Sebastian V.

Grateful to my friend Luc Beaudoin for recommending The Phoenix Project to me. While I am familiar with the concepts in the book around #DevOps, it can be helpful to get a fresh take on them to see if there is anything that I missed. The big reminder for me was how much the shift to DevOps is about people and #leadership - not just process and technology. A key element required for successfully deploying DevOps is an environment where people have agency - they can make decisions and execute at their level without needing multiple layers of approvals. This is essentially having people with #leadership abilities at every level of the Organization - something recommended in one of my favourite books, Turn the Ship around by L. David Marquet. The other people element is around the creation of a culture of learning. DevOps requires teams and people to test and try things as well as learn from their failures. Having processes in place will help but without the leadership that supports risk taking and an environment of #psychologicalsafety, this will be doomed to failure. When thinking about how to improve performance in technology and IT, you can never forget about the critical roles played by leadership and people. If you have a chance, I’d recommend reading the updated version of the book. https://lnkd.in/g_BpC5BN

5

🌟 Speaker Spotlight for DevFest Ottawa 2024! 🌟 We’re excited to introduce Gleb Otochkin, a Cloud Advocate at Google, specializing in Cloud Database technologies on Google Cloud. With over 20 years of experience in data-related technologies, Gleb is a seasoned expert in relational databases, Big Data, application development, and data integration solutions. His extensive knowledge spans across products from Google, Oracle, AWS, and Cloudera, and he's shared his insights at conferences around the world. 💡 Session Title: "RAG vs AI Model Tuning vs Long Context Window - When to Use Each" In this talk, Gleb will demystify the different techniques for adapting and fine-tuning foundation models for specialized cases. He’ll explore: When to leverage big prompt windows for expanded context. How to maximize results using RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation). The advantages of model tuning with authoritative data. Join Gleb to discover which approach—long context, RAG, or model tuning—fits best depending on specific use cases and conditions. This session is perfect for anyone looking to maximize the effectiveness of their AI applications! 📅 Date: November 10, 2024 🕒 Time: 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM 📍 Location: Room C215, Learning Crossroads (CRX), 100 Louis-Pasteur Private, Ottawa Register Here: https://lnkd.in/g7a3nQ2x Rahatara Ferdousi Naz Zarreen Oishie Erica Silva Eslin Ustun Samima Khan Don’t miss this opportunity to deepen your understanding of foundational model adaptation techniques with Gleb! 🚀 #DevFestOttawa #AIModelTuning #CloudDatabases #GDGOttawa #BigData #AIAdaptation

27

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

13

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

37

1 Comment

How does Big Oh Tech reduce the daily escalations for a Canadian healthcare provider? By conducting a 10-day code review sprint, our developers identified major pitfalls- ✔ Missing data caching ✔ Unoptimized and undocumented code ✔ Absence of code quality checks ✔ Poor code reusability ✔ Inadequate infrastructure P.S - Need help in creating 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗳𝘁𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲 for your business❓ Reach out to us at 𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬@𝐛𝐢𝐠𝐨𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡.𝐜𝐨𝐦. #codereview #performacneoptimization #softwaredevelopment #mobileapps #codequality #devOps

16

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!

11

We've helped many Canadian organizations develop or refresh their data strategies over the past two years. I enjoyed this article and we take many approaches that align here. Business/use-case driven, focus on data quality, democratization of data, and starting ground up through high-value POC's and Pilots. Another key component is designing your data architecture to align with your strategy, and choosing a partner that can help you navigate through technology options. Love to chat data strategy with anyone that's building one, needs help getting started, or has best practices and successes to share. https://lnkd.in/ghwdD7FF #datastrategy #genai #datamodernization #aws #azure #databricks #snowflake

42

1 Comment

IT leaders, your .NET framework is a critical component of your digital infrastructure. Ignoring upgrades risks security breaches, slowdowns, and costly disruptions. Framework updates are like software patches. Ignoring them can leave your system vulnerable to attacks and slow performance. Protect your organization by prioritizing .NET updates.

14

2 Comments

Generative AI is set to boost Canada's economy by $187 billion by 2030 📈. AI will help companies add value to everyday tasks, revolutionizing the nature of work. Embrace the change as AI transforms industries, augmenting jobs and creating new opportunities. https://accntu.re/3xOAtnA #CanadaEconomy #Innovation #Accenture #DigitalTransformation

12

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

16

🌌 Imagine IT so seamless, it feels like a glimpse into the future. No constant troubleshooting, no firefighting—just a system that operates quietly and lets you stay focused on what lies ahead. Our managed services are built to keep things simple, secure, and ready for anything. For teams that want to focus on progress, not problems. Discover more about our approach to managed services at Delvetek.com. #FutureProof

4

🌟 Calian: Proud Microsoft Fabric Jumpstart Partner 🌟 At Calian, we’re excited to announce that as a Microsoft Fabric Jumpstart Partner, we’ve fully embraced the power of Microsoft Fabric to transform our data strategy. By widely adopting Fabric across our own organization, we’re now leveraging real-time data insights to make smarter, faster decisions that drive success. 🎥 Watch the video below to see how Calian is utilizing Microsoft Fabric to reshape our approach to data and analytics, helping us unlock powerful insights and achieve operational excellence. Why Microsoft Fabric with Calian? Unify your data estate with a single, scalable platform that integrates seamlessly across cloud and on-prem environments. Harness AI-driven analytics to gain actionable insights that elevate your business. Accelerate digital transformation with real-time data insights that empower every facet of your organization. We’re ready to share our learnings and help you unlock the full potential of Microsoft Fabric for your data estate. 📧 Contact us at: [email protected] Let’s discuss how we can empower your business! 🚀 #MicrosoftFabric #DataDriven #AI #Calian #Innovation #DigitalTransformation

