Cougar was shot just north of our house. It took down a lama and a couple goats.

Posted via email from Steve Wandler

metabridge

As canadian tech companies birth and try to make it in the big bad world. It is becoming harder to get noticed with all the clutter out there, let alone being in Canada. One of the things I have noticed with high tech is that most of the great ideas out there have no clue on where to turn to get exposure or make the connection(s) they need to get the next (first) deal.

After having a successful exit, I look back and found that in the early days the biggest challenge wasn't the great idea we had, it was getting people worth talking too, to listen to what we had.

As you can probably tell by my writing skills or lack there of, I'm not smart enough to be an MBA or frankly have any college degree. But I was dumb enough to believe I could create something great. Without my network of high end people around me, I would of never been able to achieve what I have today. With that we created metabridge, a forum to get Canadian startups introduced to quality executives in the Silicon Valley.

Is it worth it?

Many of you have heard me speak and write about the Okanagan Science and Technology Council (OSTEC) over the last year. I agreed to bring some of my experiences to OSTEC from founding, building and having a high tech company acquired. Since I wasn't involved in OSTEC while I was building my company in OSTEC's back yard, it was determined that I might be able to assist in getting more high tech companies in the Okanagan Valley involved in the organization.

We are coming up on my one year anniversary and I am seeing why we (YourTechOnline) wasn't involved in the past...No Real Value to the High Tech Community. You are probably saying to yourself - well why the heck haven't you changed it? Well, I thought the same thing and I am coming to the old dog new tricks realization.

Listening to comments from a CEO of a high tech company say he struggles to find OSTEC's value and watching the old guard glaze over and tell him where the value was....I have to giggle...they aren't listening.

Am I saying I'm the golden child? NOPE! but i do think I could help in a serious way if people would just listen and stop drinking the kool-aid.

I was hesitating on writing anything about this, as I know some read this blog, but I have determined that creating change in this organization is going to take a serious intervention. If OSTEC truly wants to help the high tech industry prosper, they need laser focus and the right people on the bus...maybe we need to go buy a bus.

I do think an organization like OSTEC is much needed but not in its current state.

Suggestions? email me...I'd love to hear them.