>Just out of curiosity, why are you trying to take in money by nickels >and dimes rather than obtaining research grants from the Alberta >government? > >Alberta is rolling in cash, and has specifically stated it wants to >invest in technological research so that it will be in a good position >when oil money begins to dwindle. OpenBSD could surely qualify as a >research organization without too much trouble, at which point you'd be >eligible for substantial provincial funding. > >I recognize that government grants come with red-tape, and people are >often disdainful of taking "hand-outs". In this case, however, I'd >think the pros outweigh the cons. Don't you have a wish-list of things >you'd implement or improve if you got sufficient funding? > >Something to think about... > >
Note - my points are not meant to be a criticism of the above post. Something else to think about is the fact that Albertans invest in what they know. Do a search and see the stats from the Canadian Venture Capital Association. Alberta is consistently at the bottom end of total disbursements. I have had a number of discussions with local (Alberta) VCs and Angels about funding options for security and SCADA-related projects. I've had lots of discussions with Theo about the "environment" here. The bottom line is that when you're in a market that can effectively guarantee a high rate of return if you invest in energy, you invest in energy. If you have 7-figures burning a hole in your pocket, you don't invest in next-gen technology, you invest in a building another drilling rig or buying another service rig. Overall, you invest in what you know. Bootstrapping a purely-software organization in Alberta, when the output of said organization doesn't immediately impact agriculture, forestry, mining, oil and gas, is next to impossible. If you are into GIS or geological or geophysical apps, you're still not even necessarily set. The competition is hyper-fierce. Frankly, I'm surprised that a lot of these companies even stay alive. The net trickle-down effect in Alberta for both private and public monies is ultimately not as great as people would believe. The overhead for obtaining what cash is available is also considerably higher than what most people believe. Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt, and in the interim, traded for steel-toed boots... --Jason