58

1 Comment

I recently read this article by Sam Sebastian, the head of Google Cloud Canada, and it got me thinking about the future of #AI in #Canada. He makes a strong case that AI will be a major force in Canadian business by 2025. He believes that AI will be used to optimize back-end processes, enhance customer-facing platforms, and even create entirely new products and services. I think he's is right! AI is already having a major impact on businesses around the world, and Canada is no exception. In fact, I believe that Canada is well-positioned to become a leader in AI innovation. We have a strong talent pool, a supportive government, and a thriving tech sector. I am confident that Canadian businesses will be able to use AI to achieve great things in the years to come. I encourage you to read the article and learn more about how AI will reshape Canadian business in 2025. #AI #Canada #business #innovation #technology #future https://lnkd.in/gXqr5yCf

16

1 Comment

Another step towards strengthening #digitaltrust in Canada.

3

It's the end of the year but far from slowing down, the AI-related news keep on coming. The AI Alliance was set up by a number of partners (IBM Canada IBM Canada Limitee among them) to ensure that the cowboy attitude of some AI startups could be reigned in with a scientific, ethics-based approach to developing and deploying AI models. It's great to see University of Toronto's Acceleration Consortium join the Alliance.

3

Get your free ticket to learn how unlock your cloud potential and connect to (almost) anything!

6

Where are you looking for tech jobs in Canada? 🇨🇦 I spend several hours a week giving back and advising great leaders on how to: 1) Define what they're looking for, 📌 2) Position themselves digitally to target these goals, ✨ 3) Map the market of opportunities available in the country's tech network. 🗺️ My goal? To keep great talent in our country and in our companies, of course. It dawned on me today that sharing my tips in one-off calls isn't the most efficient way to scale my impact. So, if you're actively, quietly, or curiously looking for new opportunities in Canadian tech, here are my top recommendations on where to look. 1) Workintech.ca (formerly Prospect) is still the largest startup job board in the country by far. Y'all -- I built this thing and it's STILL GROWING! I proudly handed this product over to Chris Albinson and the team at Communitech in 2021 and it continues to get better every day. Today, it lists over 5,900 jobs at 1,500+ tech companies. https://workintech.ca/ HOT TIP: Don't just search for jobs. Toggle to the "Explore Companies" tab to filter and sort through different industries, company sizes, and business models. Pursue companies that fit your goals, even if they haven't listed a job that matches your criteria. You never know what they haven't listed or what's on the horizon. 2) The Narwhal Project -- I often get asked "who is the next Shopify." Charles Plant developed this list to focus attention on the private Canadian tech companies best poised to become world-class firms. For anyone looking for companies that have surpassed $50M ARR and are post-PMF, this is the best place to start. https://lnkd.in/g_mqhjmC 3) TechTO's Rocketships List -- This one is a bit outdated (2022) but hopefully this post is a nudge to Alex Norman and Jason Goldlist that we need an updated version! It is an excellent summary of top-tier startups across the growth spectrum. https://lnkd.in/g4hfHfyk. 4) MaRS Discovery District -- North America’s largest urban innovation hub is right here in Toronto and they've got their own job board. Plus, Alison Nankivell is at the helm now so great things are on the horizon! https://lnkd.in/gSUAtcXU 5) Accelerators -- Don't snooze on digging into these communities' cohorts, including Creative Destruction Lab, FounderFuel, NEXT Canada, DMZ, and Volta. You can also search for "Canadian participants of" global programs like Y Combinator or Techstars. NOTE: All of these companies are early-stage unless you go back in time and run a "where are they now" analysis on past cohorts. 6) VCs -- While most venture-backed startups will already be listed on Workintech.ca, don't snooze on checking out the portfolio job boards on VC websites, including Golden Ventures, OMERS Ventures, Klass Capital, Inovia Capital, Portage , Panache Ventures. This list goes on! If this post helps just one person find their next role, I'll consider it a success. ❤️

240

32 Comments

We value your input if you're an #Ontario business that would benefit from access to digital research infrastructure to up your game in AI or other compute intensive workloads. "To out-compete, you must out-compute" the US council on competitiveness. #AI #DRI #HPC #competitiveness

5

🚀 Is your cloud budget ballooning out of control? You're not alone. It's a common thread I've noticed among many Ontario business owners. 💸 The Problem: A staggering 32% of cloud resources are just... evaporating. That's hard-earned money slipping right through your fingers. Think about it – unused licenses gathering digital dust, or paying for storage you're not even using. It's like renting an entire office floor when a single room would do. Our latest blog post is a goldmine of practical tips to help you reclaim that 32%: - Conduct a thorough cloud audit. - Get smart with right-sizing. - Invest in reserved instances. - Automate to fit demand. - Optimize your storage strategy. Check out the full list and start turning cloud waste into cost savings! 👇 🔗https://lnkd.in/e5Pg7xnC #CloudWaste #TorontoBusiness #CostEfficiency #Cloudservices #Ontario

2

1 Comment