Symend's CEO joins Joe Momoh's Calgary Leader Series Podcast
Symend's CEO recently appeared on Joe Momoh's Calgary YYC Leader Series Podcast to discuss the journey of building a technology company in Calgary, the challenges and opportunities of entrepreneurship, and the vision for transforming customer engagement through behavioral science and AI.
About the Calgary Leader Series
Joe Momoh's Calgary YYC Leader Series features conversations with business leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators who are shaping Calgary's economic landscape. The podcast explores the stories behind successful companies, the lessons learned through building businesses, and the future of various industries in the region.
Calgary has traditionally been known as an energy city, but in recent years has been working to diversify its economy and build a thriving technology ecosystem. Podcasts like the Leader Series play an important role in highlighting the entrepreneurs and companies driving this transformation.
Key discussion topics
The wide-ranging conversation covered several important themes:
The founding story
The discussion began with the personal journey that led to founding Symend—from early career experiences to recognizing the opportunity to apply behavioral science to customer engagement challenges. This included candid reflections on the uncertainty and challenges of entrepreneurship.
Building in Calgary
A significant portion of the conversation focused on what it's like to build a technology company in Calgary, including the advantages of the local talent pool, the supportive ecosystem, and the challenges of competing for attention and resources with Silicon Valley and other major tech hubs.
The behavioral science approach
The conversation explored how Symend applies insights from behavioral economics and psychology to solve real business problems. This included discussion of why traditional approaches to customer engagement often fail and how understanding human behavior can lead to better outcomes.
Scaling challenges
Growing a company from early stage to scale-up presents unique challenges. The discussion touched on hiring, culture development, fundraising, and maintaining focus on what matters most as the organization grows.
Leadership lessons
Personal reflections on leadership—what makes effective leaders, how to build strong teams, the importance of vulnerability and authenticity, and how personal experiences shape leadership approach.
Insights on entrepreneurship
Several key lessons about entrepreneurship emerged from the conversation:
- Solve real problems: The best businesses address genuine pain points that customers care about solving
- Build strong teams: Success comes from surrounding yourself with talented people who complement your skills and share your values
- Stay resilient: Entrepreneurship involves constant challenges and setbacks; resilience and persistence matter more than avoiding difficulties
- Focus on customers: Understanding customer needs deeply and delivering real value creates sustainable competitive advantage
- Embrace uncertainty: Building something new means operating with incomplete information and being comfortable with ambiguity
Calgary's tech ecosystem
The conversation highlighted several strengths of Calgary's technology ecosystem:
Talent availability
Calgary has strong engineering talent, including many professionals with experience in complex technical challenges from the energy sector who are increasingly joining technology companies.
Business acumen
The city's business community brings deep expertise in enterprise sales, operations, and scaling companies—skills that are highly valuable for B2B technology companies.
Supportive community
Calgary's tech community is collaborative rather than cutthroat, with established entrepreneurs and business leaders actively supporting the next generation of startups.
Cost advantages
Compared to major tech hubs, Calgary offers more affordable real estate and operating costs, allowing companies to allocate more resources to product development and growth.
Challenges and opportunities
The discussion also acknowledged challenges facing Calgary-based technology companies:
- Access to capital: While improving, venture capital availability in Calgary still lags behind major tech hubs
- Recruiting competition: Competing with Silicon Valley and other major centers for top talent requires creative approaches
- Market perception: Calgary isn't typically top-of-mind as a tech hub, requiring extra effort to gain attention
- Network effects: Being outside major tech centers means missing some of the serendipitous connections that happen in places like San Francisco or New York
However, these challenges also create opportunities for companies willing to take a different approach and leverage Calgary's unique strengths.
The vision for Symend
The conversation concluded with discussion of Symend's vision for the future—expanding the impact of behavioral engagement across industries and geographies, continuing to innovate on the application of behavioral science and AI, and building a company that makes a meaningful difference in people's lives.
The goal isn't just to build a successful business, but to fundamentally change how companies engage with customers during challenging moments, creating better outcomes for both businesses and the people they serve.
Why these conversations matter
Podcasts and media that highlight local entrepreneurs and business leaders serve important functions:
- Inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurs
- Showcasing Calgary's innovation and diversity beyond energy
- Building connections within the business community
- Sharing lessons that can help others avoid common pitfalls
- Attracting attention and talent to the local ecosystem
We're grateful to Joe Momoh for the opportunity to share Symend's story and contribute to the conversation about building Calgary's technology future. For anyone interested in entrepreneurship, building in Calgary, or applying behavioral science to business challenges, the full episode offers valuable insights and perspectives.
Getting involved
For those inspired to get involved in Calgary's technology ecosystem, there are many ways to participate:
- Join a tech startup or scale-up company
- Attend local tech events and meetups
- Mentor aspiring entrepreneurs
- Angel invest in early-stage companies
- Start your own company addressing problems you care about
Calgary's technology future is being written right now by entrepreneurs, investors, and professionals choosing to build something meaningful. We're excited to be part of this community and to see what the next generation of Calgary tech companies will achieve.
