The president of e-commerce giant Shopify Inc. has recently called on Canada to address a problem he calls “the 600-pound beaver in the room.” The issue as stated is the lack of ambition. This has been described to be the main culprit behind the excessive havoc in the Canadian economy. Plus, it has also been affecting the company’s long-term growth and success. On top of that, the country’s long-term success especially with regard to the blooming Canadian economies and companies is in great danger.
“This idea of injecting more ambition into the Canadian psyche, of not going for bronze but going for gold, of owning the podium … is unequivocally necessary,” he said late Tuesday during an interview hosted by astronaut Chris Hadfield at the Elevate tech conference in Toronto.
While at first, it was delved deep into Finkelstein’s previous DJ career as to why he starts his day with meditation. Plus, Shopify’s views on remote work was pulled forward. However, the pair eventually got down to business, discussing the state of Canadian tech.
Why Does Lack of Ambition Occur?
Lack of ambition occurs due to a lot of reasons. The following points are given below:
a. Depression is a common symptom of low motivation. This can make it difficult to complete daily tasks. People with depression may also have trouble setting goals. They may not believe they can achieve them.
b. Procrastination can be caused by a lack of enthusiasm or restlessness. Therefore, if you’re feeling apathetic about your goals, you may want to re-evaluate them. This needs to be done to make sure if it is what you want to achieve.
c. When there are too many changes happening in your life, you may feel uncertain about the future. This can lead to procrastination and putting off more ambitious goals. This can lead to a lot of overwhelming.
d. Burnout at work can lead to exhaustion. It can also lead to a lack of interest and ambition, and a desire to leave.
e. Fear of failure can come in too. Especially, if you feel like you’re stagnating. This can occur even though you know you can do more. It could also be a sign that you’re afraid to take risks in life.
f. Goals that are out of reach or are too far beyond your current level of comprehension can be the main reason too. They may make you lose motivation and willpower.
What More Has Come Up Regarding The Ambition of Canadian People With Regard To Their Work?
When Hadfield asked Finkelstein what advice he would give the prime minister to address the problem. With response to it, the tech executive’s advice was simple. He simply stated to ask those in the sector how he can help.
Such conversations Finkelstein has already had with others in the industry. This has also turned up people who want policy changes around shipping goods. It revolves around others too who need access to more electricity to power their manufacturing operations.
“But in some cases, it may just be about getting out of the way,” Finkelstein said.
His remarks capped off opening night for Elevate. All of which will run through Thursday and is expected to draw some of the industry’s biggest names to Toronto . Especially to talk about rapid advances in artificial intelligence, the country’s push toward open banking, and how to handle the cybersecurity threats of tomorrow.
Conclusion
Ahead of Finkelstein’s talk, Olympians Phil Wizard and Rosie MacLennan, Arlene Dickinson, and executives from TD Bank and Mastercard took the stage. The hot topic among speakers was the state of Canadian tech. It was also with the head of one of Canada’s more prominent venture capital funds. This was done to use his appearance to lament the country’s lack of willingness to take risks.
Jordan Jacobs, co-founder and managing partner of Radical Ventures commented too. He said that he notices that cautious behaviour crops up. Especially, when local companies are seeking funding or looking for people to adopt their technology.
“There’s a Canadian hesitance to go first, which makes sense … because traditionally you want to be a second mover and let someone else make a mistake,” he said.
However, when it comes to AI, Jacobs argued being second can be a detriment. This is because there is a compounding factor. Especially, where the technology speedily improves and becomes more personalized based on the users.
“If you’re a second mover, you’re not just 90 days behind the person who went 90 days before,” he said. “So we need organizations, I think, that are good at taking some risks.”