Metiquity Ventures’ Bryan Slauko and Jacques LaPointe have lifted the lid on what makes their dynamic as co-founders so successful when it comes to guiding the next generation of local, early-stage companies and founders in Alberta and across the Canadian Prairies.

According to Bryan, a lot of the pair’s success can be attributed to their ability to listen, both to each other and to startups to approach Metiquity Ventures for advice and support.

“There’s a lot to be learned from listening,” Bryan began, pointing to the significance of creating a dynamic in which entrepreneurs are not speaking to the pair as though they are “trying to prove something”.

“We’re just gonna listen and learn along the way,” he continued, crediting Jacque for his ability to ask challenging questions without “being in your face about it”.

On the topic, he continued: “That’s where our founders love working with Jacques – he’s got so much experience and expertise through all the things he’s done in the past. 

“He just has so much to offer to founders, and good stories they can relate to because they’re all aspiring to do something similar.”

Likewise, Jacque credits the power of listening to a “good ebb and flow” in the pair’s respective approaches to founders, remarking that letting people speak is the best way to get “to the meat of an issue”.

“We usually don’t bug each other too much,” he added, claiming the pair’s respective approaches can be helpful in “resolving debates which might be going on in a founders’ minds”.

In a previous article, Jacques also credited Bryan for the “meticulous effort” he puts into into legal documents, due diligence and the overall structure of Metiquity Ventures – an aspect which Jacques believes Bryan is all too often not given credit for.

Co-founders Bryan Slauko has shared how best to get in touch with Metiquity Ventures as an early-stage startup founder based in Alberta or the Canadian Prairies.

According to Bryan – who has consistently emphasised the importance of building relationships within a company’s respective industry – getting in contact through a mutual connection of Metiquity Ventures such as a founder of a company they have invested in or an advisor can go a long way.

“We’re investing in people, so if someone comes to us through someone we know and trust really well and can speak highly for that person, it’s gonna go a long way,” Bryan said on the topic.

Likewise, Bryan reiterated that a persistent approach can show Metiquity Ventures how strongly a startup founder is interested in gaining their attention and working with them.

This approach, Bryan maintains, is the best route for someone hoping to secure a meeting with Metiquity Ventures as “[founders] that are casual about it and don’t assert themselves very strongly just kind of fade away… those ones don’t work out”.

On the topic, he continued: “Maybe you’re feeling nervous, and you’re not sure if you should keep being persistent, but in the absence of doing that, you’re sending us a message that you’re not really determined to make that business work. 

“If you’re not trying that hard to find your way through us then leave us to make conclusions about how you run your business,” he added.

However, entrepreneurs should be aware of the difference between persistence and aggression in this approach as straying too far in the wrong direction can also have a negative impact on how a company is perceived.

“I can think of a couple of people I’ve met in the last month that have just got it nailed – you can tell they’re persistent, they’re making things happen, they’re meeting the right people in the right places and they’re gonna be successful,” Bryan added.