How many times have you had an idea to pitch and you don’t really quite know how to get it across in a way that will “make it stick” and maybe get your first customer?
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This Thursday, learn from one of the best: Allan Isfan. Allan will focus on ideas during the early stages of connecting with customers: validate what you are building and possibly getting an early customer. He will use real example from his own experience.

1. How to deliver a message that sticks so your customers “get it”
• this will focus on two key areas
• story boarding
• SUCCESs (simple, unexpected, concrete, credible, emotional, story)
• slide design
2. Focus on things you can do to connect with potential customer in the validation phase ….
• prototypes
• getting advisors
• collateral
• looking at things like a partnerships
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Allan is CEO of FaveQuest, a Social Media Platform company based in Ottawa. He’s also out to change the world! Allan’s presentation Change the World One Child at a Time has been viewed over 12,000 times. Allan’s latest endeavor is Zoogeez, an online playground for kids to safely play, create, watch with the mission being kids from around the world working together and getting to know each other.
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Please join us for this very special presentation from a very special person.
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Location:
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The Code Factory
2nd floor
246 Queen St. West
Ottawa
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Time: 5:45-8:00PM
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Note: you need to ring the buzzer to use the elevator after 5PM
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While there is no need to register it would be great to let us know if you are coming by using Twegather to send your reply over Twitter:
Reply on Twegather: Yes
Reply on Twegather: Maybe
Reply on Twegather: No
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Don’t forget to contribute to The Code Factory’s “cookie jar” at the end of the night.
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Ian Graham

Filed under: Commercialization, Innovation, Open Source, Ottawa, Start-up, The Code Factory by Ian
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Caffeine is the life blood of many start-ups and as a serial entrepreneur and veteran of several Start-ups Fred Dixon is only to aware of this. TheCodeFactory already has some awesome coffee courtesy of our good friends at Francesco’s Coffee Company. However, some folks like their caffeine cold.
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Well we have GOOD NEWS for those cold caffeine drinkers:
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Announcing “The Magic Fridge”.
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Sleek black and stoked with cold, liquid caffeine. The Magic Fridge is packed full of ice cold coke and restocked regularly so that it is in fact a bottomless supply of cold liquid caffeine. Mmm …
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Tomorrow we have an exciting announcement regarding the Magic Fridge’s partner … the seed fund candy jar. Stay tuned.
Ian Graham

Filed under: Ottawa, Start-up, The Code Factory by Ian
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Thanks to Fred Dixon of Blindside Networks for this great idea.
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I have blogged about start-up funding for the past four years … well now is time to do something about it. TheCodeFactory is starting a new Seed Fund.
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All you have to do is;
- drop by TheCodeFactory,
- find the magic fridge (seed fund is on top of the fridge),
- get the candy jar from on top of the fridge,
- pop the top,
- read the instructions,
- collect your seed fund contribution.
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Follow this simple steps to get your first micro-seed round of funding. Best of all there is no dilution for your start-up and you retain all your equity.
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It is really that simple. TheCodeFactory seed fund is the leanest most efficient form of seed funding in Ottawa, certainly Ontario and perhaps even Canada. TheCodeFactory may not have the same payload of $50k as an IRAP – ARP (small project) but there is no paper work to fill out and grants are processed immediately.
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Ian Graham

Filed under: Commercialization, Ottawa, Start-up, The Code Factory by Ian
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… not when you can get it for FREE!
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Will office space make your start-up more productive?
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Try a test drive for FREE at TheCodeFactory and see. Announcing Free for 3 Contest.
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We are having a contest at TheCodeFactory offering 3 months free office space to a lucky start-up. This is bright, funky, primo office space right in the heart of downtown Ottawa with great public transit access and the most awesome neighbours. Mail service, access to board rooms for customer meetings and you are within walking distance to many of Ottawa’s great restaurants … Heck The Green Papaya is right down stairs and Go For Sushi is next door.
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That all sounds good but how does the contest work?
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It is really simple just fill out this application form and mail to Ian [at] TheCodeFactory [dot] ca. Our illustrious panel of judges (soon to be announced) will be reviewing all entries and determining the winner. Then we will have a small celebration to announce the winners toward the end of September. More details to follow soon … stay tuned.
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Ian Graham

Filed under: Ottawa, Start-up, The Code Factory by Ian
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This is the fourth edition of Start-ups to watch I have written. Previous versions can be found;
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2008 Start-ups to Watch
2007 Start-ups to Watch
2006 Start-ups to Watch.
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I have decided to move the posts to The Road Less Travelled from my other blog “Blogmatic”. This year’s crop of start-ups hosts an incredibly talent rich pool to draw from and narrowing it down to just three has been a real challenge. Anyway here are my picks for 2009 Start-ups to Watch in alphabetical order;
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Brad Stewart and Mark Northcott are the dynamic duo that make Adjoy tick. The company had originally started out with the name PayMail but, as the idea evolved so did the name. Brad was going to be our first tenant at TheCodeFactory, however, when the initial location lease negotiations fell through (long sad story) they had to find a new home. Brad is the sort of person that brings a tremendous amount of positive energy into any room he enters you can literally feel that positive vibe. Mark is great compliment to Brad and a very capable CTO ready material. The two make a great combination and we look forward to great things from them in the years to come. Good kharma and much success to Adjoy for 2010.
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Blindside Networks has been a tenant at TheCodeFactory for almost a year now and it has been great to see them grow. Fred Dixon is the seasoned start-up leader of the team having already achieved start-up success several times before. Fred also has a strong supporting cast including; Richard Alam, Denis, Tyler and Ian. The report card for Blindside Networks would read something like work hard and play well together. Blindside spun out of Carleton Universities TIM program based on a project initiated by Richard Alam called “Big Blue Button”. The premise of the start-up is that doing a video conference should be as easy as pressing one button. Plans to conquer the world are well underway.
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Jay Lawrence is founder of Infonium a software company specializing in governance for the health care industry. Jay spoke in February this year at TheCodeFactory session on Boot Strapping for Success and participated in Students & Start-ups 3 where he meet and later hired Chris Saunders from U of O as a summer student. Jay is OBJ Top 40 under 40 for 2009 and one determined entrepreneur. Jay has a strong team, a great product and that entrepreneurial killer instinct. I am certain that more accolades for Infonium are in the works as we speak.
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Congratulations to these first class start-ups … wishing them much success and prosperity in the year to come.
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Ian Graham

Filed under: Featured, Ottawa, Start-up, The Code Factory by Ian
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One of my favourite events at TheCodeFactory and one we have been an active participant in is Team Camp. Team Camp is scheduled to start meeting regularly again on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month. Our next meeting is Thursday September 3rd from 5:45pm to 8:00pm.
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For anyone with start-up aspirations that would like to kick the tires on a start-up before you take the leap this is a great opportunity. Team Camp Lead Chris Schmitt has done a great job in creating a co-learning environment for participants. With a mix of shared learning, expert presentations and actual hands on projects this is an event with something for just about everyone with a very start-up feel to it.
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If you haven’t been out before please feel free to drop in.
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On the sched for our next session:
- Team Camper Input Session
- Twegather Alpha Demo (our first organic project) woot, woot!!
- Other fun stuff
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Ian Graham

Filed under: Camp Culture, Commercialization, Entrepreneurship, Ottawa, Start-up, The Code Factory by Ian
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