The importance of role modelsPosted on July 28, 2007
The latest poll from Montreal Tech Watch (thanks Heri) asked what was Montréal’s best advantage as an innovation center and a permanent place for development.
23% Diversity in Montréal and Montréal’s culture (14 votes)
20% The Universities, student population, and R&D (12 votes)
20% Cost of Living (12 votes)
8% entrepreneurship spirit in Quebec (5 votes)
7% The design community (4 votes)
7% Avalaibility of tech developers (4 votes)
5% government assistance and programs (3 votes)
3% avalaibility of angel funding (2 votes)
2% avalaiblity of venture capital funding (1 vote)
2% presence of successful tech entrepreneurs (1 vote)
2% the technological infrastructure (1 vote)
Bearing in mind that the majority of readers of this blog are from the tech entrepreneur community, with results like this I wonder why on earth anyone is even attempting entrepreneurial activities in Montreal !
I mean, if we believe that our top 3 strategic advantages are cultural diversity, universities and cheap cost of living, then the fact that we actually have a tech community is amazing! So fortunately all is not lost.
It was interesting to see that the “presence of successful tech entrepreneurs” only received 2% of the votes. I see 2 potential reasons for this low vote: a) people don’t believe that the presence of successful tech entrepreneurs is actually an advantage in creating an “entrepreneur-centric environment” or b) people believe that it would be an advantage if we actually had the presence of successful tech entrepreneurs - but we don’t!
I can’t believe that anyone agrees with a) - and so it must be b) ?
As we have said before on MSU’s blog, in addition to smart people and “appropriate” forms of financing (which is an issue that we are working on improving), we need successful role modes to inspire people to stretch themselves.
Now - our digging around has shown that there are more successful tech entrepreneurs in Montreal than we would believe. By successful I mean people who have started companies, financed them and that have now been sold or are generating good cashflows. Has anyone heard of Eric Boyko, Eric Aubertin, Joe Poulin, Chris Royne, Rocky Murza, Faycal Kahloun? and the list can go on.
The best contribution that successful entrepreneurs can do for the community is to start talking about their successes. Most are willing but they just need an appropriate forum to “expose” themselves - one which doesn’t make them subject to what Carl Mercier refers to as “Quebec Jealousy” - or what we call “Tall Poppy Syndrome“.
It would benefit everyone to find the right forum - for example, would a slot at demo camp be appropriate?
The other benefit of raising these entrepreneurs profiles is that is shows to potential Angel investors that it is possible to make money by investing in start-up’s. For every successful entrepreneur there are probably 2 or 3 successful Angel investors !
4 Comments
i think nobody voted for “presence of successful role models” because they are unheard of, and its not something montréal is know for. we just know of céline dion, actors and cirque du soleil in québec as role models. there is austin hill, who is active and very well known, but its not enough.
now, you wrote about “Eric Boyko, Eric Aubertin, Joe Poulin, Chris Royne, Rocky Murza, Faysal Kalhoun…” but I haven’t met them. ok I am a newcomer to montréal and québec, but I don’t think many tech entrepreneurs know them too. We may need a hall of fame, or something more open to the general public than democamps (which might be too “geeky” to attract newcomers to tech entrepreneurship)
I think we’d be better to wait for real role models to emerge, before sounding the trumpets of adoration.
I think Weblo is a ridiculous pyramid scheme; I’m certainly not to inclined to consider its founder a role model.
As I’ve said elsewhere, I think all the right things are happening in Montreal for its own style of tech scene to take root. The pieces are coming together. Of course, more VC and angel funding would be nice - but you guys are working on that, and maybe it will never be a _huge_ scene. That’s OK. Let’s be patient and not force something whose emergent behaviour is beautiful in its own way. Most importantly, let’s be honest and accept that if we don’t have any really successful people to put up on the podium, we should keep our trumpets at the ready until one emerges, rather than championing a false idol.
To clarify what I mean by a role model - A role model does not always have to be a Niklas Zennström / Janus Friis like succcess - anyone who has achieved something that I would like to achieve can educate and inspire me - and thus act as a role model. It doesn’t mean that I have to have the same business passions, or even world views, as my role model.
@mat - I’ve never met Rocky Mirza, the founder of Weblo, and what I know of Weblo has not interested me much - but he has raised over $3Million for his business from VC’s that i’m sure aren’t complete idiots !
I don’t want to defend a business or a person that I don’t know - but I don’t see why you would want to bash someone for trying.
And as for “keep(ing) our trumpets ready” - what is the official definition of a successful person ? and can you confirm that none of the other people I have mentioned fit that definition ?
Your comments may be well intended but ,to me, as written it comes across as disparriging of the success that a number of Montreal entrepreneurs have already had … almost a touch of “Tall Poppy Syndrome” ;-).
I suppose it all depends on how high you are aiming. I feel I would be unmotivated by anyone less than a Niklas Zennstrom / Janus Friis type character.
In my mind the capacity to raise money does not make one a role model. Nor does the capacity to make money. What makes a role model for me is someone with vision, a knack for making sense of chaos, compassion, raw ability and a track record to prove their mettle in making their ideas reality. I accept that this might be my own very narrow definition of a role model, (that which I seek and may never find), but in such a search it is senseless to generalize. (Perhaps someone on your list fits my description? I can’t say I am sufficiently familiar with them to judge.)
I refuse to fear bashing someone with whom I disagree. Of course Rocky is trying, and there is some nobility in that, but we need to get beyond mere championing and examine what it is we are championing. It is not enough to cheer for the sake of hearing one’s voice. You have to cheer because you truly believe.
I have not seen or met many people locally that have inspired me to that extent (yet). Yes there are plenty of congenial people on the tech scene here in Montreal, but that does not mean there are that special breed of “role model”.
Trust me, I suffer not from jealousy of any kind. I long for a Craig Newmark or a Marc Andreessen to emerge in Montreal. I would be the first one seated to hear them speak. To point out that we have no such bright lights here is not to be disparaging, it’s simply calling spades, spades.