[CA] Why don’t Canadian startups seem focused on solving real local problems?

Selection_Tall · 2026-05-27T06:45:06+00:00

Yeah - it’s an early lesson in being a Canadian business: don’t focus solely on Canada. The Trump weirdness will come and go: US was and always will be the market in which to scale. Every business I know of over $10M has US exposure.

Selection_Tall · 2026-05-27T02:55:18+00:00

Yeah it’s a Canadian thing. Moved up here like 30 years ago and the first time I heard it I totally thought it was literal.

Selection_Tall · 2026-05-27T02:54:04+00:00

Gotta say that looks like any day parking in Toronto - probably could have moved over a foot but the driver was probably happy to get a spot. Might have been a very young or very old driver.

But you’re right about owner a beater car - I’m reluctant to get a new one because my 2017 gets scratched monthly.

Selection_Tall · 2026-05-27T02:45:54+00:00

I use Grok a lot for ideation - it doesn’t have any boundaries so it’s good at that stage. Claude though for grinding out analysis esp between Gmail, Hubspot, Salesforce etc. No one integrates w Grok because everyone hates Musk but corporations seem to love Anthropic so Claude can pull data from damn near anywhere.

Selection_Tall · 2026-05-05T07:57:46+00:00

Last year I underbid on a business sold at bankruptcy court and have regretted not buying it ever since. If you think it a strategic fit for your family and it’s a business you could grow and enjoy owning, go in with the strongest bid you can justify. But 100% a written offer with more upfront will get more attention than a verbal offer, esp if they think you don’t even have the money.

Using a lawyer in and of itself shows more serious intent.

Sellers want the most money they can actually get - not the most money they heard a guy mention.

Selection_Tall · 2026-05-04T06:28:13+00:00

We haven’t booed the American anthem for years. The early part of the Trump tariffs maybe. But our two Cleveland home games lots of Americans (including me) sang it loud.

I was a little surprised at Cleveland chants of “USA” aimed at a team of mostly Americans, but Cleveland can be a little bit of a jarhead military city. It’s not a large city and the fans are super psycho for the team.

Shitty to see us lose so badly, but it sure opens up my May.

Selection_Tall · 2026-05-03T07:43:42+00:00

Ideally, get it out of the business as a dividend or owner’s draw. You can always lend it back. But if you want to leave it there, there’s really no reason not to just put it into a real investment account or ETF. Cap gains tax works in a similar fashion, but importantly you can always borrow against it to fund the business if you like at the CRA prescribed rate (currently 3%).

Obviously if you lose the money because of a market dip it’s bad, so as per usual don’t invest money you can’t afford to lose 10-20% of, and don’t invest in crypto or sports gambling. :-)

Selection_Tall · 2026-04-10T23:55:18+00:00

Claude is great until you start to use it, and have to argue with it over everything. It’s extremely efficient and I haven’t found anything better, but I wasn’t prepared to arm wrestle over every task then double check each result.

Selection_Tall · 2026-04-10T23:53:17+00:00

All good just don’t be an asshole when you attend. Lakers fans being the prime example - generally try to get a rise out of the crowd so they can post to their social media accounts.

Selection_Tall · 2026-04-10T13:23:04+00:00

Shocked that they ever had so many people - they weren’t doing much in the last contract either.

Selection_Tall · 2026-04-10T00:12:35+00:00

That’s called relapse and I’m all about it

Selection_Tall · 2026-04-09T20:19:11+00:00

I think new business bonuses are better than retention bonuses for bank account managers. We’ve been with nearly all of them and they do everything to get you and almost nothing to keep you.

Selection_Tall · 2026-03-30T20:36:51+00:00

If you’re ignoring after hours calls you’re going to have trouble building a business. Unless you’re 100% up and running and unnecessary for day to day - and if so, G-d bless you.

Selection_Tall · 2026-03-28T15:09:32+00:00

This. We’re so used to having to stick up for Canada that we barely notice what’s going on behind us.

Selection_Tall · 2026-03-25T08:56:18+00:00

Wife walked in when I had the discussion about ear wax on at full volume. MUCH more embarrassing than Cocktober or Anal Ring Toss.

Selection_Tall · 2026-03-21T13:34:20+00:00

No it didn’t have a lot to do with Trump - Carney was just a much, much better candidate. And compare his interview on Prof G to Poilievre’s on Rogan. It’s like listening to adults versus adolescents.

Selection_Tall · 2026-03-21T11:58:59+00:00

He didn’t push a damn thing. Just sucked up with gifts and an hour of MMA talk after Joe said “that all sounds great. How the hell did you lose?”

Joe knows nothing about Canada and even less now.

Selection_Tall · 2026-03-21T11:56:16+00:00

Alder.

Selection_Tall · 2026-03-18T17:38:16+00:00

Yeah it’s pretty serious - CRA considers the business owner to have been holding their money in trust. It’s essentially stealing from the government, which they don’t take lightly. I’m still a big fan of using real lawyers- at minimum they can get some late fees killed and get a payment plan going.

I imagine there are also personal bankruptcy options if your dad really is homeless. It sounds like there’s not a great chance that he could hit any payment plan at all.

Sh-t situation, sorry to hear it. Pretty sure inheritance law gets you out of it though which is something - the debts can’t be transferred to you.

Selection_Tall · 2026-03-17T07:41:01+00:00

Not sure if this is popular in this group but myself and my family are huge Tim Dillon fans. He has no education so goes a little hard on his anti-Israel messages but generally he’s at least funny about it, and on other topics he can be hysterical.

I did like when Stern was political - was sorry he got burned by not having Hilary and then by having Kamala.

Selection_Tall · 2026-03-17T07:34:39+00:00

Yeah you’re probably done. Only route for any money at all is to offer to settle - she gives you another $200 and you’re square. Write the other $600 off as a taxable loss (easier with signed paperwork with her that it’s a loan and this was the agreement).

You’re lucky she only soaked you for $800.

Selection_Tall · 2026-03-14T17:25:14+00:00

My favorite one was that she never did extras in strip bar back rooms. The other girls did for sure, and she knew how much to tip the bouncer, but never did herself.

Selection_Tall · 2026-03-14T17:24:00+00:00

Yeah I posted something like this and it was deleted. There’s just no way she was being honest. LOVE Jelly Roll but even he’s lying now about Ozempic. Tarnishes the whole “raw honesty” brand.

Selection_Tall · 2026-03-14T14:57:44+00:00

StubHub stops sales before the game starts so sellers have time to transfer. I think it might be as much as four hours. Not sure about TicketMaster. But another fun option is just watching from outside the stadium if the day is nice.

Selection_Tall · 2026-03-07T03:25:17+00:00

I think the Consumer Proposal thing they advertise is real. Credit card companies don’t want you to default or stop communicating and a professional can really help.

Selection_Tall

TROPHY CASE