Vanhattan Venture Report: Vancouver's Seasons and Entrepreneurial Insights

Van Vibes

My Love-Hate Relationship with Vancouver's Seasons

I absolutely adore how Vancouver stays light until almost 10 PM during the summer, starting as early as spring. It’s like getting extra daylight hours as a bonus! If it’s midnight, it might be too late for me, because I feel like the night just gets started around 11:30 PM, and I end up staying up until 3 AM. LOL!

But winter in Vancouver? It’s just as gloomy as in New York City. It gets dark before 4:30 PM, and it rains a lot. While New York might have fewer rainy days, the problem in New York is that when it rains in winter, you can’t avoid walking if you plan to go out, but here you can. And the snow? While it’s beautiful on the first day, the roads quickly turn into a slushy mess.

My first winter in Vancouver only had two snowfalls, and they melted away quickly (11 different days, spread throughout December, January, and February).

Entrepreneurial Epiphanies

From Paper to Pixels: Exploring Innovation in the Entrepreneurial Journey

Back in the day, whether for school or work, we used to carry around actual notebooks, the kind made of paper. Now, we carry laptops that resemble those old notebooks. Before the MacBook's ultra-thin laptop hit the market, I wasn’t aware of any other computers that were as slim or even slimmer. Nowadays, nearly every computer manufacturer has a version of these sleek, ultra-thin designs.

The greatest challenge, and simultaneously the greatest joy, of the entrepreneurial path is the necessity to explore, innovate, and forge ahead all at once. Perhaps you can get by without innovating, but if you want to go further on this journey, it’s essential.

Reflecting on my past experiences, I’ve realized that I thrive on self-challenge and self-discovery. Almost every successful person will tell you to do what you love and follow the path you are passionate about. For me, exploring the unknown and innovating in the objective world is what excites me the most.

I often compare this journey to rock climbing. Before reaching the top (achieving a goal or milestone), you will fail numerous times. Alternatively, if you never fail and always succeed on the first try (known as "flashing it" in climbing), it means you’re not pushing to the next level, and you’re staying in your comfort zone. It’s the frustrating setbacks that make the eventual success so much more rewarding. While I do get discouraged, I will continue to share my entrepreneurial insights and the practical lessons I learn along this exploratory path.

Wisdom Wonders

Insights from Tuesday's Entreprenista Zoom Meeting

• Passion in Latin means "paying & suffering":

  • The word "passion" in Latin is derived from "passio," which means "suffering" or "enduring." The root "patior" means "to suffer" or "to endure." Over time, the term has evolved to encompass strong emotions and deep enthusiasm, but its origin underscores the idea that true passion often involves enduring challenges and hardships.

• You only fail if you quit: Perseverance is key.

• Put yourself out there all the time: Consistently promote your product, your company, and yourself.

• Community: Joining a community can be incredibly beneficial.

• When pitching to people: Find a personal connection point to start with (e.g., "we are both female entrepreneurs").

• Attracting investors for a service company:

  • Track revenue consistently to show investors your consistency.

  • Demonstrate your company’s growth to prove its potential, or your potential as a founder (most investors invest in the founders).

• Time block - managing work and other parts of your life - work-life balance

  • What is time blocking? Time blocking is a productivity technique where you divide your day into blocks of time, each dedicated to a specific task or group of tasks. By scheduling these blocks, you can ensure that you stay focused and make the most of your time.

  • How to implement time blocking:

    • Identify your tasks: List all the tasks you need to complete.

    • Prioritize: Determine which tasks are most important and need to be done first.

    • Allocate time slots: Assign specific blocks of time to each task. Be realistic about how long each task will take.

    • Stick to the schedule: During each time block, focus solely on the task at hand. Avoid multitasking or letting distractions interrupt you.

    • Review and adjust: At the end of the day or week, review your time blocks. Adjust them based on what worked and what didn’t.

  • Benefits of time blocking:

    • Increased productivity: By focusing on one task at a time, you can work more efficiently.

    • Better work-life balance: Allocating specific times for work and personal activities helps ensure you make time for both.

    • Reduced stress: Knowing exactly what you need to do and when can reduce anxiety and help you feel more in control of your schedule.