and strategies.

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Really fun event scheduled around Halloween in Ottawa - join us for the fun! #data #damainternational #datamanagement #dataliteracy #iscdo #cdos #chiefdataofficer #monetizingdata #cdoiq #loveyourdata #data4good #digitalgovernment #Datamonitization #dataliteracy #dataculture #datadriveninnovation #datadoctrine #datafirst #datacentric #dataculture #datafocused #dataprovocateur #webinar #dataanalysis

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"Trying to scale AI across your organization without a strong digital core is like driving a sports car with a decrepit engine—you may look good for the first mile, but you won’t go very far. This explains why AI leaders are 2.5 times more likely than their peers to prioritize their digital core." Nice 🚘 analogy! The authors of this paper surveyed 1,020 CEOs on the topic of scaling AI effectively across their organizations. I spoke with 20+ CEOs in the last 2 months and can confirm most of these interesting and relevant insights. If you are a leader in your company and would like to discuss ways to accelerate your AI transition, starting with your digital core, please DM me. https://lnkd.in/g7D2JjRc

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🔊 Listen up Toronto Product Professionals 🔊 I'll be speaking at the Product Led Summit organized by Product-Led Alliance in Toronto on November 20 & 21! 🔊 Join me for my session, Collaboration at Large: Applying Product Operations Best Practices Across the Organization 🎯 In today’s fast-paced, product-led environments, effective ProductOps does more than enable product teams—it drives cross-functional alignment that moves the entire organization forward. 🚀 During this session, I’ll discuss: ✅ Defining a ProductOps vision and roadmap that impacts not only product teams but also customer success, professional services, and sales ✅ Establishing leadership alignment to foster a culture of collaboration ✅ Practical metrics to measure success across cross-functional initiatives ✅ Actionable insights to encourage sustained collaboration organization-wide. If you're curious about enhancing cross-functional alignment and collaboration, this session is for you! Join me to explore how to take ProductOps beyond its traditional scope and make it a strategic asset across the organization. 🌟 Looking forward to connecting with you there! Reserve your spot here: https://lnkd.in/g8mr55vF Huge thank you to the organizers Ruth Rose, Sean Foreman and many more for bringing the community together 🇨🇦 🚀 #ProductLedSummit #ProductOps #PLAToronto #ProductManagement #Leadership #OperationalExcellence #LifeatAssent

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As a PM, it's not enough to just know how your team delivers software or how your customers are using your product. You need to dive deeper, tracking how your strategy is working, how teams are performing, and how your product is doing commercially. That’s where metrics come in. Metrics aren’t just numbers for your monthly meetings—they’re the answers to the critical questions you should be asking to make informed decisions. From product strategy to daily operations, metrics guide every move. But it’s not just about knowing what to measure, but understanding why you’re measuring it. That’s where metric lenses come in. These lenses help us break down complex data into actionable insights and ensure we’re asking the right questions. 1️⃣ Product Lens: How are customers using our product? 2️⃣ Quality Lens: How satisfied are our customers, and how well is the software performing? 3️⃣ Process Lens: How efficiently are teams delivering quality software? 4️⃣ Commercial Lens: How does the product generate or lose revenue? 5️⃣ Market Lens: Who are our most valuable customers, and how do market segments interact with our product 6️⃣ Strategic Lens: How is our product strategy performing against key objectives? Each of these lenses helps you see your product from a different perspective. The lens you focus on most will depend on where you sit in the organization, whether you're working tactically or strategically. Check out the downloadable poster to see how these lenses can help you refine your metrics and make smarter decisions for your product. Are you using the right lens to guide your product strategy? #productinstitute #metrics #metriclenses #productmanagement #metricguide

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Thank you Sean Silcoff for this insightful article. The Canadian tech sector has never been brighter as evidenced by: - Venture capital dollars invested into Canadian companies is higher than any year except 2021 and 2022, and is up 12x vs 15 years ago. - There are more Canadian tech companies with over $100 million in sales than ever before. - And importantly, we are recognizing tech companies based on their revenue (while noting that many are very profitable) rather than their valuation. There is a tremendous amount to be excited about when looking at the future of the Canadian tech sector. While there is always work to be done, and we need to focus on raising the bar and accelerating the growth of the most promising tech companies, I applaud the teams who are heads-down, growing their businesses, too busy building to complain how hard it is.

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