Kristina, you\u2019ve been advocating for building up the local sales talent pool for years. Why do you think that\u2019s important for Alberta?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Startups need the 4 M\u2019s: money, mentors, markets and management. And when I say \u201cmanagement\u201d, I don\u2019t just mean CEOs and CTOs. Startups need to be able to market and sell great products \u2013 so they need sales and marketing executives to get that done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s plenty of sales, biz dev and marketing talent in other markets. We all hear about how deep the talent pool is in Silicon Valley. But it\u2019s challenging for Alberta startups to recruit top executives to Alberta. So, we have to level up our people to ensure our startups can access the full bench they need to create, and then scale, their startup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Why is the sales talent gap so acute here?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I know from my own experience working in sales and marketing that there are few opportunities to learn these essential crafts. We have tremendous academic programs at various levels, covering related topics like leadership, marketing, development, IP management and finance. But few of these have a focus on sales, which is such a critical skillset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ve been on the investment side now for several years. How much weight do you see investors putting on sales capacity?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Every company lives and dies based on their sales. If you can\u2019t sell your product, you don\u2019t have a business. As a result, many investors look carefully at revenues not just as validation of the market potential of the company, but also evidence of the founder and management team\u2019s ability to execute. This may vary with different business models, of course, such as social ventures and new energy solutions. But for everyone else, there is \u2013 quite rightly \u2013 deep focus on the ability to generate revenue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So \u2013 how important are sales skills when it comes to raising capital? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Everything we do in both our work and personal lives is about sales and marketing! Applying for a job is \u201cselling\u201d yourself. Raising capital is about \u201cselling\u201d an investor on your vision and ability to create value for shareholders. Fundraising for a non-profit organization, or building a social enterprise still requires the ability to influence and persuade the community to support you in your mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As does parenting! <\/p>\n\n\n\n