Dubbed “the Olympics of Tech,” Collision Conference welcomed more than 35,000 attendees, 1,250 startups and 850 investors over four packed days with engaging presentations, panel discussions, and showcases. Those in attendance had access to listen to the brightest entrepreneurs, executives and trailblazers in their respected industry that spoke to the role of technology in today’s world with sub-topics ranging from fintech, venture capital, remote work, sports technology, health-tech, content, crypto, corporate social responsibility and more.

After two consecutive years of hosting the conference online, attendees were very eager to take advantage of the opportunity to hear some of the brightest talents speak in person about the technology market downturn, employment flexibility, and the investment being put into the Toronto tech sector. With an influx of innovative perspectives on the future of tech, here are the four tech trends from Collision to put on our radar:

#1 Founders make mistakes—a lot of them.

After attending a presentation by Michele Romanow, Canadian tech entrepreneur, television personality, board director and venture capitalist, it became clear that her extensive career accolades weren’t the only thing impressing the crowd. It was her experience of how she got to where she is today. Michele stated in her presentation on How to Create a Successful Unicorn, “I consider myself a hardworking entrepreneur. Yet 80 percent of my ideas fail. The reason I am where I am today is that I put everything I can into the 20 percent that works”. This insight proved to the audience why creating a business that people want to duplicate is critical, but not every idea will be the “unicorn,” and that’s ok!

#2 The remote revolution is here to stay.

With over two years under our belt with remote and hybrid working environments, companies must further redefine what work from anywhere means. Reporter Jared Lindzon moderated multiple remote work sessions touching on flexibility in the workplace and why offering remote work isn’t enough anymore. Remote work has evolved into the realm of benefits and carries as much weight as health and wellness insurance offerings. To retain talent, companies must offer a genuinely flexible employment setting instead of relying on culture as a crutch. Businesses need to establish values and benefits beyond what you came and felt at the office daily and insert that into the flexibility of remote and hybrid work.

#3 Should you care about Web3?

The rise of Web3 has changed how we think about blockchain technology and the industry as a whole. Looking beyond the hype, it’s essential to look at the actual trends investors see in crypto, the metaverse and beyond, with notable highlights of speakers discussing if the metaverse is overhyped or the future if Defi can save the global economy and looking into the crypto crystal ball, attendees were provided with a line of sight of where experts see this new way of technology moving.

#4 Embracing the future of cities.

Toronto has been named “the Quietly Booming Tech Town,” with the United States drawing their attention to the city’s growing tech industry. Thanks to years of investment, Toronto is now the third-largest tech hub in North America. Speakers such as Mayor John Tory and The Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology spoke to the Canadian technology sector’s ability to attract global investment and talent. Through the commitment to continue investing in the Canadian technology ecosystem, it is clear that Toronto is a force that should be known for many exciting opportunities.

There were several common denominators across sectors, including good technology should streamline and simplify, not overcomplicate. Collaboration is key, not competition. Be authentic and invite discourse. Also, networking takes practice, and there was consensus that many of us were out of it (lol), but exercising those muscles certainly felt good!

One of the most important takeaways of the conference is how bright Toronto’s talent is. Whether you were listening to entrepreneur Michele Romanow’s thoughts on entrepreneurship, freelance journalist Jared Lindzons take on the future of work, or CEO of Commit Greg Gunn’s advice on the big mistakes founders make when building early-stage tech teams. The ideas were innovative, and the energy was electric.

That’s a wrap on Collision 2022! The Talk Shop team is already counting the days until the next big tech event!

Feel free to reach out to the Talk Shop team here to find out how your brand can substantially impact Canada’s tech ecosystem.