Noel Pullen

I’m an introvert, how do I network? I'm going to Launch Party, the ultimate celebration of Calgary’s most promising Tech Startups and the grand finale of Innovation Week YYC 2024. It's going to be an awesome way to meet fellow entrepreneurs and tech enthusiasts including the Top 10 Selection Committee of Haley Jabusch, ✨Joella A. , and Matt Elliott. But when you walk into a conference room full of people, it can be intimidating. Here's what I do... I’m an introvert, how do I network? Introverts (like me) have an advantage in networking because we naturally have the right skills. We’re good listeners, we remember details, we ask good questions, and follow-up. What’s the best way to network at a conference? In short, be prepared. Before the event, find out who’s going, ask your friends, look up the sponsor companies, use LinkedIn to make connections. Then arrange a meet and chat one of the presentation topics - it’s easy to connect over an interesting topic. How do I introduce myself? First, learn about the other person. What are they working on? What are their goals for this year? Now you can relate what you do to what they do. Here’s a framework: “We help (customer) + (with problem) + so they can (benefits)” E.g. “We help founders simplify technology complexity so they can grow revenue”. 👋 Come say "Hi!" and let's have a fun conversation! What's your networking tip? Share below! Want to know more? 🛫 Follow me for Insights on scaling your business. 👟 Make better software decisions, faster. Get my Software Assessment Playbook. Send me a DM. #Innovation #Management #Technology

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Are you ready to unlock the full potential of Product Operations? 🔍 Only 2 weeks left until Product Ops: 101 - Getting Started with Product Operations on October 30, 2024, led by Denise Tilles! With only 2 spots left, this hands-on workshop will give you practical tools to implement and scale Product Ops strategies. By the end, you'll have a clear roadmap to drive better outcomes within your organization. Secure your spot now: https://lnkd.in/exBcs2V5 🎟️ #productops101 #productoperations #productmanagement #workshop

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We've seen this so many times. Your brand/customers/product is unique, but that doesn't mean you should reinvent the wheel with your commerce/marketing stack experience. When brands choose heavily-customized tech stacks, it usually leads to high implementation & maintenance costs. But more importantly, it makes it difficult to iterate down the line. You'll be stuck with your "custom" ecom site, loyalty program, unique UX for years - while your competitors will blow past you with "out of the box" tools.

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One of the least talked about issues about the Vancouver startup ecosystem is the illegal eviction rate and how unaffordable it is to live. Many founders are looking elsewhere, and this nonsense is a big reason why: 'B.C. has the highest eviction rate in the country with 10.5 per cent of renter households having reported being forced to move between April 2016 to early 2021, compared to 5.9 per cent nationally.' - keeping in mind that a significant number of evictions aren't even reported. The entire system is still done on paper. https://lnkd.in/gCrQjhM7

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Get about 25 Newfoundlanders in a room, myself included, and it's going to be a good time, even at a #pricing workshop! Thanks to Dean MacIsaac for making it happen, and to the founders at the Genesis Centre who brought their A-game with lots of great questions! If spotted, quiz them on: - Why setting up pricing tiers (no matter what you sell) positions you to capture more revenue - How using the 'jobs to be done' framework dictates how many tiers you need and what to include in each - How to align the price you charge to the value you deliver so that customers keep coming back for more What would take the stress out of pricing for you? #startups #pricingstrategy #SaaS

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Pumped to be in Toronto today for Shopify editions.dev with Barrel CTO Wes. If you're here - come say hi 👋🏼 If you haven’t had a chance to check out the 150+ product updates in Shopify’s bi-annual release, Summer Edition '24, check it out here: https://lnkd.in/gETbX_2P It’s hard to believe we’ve been helping brands launch on Shopify since 2009. A lot has changed in the last 15 years. It's no longer enough for brands to invest in their website alone—they need to meet their customers where they are to succeed. As an agency, Barrel has evolved from focusing solely on a client’s website to examining the entire customer journey, seeking opportunities to enhance how customers shop and experience the brand across touchpoints. Many of our clients are CPG brands, making this approach even more relevant. These days we're working on building Shopify B2B E-Commerce storefronts, designing Amazon content, creating personalized email/SMS flows, and implementing Shopify POS. Shopify has continually evolved with merchants' changing needs and customers' buying patterns. They’re not afraid to embrace partnerships like Amazon Buy with Prime while investing the same energy in POS and B2B that got their core e-commerce offering to where it is today. The Summer ’24 Edition is aptly titled ‘Unified’ and, as usual, it’s a lot to digest. The addition of a “Top 10” summary this year is a great starting point. Among my favorite updates are unified & tailored Markets experiences across B2B and retail, store credit availability, split shipping in checkout, and seamless store pickup between POS and DTC. I'm eager to dive into the Summer Edition '24 with our team over the next few days and uncover new opportunities to enhance our clients' commerce experiences. + Subscribe to my newsletter for a weekly look at what I'm building and learning in agency leadership, life, and e-commerce: https://lnkd.in/eJU8Zpt

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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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Ever wonder what it was like to be one of the first 25 employees of Uber? In our latest episode on the Unstacked Startups Podcast, I had a great conversation with Andre Charoo, Uber's 25th employee and now founder of Maple VC. From launching Uber in major cities to backing resilient Canadian founders, Andre’s journey is jammed with lessons on grit, ambition, and spotting hidden talent. Here’s what you’ll learn: - How Uber's early culture thrived by hiring underdogs with “Founder DNA” - The unique strengths of Canadian founders—and why they’re shaping global tech - Tips on building a durable technology company Watch the episode below. It won't disappoint!

