Michael Chen is a serial entrepreneur and angel investor operating out of the Waterloo-Toronto tech corridor, with a track record of scaling two SaaS ventures to successful exits. He specializes in startup strategy, venture capital fundraising, and product-market fit validation within the Canadian ecosystem.
With over 12 years of hands-on experience in the "Silicon Valley North" ecosystem, Michael understands the unique risk aversion of Canadian VCs compared to their US counterparts. He mentors early-stage founders at DMZ and MaRS, teaching them how to craft pitch decks that secure meetings and how to negotiate valuation during down markets. His expertise covers the entire lifecycle of a tech startup, from bootstrapping and securing government grants like IRAP to navigating Series A funding rounds. Michael writes extensively on the mechanics of scaling, the dangers of "blitzscaling" in a conservative market, and the importance of tracking north star metrics over vanity numbers. He offers hard-won advice on pivoting strategies and managing cap tables to avoid dilution. Michael’s content is designed for ambitious founders who need reality-checked advice on building sustainable, high-growth companies.