Optimizing the trade-offs between centralized and decentralized platforms
Decentralization maximalists argue that you cannot trust a centralized organization and thus, everything should be decentralized. And thanks to the advances in blockchain technology, that’s now technically possible. These proponents of decentralized platforms can offer up numerous reasons why the decentralized world is superior; the chief two reasons are avoiding censorship and eliminating the rake […]
The challenges in implementing tech policy and what government can do
Over the past couple of years, I have been asked to give input on tech policy for all levels of government: city, provincial, and federal. This has been both informally and formally through committee work. I feel lucky to live in a country where elected officials seek input from industry to come up with the […]
Some quick reflections on the current tech M&A market
We’re just a few weeks into 2018 and have already completed three portfolio exits: @Mattermark (by @FullContact), @MemoAIHQ (by @coinbase), and @GoPike13 (by $CSU.ca). This is a good time to share some observations about the current state of the tech M&A market – both specific insights from these transactions as well as broader observations. More […]
How to scale hiring without breaking company culture
After a company finds product-market fit and has raised an A Round, it usually starts scaling the team aggressively. This is a critical time: you have already shown that you’re on to something; now it’s all about executing that business model at scale. And that means you need to grow the original team, while keeping […]
The Four Waves of Crypto Disruption
With both Bitcoin and Ether surging to record highs this week, everyone – entrepreneurs, investors, consumers, businesses and governments – have been caught up in the flurry surrounding cryptocurrencies. Many are trying to understand what’s happening now and where all this is headed. It’s always hard to predict how a new computing platform will play […]