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Toronto is poised to become a producer of tech startups

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Re: Toronto is poised to become a producer of tech startups

#141

Post by lewisl9029 »

086421357909764 wrote: post #134
lewisl9029 wrote: post #125

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Waterloo grad here. Seeing pretty much the same thing. Really not difficult to imagine why Canadian tech companies have mostly stopped being competitive on the global stage, considering most of the talent they have access to at these pitiful salaries are essentially left-overs. Unfortunately, I honestly don't see how the situation can improve. It's a classic tragedy of the commons situation. Companies act in self-int…

Interestingly this is almost the same commentary for every "next silicon valley" city we read about here. I think sometimes people are trying to cash in on the ideal before it's even been formed. Why is everyone so rushed to be the next SV anyway? Why not be the best Toronto, or whatever city of focus that happens to support entrepreneurship through whatever programs. I feel like being a next SV town is sort of like…

> Interestingly this is almost the same commentary for every "next silicon valley" city we read about here.

That may be true, but you have to realize even the other "next silicon valley" contenders in the US can easily offer more than double the salary to developers compared to Canadian cities like Toronto and Vancouver. Toronto is not even playing in the same league in that aspect.

Re: Toronto is poised to become a producer of tech startups

#142

Post by jacquesm »

If only. The draw of SV on young Canadian talent is just too large. Some of the smartest people I know hail from that region and most of them ended up working in SV.

Sad, but it's not happening unless Canada will find a way to balance out the enormous difference in pay between working in Toronto (or any other major Canadian city) versus the Valley.

Re: Toronto is poised to become a producer of tech startups

#143

Post by sotojuan »

faramarz wrote: post #123

My money is on Canada! Look, our culture, the geo-political environment, the general tolerance level of an average Canadian, all of these play a factor and when given a choice, people would easily Canada as their home base. This is where you want to start a family and grow your kids. The tech scene has always been miniature compared to SF or NYC, but the high caliber of talent and expertise is the same if not greater…

All of that is awesome but unless salaries match US ones and there's investors like there are in the Bay Area, nothing will change.

Re: Toronto is poised to become a producer of tech startups

#144

Post by serge2k »

goatforce5 wrote: post #92
jacques_chester wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm Australian. We have a special visa, the E3, which is very easy to get. Meanwhile almost everyone else is stuck in the H1B shitshow, which has in the past 5 years grown from merely "terrible" to "nuclear-powered self-propelling toxic thunderblob".

Does the E3 still have the "if you lose your job you have 2 weeks to leave the country" clause on it? It had me on edge the whole time I was in the States (which funnily enough prompted me to find a job in Toronto).

> if you lose your job you have 2 weeks to leave the country

If it's like the TN then no, because it is not 2 weeks to the leave the country it's "leave the country".

Re: Toronto is poised to become a producer of tech startups

#145

Post by James001 »

rrdharan wrote: post #132
faramarz wrote: post #128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No colder than Chicago or New York, and on most days, it's no hotter or colder than the Bay Area. really.

I strongly disagree. I grew up in Toronto. Moved to New Jersey at 17, San Francisco at 21 and NYC four years ago at age 32. Toronto's weather is definitely the worst of the four, no question.

Those places must have great weather, because Toronto is mostly sun and climate is moderated by the lake

Re: Toronto is poised to become a producer of tech startups

#146

Post by increment_i »

jacquesm wrote: post #142

If only. The draw of SV on young Canadian talent is just too large. Some of the smartest people I know hail from that region and most of them ended up working in SV. Sad, but it's not happening unless Canada will find a way to balance out the enormous difference in pay between working in Toronto (or any other major Canadian city) versus the Valley.

Would have to agree there. The salaries in Toronto are far, far lower than a comparable on the US West Coast. If you can get a public sector job at a university though, you might be laughing. Although, public sector jobs will suck the creativity right out of your veins like a vampire..

