Mark Evans › Comments

"Will do. Thanks for the comment. Mark" - Mark Evans

"Jay: Apologies for the late reply. I think programs that can bolster and nurture Canadian startups is a good thing. In an ideal world, it would be great if Canadian startups could get everything need in Canada but, for the time being, going to Silicon Valley can help in many ways. Thanks for the comment." - Mark Evans

"You're right, there is still lots of work to be done, and there are still holes in the ecosystem. Canadian startups are "sexy" when put in context given it wasn't that long ago the startup scene was far from vibrant. Thanks for the comment. Mark" - Mark Evans

"Jevon: Couldn't agree with you more. We've collectively spent a lot of time moaning about the inadequacies of the Canadian VC landscape (e.g. not enough money, not enough appetite for risk, etc.), but the game and the rules are changing. It has a lot to do with the growing size, talent and sophistication of the startup community, which has evolved over the two to three years. We used to talk the talk...a lot. Now, we walk the walk, and Canadian VCs need to quicken the pace to keep up. Mark" - Mark Evans

"I haven't done any stress testing - trying to work without power for a long time - but it seems pretty good." - Mark Evans

"At least you're doing your part. :) In some ways, the Q1 stats were surprising because there is so much activity, you would think there would also be as much investment activity too." - Mark Evans

"test" - Mark Evans

"The quality of life and the growing robustness of the startup ecosystem make Canada a great place for entrepreneurs to work and live. Not to suggest it's perfect but there are a lot of good things happening. cheers, Mark" - Mark Evans

"Nice post. I felt the same way when I lost my job in late-2008 amid the credit crunch. Fear is a powerful motivator that causes you to either sink or swim. I found it kicked in my survival skills and, in the process, pushed in new and exciting directions that I may have not otherwise gone. cheers, Mark" - Mark Evans

"It's a bit of a chicken and egg kind of thing. Startups think if they can raise capital, they can drive sales; or if they drive sales they can raise capital. I'm always encouraged to come across startups with a focus on getting people to buy their product or service. If they can do that, then attracting capital is an easier task. Mark" - Mark Evans

"For email, you should definitely add Sparrow." - Mark Evans

"I would also suggest there needs to be more institutional investment in venture capital that would flow to startups. According to the 2011 CVCA report, institutional investment rose only 1%, even as the number of deals and total investments climbed." - Mark Evans

"There are lots of communities in Canada with a strong startup culture but lacking in enough venture capital to support them. It's not just Calgary but a structure problem that will only get solved as more startups enjoy success and more investors, including institutional, recognize that startups can be attractive vehicles compared with other options." - Mark Evans

"Ben: Good insight. Amid the enthusiasm that drives startups, it can be challenging for entrepreneurs to have a realistic perspective on what's happening and what needs to be done. I guess that's where advisors and investors can play an important role to keep things real.  Mark" - Mark Evans

"Great real-world insight, particularly this sentence: "Design is shrinking the gap between what a product does and why it exists."  I'm not a designer or a UX/UI person but I do have a good appreciation of good design, which is aligned with your approach. Mark" - Mark Evans

"Good insight. It's always insightful to hear from fellow bloggers who can talk about what's not working. Your post has inspired me to take a look at my own activity to see what's working and what's not. cheers, Mark" - Mark Evans

"Good insight. It's always insightful to hear from fellow bloggers who can talk about what's not working. Your post has inspired me to take a look at my own activity to see what's working and what's not. cheers, Mark" - Mark Evans

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"Solid advice for any startup, even those who have no plans to raise financing given the importance of having proper corporate structure. cheers, Mark" - Mark Evans

"I agree that building great startups supports the ecosystem but at the same time the ecosystem thrives when there's a collective movement. One of the things that I find encouraging about Toronto's startup ecosystem is how generous people are with their time and how supportive they are about other people's efforts.  Mark" - Mark Evans

"I've been using it for a month. The more you use it, the more value it surfaces." - Mark Evans

"Brydon: Nice post. As much as incubators are hip and sexy, they're also the flavour of the day, particularly the current model of having startups spend three to four months toiling away before their "coming out" party when they present to investors. One of the flaws is what happens when investors say "meh". Then what? What do these startups do? Where do they go?" - Mark Evans

"What do you think about the idea of hiring friends given you have a good relationship with them and, in theory, trust them?" - Mark Evans

"Neal: Great list. Lots of good options!" - Mark Evans

"Nice job in explaining how the new Google+ works. The one thing I wonder about is whether having Google+ front and centre within search results is going to make Google less of a "pure" search engine, and prompt some people to switch to Bing. On the upside, this appears to be a major boost for Google+ given it will be increasingly difficult to ignore. cheers, Mark" - Mark Evans

"David: You've hit the nail on the head. With the startups with which I'm working, the biggest challenge is good salespeople to move product that has been developed. cheers, Mark" - Mark Evans

"Good to see a Canadian entrepreneur willing to go for it in a big way. Far too often, we take the money and money before the "fruit" has ripened properly. My thoughts are here: http://www.markevanstech.com/2..." - Mark Evans

"I don't think they suck at all because they're a reader-friendly medium at a time when people are time-strapped and multi-tasking. Top-10 lists are engaging and, if done value, can provide good value in an accessible format." - Mark Evans

"Jevon, You're right, 2011 was a big year and, hopefully, it sets the stage for a better and as interesting 2012. As much as it would be great to have a Canadian "TechCrunch", there are lots of healthy voices support the scene, and perhaps a vibrant market will bring out more of them. I'm trying to do my part at Mark Evans Tech. :) cheers, Mark" - Mark Evans

"Another influencer discovery service to include among Klout rivals is Appinions.com, which uses the power of opinions to identify influencers creating content (social and traditional), as well as the people who are attracting the most coverage. Appinions also lets users create their own topics, which provides them with a lot of flexibility to focus on their specific areas of interest. Mark" - Mark Evans