[cmrdporcupine]

Having worked in Toronto's tech scene for almost two decades I just have a big 'meh' response to it.

I now work at Google in Kitchener, and commute from a hobby farm near Hamilton. Quality of life is outstanding. I dread ever having to work in Toronto proper again.

The startup scene in Toronto is a clique. The quality of management talent is sad. After working as employee #4 in a Toronto startup, I jumped ship to work for a late stage startup HQ'd in NYC and the contrast in their management skills and treatment of employees was night and day. Working at a 'hip' company in Toronto they expect you to feel blessed and to take intense sacrifice on their behalf just because you have the privilege of working for something that isn't a bank or insurance company. Meanwhile compensation lags significantly behind what you'd get elsewhere in NA.

And then the rest of the non-startup scene in Toronto is primarily large financial companies, and the work is soul crushingly boring.

[cal5k]

As a Toronto-based startup founder, I'm sorry you had that experience! (Shit, how Canadian of me... Apologizing for other people)

In any event, I think for the first time there's a really good cohort of Toronto founders with American-style vision and ability to execute. I don't think we're too far from seeing a couple of unicorns in Toronto that will help to build a stronger ecosystem. And yes, where necessary that means importing American management at great expense.

Toronto has a lot going for it. It's not everyone's cup of tea, as you can attest, but I think it's as good a place as anything to do something great.

[cmrdporcupine]

With the CAD being low there might be a window where a lot more American capital invests here. Until the price of oil climbs again.

In general it seems like VC-funded companies that go through acquisition here get a far weaker deal than similar companies in the US. And the employees a lesser share of the pie. Maybe that's changing now, but unless the capital is there to invest, I can't see how.

[cal5k]

It's improving. The capital is there, you just have to think globally fairly quickly.

We can always whine about how things in Canada are never as good as in <x>, in this case the Valley, but overall it's actually pretty good. I guess the secret sauce is to just get on with doing what you'd do regardless of your circumstances. I personally am not motivated by whether or not I'd get a 30% boost on an eventual exit if we were in the US.

[cmrdporcupine]

As an employee trying to pay off a mortgage and save for my kids uni, that 30% is important to _me_. So for recruiting good talent (not claiming I'm good talent, but whatever) I'd think it matters a lot.

[mrtron]

I think the Toronto scene is the strongest I have seen. A lot of great companies doing exciting things and growing fast.

[tempVariable]

I worked across Toronto, Markham and now in Guelph bordering on Kitchener. Just the chaos, traffic and costs alone are worth not working at Toronto. I believe that my commute mirrors yours quite a bit, since I commute from the same area.

Having said that, I have references that Wattpad in Toronto is a great place to work. I believe that every place is quite unique and there are diamonds to be found amongst the rough.