Re: Toronto is poised to become a producer of tech startups

#147

Post by sotojuan »

chawco wrote: post #97
vigilant wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I do love Canada, but New York City has nearly all of those same positives which you list (other than universal health care), to an even greater extent. And you can get bay-area level salaries there (as opposed to Toronto, where your salary is half what it would be in the bay area)

I spent a good deal of time in New York when I was younger -- in Manhattan working for an investment bank in technology. I didn't really explore the other boroughs much, but I did stay in the city for an extended period of time (~6 months in one go). I've also spent a good deal of time in the bay area (San Francisco), so the point where I spent more than half of my time there as opposed to here in Toronto. All of tha…

> I could be convinced otherwise, but in my experience Toronto is simply the best with respect to diversity, interesting people interacting and getting along, and being a fantastic mix of cultures from literally all over the globe.

> I didn't really explore the other boroughs much

Maybe that's why you think that :-)

Re: Toronto is poised to become a producer of tech startups

#148

Post by mahyarm »

arez wrote: post #87
lcc wrote: post #80

Not if Toronto keeps hemorrhaging talent. I graduated from the University of Toronto last year and can only name 2 of my classmates who are actually working in Toronto now. The rest are in SF, Seattle, and NYC - including many people who have family in Toronto, like me. All of my friends who were seriously working on a startup have moved it to the Bay Area. Many of us would love to move back to Toronto 'eventually',…

do you get a green card easier as a canadian than people from europe for example? I'm from germany and know many people who would like to work in the states, but it's really a big problem to get the green card. It takes companies much effort and money to get you in the states for more than 3 months.

You have to immigrate like all the other immigrants, but since you are German, the permanent resident quota is barely used for your nationality. The USA creates a quota system for green cards and then splits them up on a nationality basis. India, China and the Philippines have a long lineup for visas.

The USA creates a quota/lineup system on a per country basis.

You have 3 basic options:

1. Work at a European office for a year, transfer on an L visa, apply for a green card once your in the USA.

2. Apply for an H1-B around march/april, see if you made the lottery, get your visa in october, apply for a green card once your in the usa.

3. Work at a European office for X years, apply for a green card outside of the USA, starting immediately while your working there, wait until you get a green card, move to the USA. It took about a 1 year to 1.5 years for a former coworker to do it this way.

O-1 & E visas are too special case to think about for the most part. And there is always getting married to a US citizen.

Re: Toronto is poised to become a producer of tech startups

#149

Post by 086421357909764 »

lewisl9029 wrote: post #141
086421357909764 wrote: post #134

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Interestingly this is almost the same commentary for every "next silicon valley" city we read about here. I think sometimes people are trying to cash in on the ideal before it's even been formed. Why is everyone so rushed to be the next SV anyway? Why not be the best Toronto, or whatever city of focus that happens to support entrepreneurship through whatever programs. I feel like being a next SV town is sort of like…

> Interestingly this is almost the same commentary for every "next silicon valley" city we read about here. That may be true, but you have to realize even the other "next silicon valley" contenders in the US can easily offer more than double the salary to developers compared to Canadian cities like Toronto and Vancouver. Toronto is not even playing in the same league in that aspect.

:*(

Re: Toronto is poised to become a producer of tech startups

#150

Post by James001 »

potatolicious wrote: post #102
vigilant wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I do love Canada, but New York City has nearly all of those same positives which you list (other than universal health care), to an even greater extent. And you can get bay-area level salaries there (as opposed to Toronto, where your salary is half what it would be in the bay area)

Yeah, I'm in NYC, having lived also in Toronto and SF before. No way I'd choose Toronto over NYC - larger tech scene (both BigCo and startups), diverse economy, working transit, huge cultural hub (many times greater than Toronto), and tremendous food scene (again, many times greater than TO). Having recently taken a poke around the Toronto tech market, "half" salary in Toronto is being generous. Where I'm at right no…

I doubt New York has a better food scene than Toronto
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