Shopify’s crypto bros, and anti-growth is cool now

Developer DAO meme
"gm fren!"

Looking to close out the year in style, the BetaKit Podcast has once again made the decision to poll our listeners for their input with our latest AMA episode.

“This is a Web3 podcast now.”

Unlike past AMA episodes, this week’s version features no questions better suited for a Master’s thesis. It does feature the requisite amount of shenanigans.

First, we have a question (submitted by a Shopify employee) as to why I won’t wish a “good morning” to employees at Canada’s most valuable company (did you know that Shopify had a blockchain team?). It’s nothing personal; more that the meme points to the groupthink and boosterism that was rampant with Web 2.0. Look at where that got us. As I argue on the pod, perhaps building a better future requires us to not repeat (and ignore) the mistakes of the past?

We also discuss a budding ‘anti-growth at all cost’ movement, most recently articulated by Juno College CEO and founder Heather Payne. One hundred percent employee ownership and four-day work weeks are novel in the space BetaKit covers (particularly with YC-backed companies) – which businesses will adopt a ‘slow food’ approach to growth, and which are not structured to pump the breaks?

Oh and there’s also the classic Canadian VC-submitted question on what (if anything) is holding Canadian tech back. What could go wrong? Let’s dig in.


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The BetaKit Podcast is hosted by Douglas Soltys & Rob Kenedi. Edited by Kattie Laur.
Sponsored by Silicon Valley Bank and Innovate BC.

Douglas Soltys

Douglas Soltys

Douglas Soltys is the Editor-in-Chief of BetaKit and founder of BetaKit Incorporated. He has worked for a few failed companies and written about many more. He spends too much time on the Internet.

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