Keep calm and carry on

Today's Founder FAQ topic: How to persevere

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FOUNDER FAQ

Chevrier Schwartz speaking on the BetaKit stage at SAAS NORTH 2024

How to persevere

Over the last 10 years, we have had the privilege of learning from some of today’s top innovators in the tech space. One common theme we have witnessed from speaking to so many great minds and change-makers, they have all experienced challenges that forced them to persevere through it all.

This next Founder FAQ is no different.

A frequently asked question we often hear… what happens if things fail? We’re sharing a great response to this question in today’s edition.

Marie Chevrier Schwartz, our new CEO in Residence, has a lot of wisdom and first hand experience when it comes to this exact notion.

At SAAS NORTH this year, she joined the BetaKit stage to share her experience with Sampler and offer insightful lessons on growth, adaptation, and resilience for other founders.

While you can read the full in-depth interview on BetaKit, we’ve highlighted some of our favourite takeaways:

1. Product-Market Fit Requires Evolution: While Sampler initially excelled by connecting brands and consumers through samples, the changing landscape of digital marketing highlighted the importance of evolving with industry trends. Founders can embrace these shifts as opportunities for reinvention and sustained relevance.

2. Scaling Successfully Demands Internal Alignment: Scaling is a hallmark of success, but it must be underpinned by strong foundations. By focusing on internal processes and customer feedback, founders can ensure their growth strategies amplify, rather than mask, their core strengths.

3. The Value of Early Insights: Early feedback about Sampler’s challenges presented a chance to pivot or innovate. Founders should view market signals not as threats but as valuable guideposts for refining their strategy and seizing new opportunities.

4. Decisive Leadership in Change: Recognizing when to pivot, innovate, or wind down is a strength, not a weakness. Schwartz’s decision to end Sampler’s operations demonstrates the courage to make difficult choices in service of long-term goals, which can inspire founders to act with clarity and resolve.

5. Celebrating Learning Through Challenges: By sharing her journey openly, Schwartz reframes failure as a stepping stone to growth, encouraging other entrepreneurs to foster a culture of transparency and continuous improvement.

These takeaways underline the importance of agility, customer-centricity, and embracing challenges as opportunities for growth. Schwartz’s story serves as a testament to how founders can navigate complexity while staying true to their vision.

You can explore the full story on BetaKit 

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COMMUNITY

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Attention Innovators! 

There’s an Open Call for Participation in the City of Toronto’s Transportation Innovation Challenge (TIC) #4 on Automated Enforcement!

 

 

Any questions can be directed to [email protected].

 

TIC#4 will focus on automated enforcement of traffic violations, including ‘blocking the box’, prohibited intersection movements and illegal use of dedicated bus lanes, and possibly others. 

 

Additional Key Info:

  • Applications will be received up until December 2, 11:59 p.m.

  • Selected participants will begin piloting their solutions for up to 6 months beginning in early 2025. 

  • The goals of TIC#4 include assessing the state of technology, gathering data about violation frequency and informing next steps for the City. 

  • The TIC is not a path to procurement nor is it a competition between applicants.

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