The Hard Part with Evan McCann

Matt Roberts from CMD Capital

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Matt Roberts is a Partner at CMD Capital.

CMD Capital is a leading venture capital firm for AI-strong seed-stage startups. They focus on Canadian startups using AI in non-trivial ways, to solve mission-critical problems across B2B and Enterprise sectors.


Takeaways

  • The influence of Sir Terry Matthews and Matt's father played a significant role in shaping his entrepreneurial journey.
  • The Canadian market lacks early-stage lead checks.
  • Finding the first customer and iterating with them is challenging for Canadian entrepreneurs, as they often have to look to the US market for customer adoption.
    • Why Canadian companies don't buy from Canadian startups.
    • The lack of pension money in Canadian venture and Matt's Substack piece that caused a stir.
    • Where the value is in AI.
    • Tactical advice in raising a venture fund.
    • Matt's interest in Canadian tech and venture history.


      • Chapters

      00:00 The Influence of Mentors and Role Models

      06:44 Taking Ownership and Problem Solving

      09:09 The Lack of Early-Stage Lead Checks in the Canadian Market

      12:42 Challenges in Finding the First Customer and Iterating

      15:07 The Need for a Cultural Shift and More Anchor Tenants in the Canadian Market

      27:39 The Influence of Pension Plans on Investment Decisions

      29:20 The Role of AI in the Market

      33:13 Qualities of Successful Founders

      35:42 Addressing Challenges in the Canadian Economy

      39:31 Navigating the Process of Raising a Fund

      47:49 The Importance of Understanding the History of the Ecosystem

      50:17 Collaboration and Support within the Industry


      Keywords

      entrepreneurship, venture capital, early-stage, lead checks, Canadian market, customer adoption, investment, Canadian venture capital, pension plans, AI, founders, Canadian economy, raising a fund, history of the ecosystem, collaboration

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      The Hard Part with Evan McCannBy Evan McCann