On the TechTO stage ×1
First seen on a TechTO stage in 2016. Every TechTO talk is searchable — ask the archive about Chris ↗
In their words
The bottom line is you have to execute. When I say execute, that means get off your ass and go do it. Don't talk about it, don't think about it.
The not-so-smart people don't learn from mistakes — they keep making them over and over again. The smart people learn from mistakes. But the winners, the geniuses, they're all learning from our mistakes.
We kind of operate in a really stealth way. We have over 21,000 creators on our platform, we work with all the biggest companies in the world, and nobody still knows who we are.
Quick answers
What three pillars does Chris Pavlovski say a startup needs?
Domain, relationships, and execution. Build in a field and a place you genuinely understand, invest in relationships before you need them, and then execute — ideas and relationships are irrelevant if you don't go do the work.
What was his most expensive failure?
About a decade before the talk he started a financial services business in India — a sector and country he didn't know, with no relationships or mentors. He started it in April, flew out in July, and turned it around by August, losing a lot of his own money.
Why did he keep Rumble headquartered in Toronto instead of San Francisco?
He saw San Francisco mainly as a place to raise money, and he had never raised money for any of his businesses. Toronto let Rumble operate quietly — over 21,000 creators and work with major companies while staying largely unnoticed. He said LA could be an extension for media, but the headquarters stays in Toronto.