On the TechVancouver stage ×1
John Lyotier of Left presents The Kite Flies Because of its Tail
Watch on YouTube ↗First seen on the TechVancouver stage in 2017. Every talk is searchable — ask the archive about John ↗
In their words
We're probably the most successful company you've never heard of, because we're not a Vancouver tech company — we're out in the burbs in Maple Ridge.
Every decision we've made along the way has been with intent, because growing a company is a series of small deliberate actions.
We believe the kite flies because of its tail. The big projects you take on are the kite, and all the little things you do every day are the tail.
Quick answers
Who is John Lyotier?
Co-founder and CEO of TravelAI, an applied-AI travel company in the UpNext Group. He earlier co-founded Left, a Maple Ridge, BC travel-media company that also built the RightMesh mobile mesh network, and spoke at TechVancouver in 2017.
What was his TechVancouver talk about?
How small, deliberate daily decisions compound into big outcomes — his 'kite and tail' idea. He described building Left deliberately from the suburbs of Vancouver, setting culture goals like becoming a certified B Corp and a best place to work.
What happened to Left?
Left did not survive the 2020 pandemic and wound down in August of that year. Its brands had included Left Travel, RightMesh and W3 Engineers. Lyotier now runs TravelAI and the UpNext Group.