Past, present and future of Ottawa’s tech scene

Three local industry dynamos share their thoughts

Ottawa has a long and distinguished history in the business of technology. Techopia asked three technology sector leaders — each representing a different generation — to share their thoughts about the local sector’s past, present and future. Here are edited transcripts of what they told Techopia.

‘It was a different world’ “I think Ottawa’s tech history is still extremely relevant. It takes courage to start and build a tech company. When you look back in Ottawa’s tech history and see all that has been accomplished over the decades, it can inspire you. This inspiration can be a tipping point for future generations to pursue their tech goals. They can see that it has been done before.

“I think there’s a lot of advice and support that you can get from past leaders. Having a network of individuals that have been there, done that. They can share their wisdom and tell stories about challenges and adversity. Also, they can tell stories about the triumph of building from the ground up. All of those things can inspire the next generation of leaders in Ottawa.

“I should add this, though. Past leaders should also recognize what they achieved was in the past. It was a different world. The way they built things was completely different. The type of technology they used was completely different and the playbook of the past is not the playbook of the future.

“The best kind of leaders who have been there, done that are the ones that actually take the time to empathize with what someone’s going through today, what they’re building, and share the stories that are relevant.”

The Present

‘We have great builders’ “Overall, I think the tech scene is really strong. There are some amazing companies being built in Ottawa. The best ones are product-oriented. They are building the best user experience. They’re not all smoke and mirrors and selling