We are the Outsiders

…with a fresh perspective

When I think about adaptability, I start to think: how does Canada measure up to the rest of the world? I think before we had the internet, and data, and the ability to access information instantaneously, the geographic divides were actually a good thing because we had the ability to just kind of move at the pace we wanted to move at and not worry about what another region in the world was doing. If there was someone faster or slower, it didn’t really matter—out of sight, out of mind. Typically, we all lived in this scarcity model that consisted only of what we were able to access in our immediate locale.

Now that the world of digitization is hitting every industry, expanding our pool of resources, and also leveling the global playing field, we have no choice but to adapt to that change. If I had to measure where Canada and where each of our provinces and territories sit in regard to a certain category or KPI, I think we’d probably give ourselves a failing grade.

So what do we do? What do we do to start moving the needle so that we can adapt to this change and be a dominant player? Not even a dominant player, but even just a relevant player, in the global market?

I think the first thing we need to do is be willing to give up the status quo. The status quo is comfortable and it’s given us a certain standard of living and all the great things that we experience here, but we almost need to move into this world of being a bit uncomfortable -stretching our legs, stretching our minds, thinking differently on how we can do things and questioning everything as we see it, and feel it, and experience it in this country. This is not what will help us feel comfortable now, but it is what could help us compete and have a far better future.

If we want to be a part of this thriving digital economy that is only going to get bigger, and become even more a part of our personal and professional lives, and impacting every single industry in the world, we have to be willing to be uncomfortable. We have to be willing to try things and be curious, and really, honestly question everything we know including ourselves.

A willingness to question is at the heart of progress, innovation, entrepreneurship and yes, disruption. And though we give up a bit of simple comfort, we gain so much more. We gain confidence that we are doing what we can to prepare for an uncertain future and let go of the simmering disquiet that comes with standing still while everyone else rushes on.

This is imperative because, the truth is, standing still doesn’t mean we get to stay the same. No matter how still we remain, the world will continue to move. We can either move with it, or let it erode us. As we wrap up another issue of Disruption showcasing all the ways Canadian entrepreneurship is solving modern problems with out-of-the-box thinking, I have never been more confident in our choice to move and our ability to become a relevant player in the global market.

Make it a great day.

Ryan Vestby, CEO, CompuVision

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