On the TechTO stage ×1
First seen on the TechTO stage in 2017. Every talk is searchable — ask the archive about Simon ↗
In their words
I think there was a direct correlation between that outcome and the number of times I was told I sucked.
Within hours of launching in these large organizations we learned so much about our product, we got such great feedback, and it meant that our product 30 days later was so much better than it was at the beginning.
If you personally in leadership are not willing to talk about personal failure, then your organization isn't really actually accepting of failure.
Around the web ×1
Quick answers
Who is Simon Foster?
The founder and CEO of Chatter Research, a Toronto customer-feedback software company acquired by Stingray Group in January 2020. He is now vice chair and partner at Capital Canada and chair of the Ontario Arts Council.
What did he talk about at TechTO?
In December 2017 he described six months at 500 Startups in Mountain View being told repeatedly that his pitch was bad, and argued that harsh feedback, shipping early to big customers, and owning failure personally were what moved Chatter forward.
What did he do before Chatter Research?
Eighteen years in IT startups including QuickPlay, and five years as senior vice president of digital and corporate development at Blue Ant Media. He also co-founded the civic-engagement charity the Framework Foundation.