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Another great talk from TechTO's #TorontoTogether event from Jason Zoltak of tofu with 3 lessons for Founders: 1) Start building advocates from Day 1 - Jason and his co-founders shared what they were building *as they built it* to get user feedback and buy-in from potential customers. Documenting growth builds trust. 🤝 2) Hack your GTM by engaging closely with niche communities and influencers. This allows the tofu team to grow while remaining lean, he shared. 3) Set ambitious timelines and push the team to create early momentum. Don't let deadlines slide, but use them to drive the team and product forward! 🚀

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Returning from your annual leave to the news of a mass layoff is not easy, even if you have not been impacted directly. While I am sure this decision was not taken lightly and I could not agree more with what our CEO Dax said below about all the people we hired at Lightspeed over the past few years, it will take a while for those of us who are still here to go back to business as usual. Until then I need your support! This is where you all potentially come into play as my LinkedIn network: To my HR & Recruitment connections across EMEA & NOAM (Germany, Netherlands, UK, Belgium, France, USA & Canada) please email our talent directory [email protected] or reach out to me for more information if your company is hiring for various positions across most departments. As a recruiter, it is hard to see folks you hired and worked with being let go, and as a colleague even harder.... To my former colleagues who were impacted, if you need any support with your CV, need an intro email to someone I might be connected with who has an open position at their company or just want to chat, please reach out. ... also please remember you are so much more than your job!

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Like in a VC round, finding a lead investor in an Angel round is crucial. The lead does not necessarily need to invest the most. What matters is that they endorse you to other investors. A lead can be a subject matter expert, a well-known Super Angel with a track record, or just someone who believes in you. They will write the first check, did their diligence on your company, and are willing to share their findings with others. Most importantly, a lead believes in the potential of the company and will be more keen to take risks and grow faster. Read a great story about the lead Angel in Shopify, John Phillips: https://lnkd.in/gkCshb9F #angels #leads #funding

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Love hearing about Canadian startups gaining interest outside of the country specially in the high growth market south of the border. Good article and inspirational for those looking to grow business outside of the great north. 🇨🇦 Us included #evolutiondata #growth #innovation #business #startup

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I recently asked Tiffany Linke-Boyko from Flying Fish Ventures for her insights on how Edmonton-region founders can better connect with venture capital (VC) firms. Here's what she had to say: "Founders often lack a base-level understanding of VC and the fundraising process, which adds challenges to an already tough journey. Building relationships early and knowing how to navigate the VC landscape is crucial." Here are Tiffany’s tips for connecting with VCs: 1️⃣ Events: If investors are present, introduce yourself! Building relationships early can speed up future fundraising efforts. Practice your pitch and determine if you're a good fit for their investment thesis. 2️⃣ Cold Outreach: Email or LinkedIn can work for some firms, but check their policies—some prefer warm intros only. 3️⃣ Warm Intros: Leverage your network—other founders, community members, or service providers can make key introductions. 4️⃣ Website Forms: Some VCs offer forms for submitting your pitch—use them if available. 5️⃣ Conferences: Be strategic—attend if you have a clear purpose, like connecting with investors. 🎯 Pro Tip: Always research VCs to ensure they align with your company’s stage and their investment thesis. This is great advice for founders looking to navigate the VC landscape in Edmonton. What’s your go-to strategy for connecting with investors? Let’s share and learn! #EdmontonInnovation #VCFundraising #StartupTips #Entrepreneurship

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A major setback for Canada's startup ecosystem as early-stage capital becomes even harder to come by. It's disappointing to see the challenges facing small businesses across the country exacerbated by this latest development. Let's hope the Government of Canada takes note of the impact this will have and takes steps to support our entrepreneurs. #startup #smallbusiness #entrepreneurship #Canada

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Something new coming to Calgary Agile for November! A discussion, led by Liat Palace on Agile approaches to mergers and acquisitions. You don't want to miss this one!

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Now this is interesting.... expanding the pool of angel investors

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🚀 Our first LIVE episode is out! In this special live recording from the Elevate Conference, I sat down with Dax Dasilva, the visionary Founder and CEO of Lightspeed Commerce, to discuss Bootstrapping to a Billion-Dollar IPO. 👉 Listen to Episode 211 here: https://lnkd.in/gKga3M3h We'd love to hear your thoughts! Share your key takeaways in the comments below. #TankTalks #RippleVentures #Lightspeed #Entrepreneurship #Leadership #Innovation #ElevateConference #Podcast

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