Recap of "MEC x Jane: Meet Jane!"

The event consisted of several speaker presentations.

First, Howard Hong, COO presented principles for a great startup. He stated that "Every company should be a tech company, no matter what you're solving". Knowing the market and doing specific, detailed interviews was critical, as well as knowing the detailed, granular operations of what the startup is trying to build. Culture and team were the most critical aspects of a great team; it didn't matter how smart a person was: he/she had to fit into the culture. Hong said "Don't look for the best person, look for the right person."

Then, Niall King, Head of Recruiting analyzed the team dynamic and financial elements. He indicated that sports teams are very much like startups: they require a great team dynamics. Jonah Lomu, one of the greatest rugby players ever, did not have a good New Zealand team around him. As a result, New Zealand made 3 World Cups, but won zero. Regarding startup finances, if one gets into a scrappy startup, one should check one's offered cash and stock, and consider one's status, career, and the future. Finally, King noted that industry is dramatically changing, and one should approach industry with humility. One must always be aware of one's mission and commitment.

Finally, Tim Sauchuk, Matthew Pucci, and David Shames rounded out the night by discussing Jane Tech. They emphasized the data-first nature of the company, which is an online marketplace for cannabis. The prioritization of speed versus scale and cost swung in cost's favor until about 100 people. Jane is a communication-heavy company, and given that institutional knowledge of the market or data is confined to a few experts, such knowledge must be diffused. As a row, Jane is very "horizontal" and team members are frequently in contact with other teams, like tech, management, financial, outreach, etc. Jane gets customers both through mom and pop stores, as well as cannabis chains.