🇨🇦 Toronto’s tech scene, explained

PLUS: Shrinkflation and puppet unions. March 22, 2022 [The Hustle] We get it. Most people don’t need an inspirational quote, they just need a coffee. Whatever the case, we’re on the hunt for some great motivational quotes or just general words to live by — and we want to hear your favorites. [Let us know here](. In today’s email: - Toronto: How it became a massive tech hub. - Chart: Some products are shrinking, but prices are the same. - Puppet wranglers: They’re crucial to their industry, but have no union. - Around the web: A water sommelier, inclusive language, a very cool dog, and more fun internet finds. 🎧 On the go? [Listen to today’s 10-minute podcast]( to hear about the IRS’s absolutely bonkers call volume, Porsche’s luxury EV lounges, the economics of empty chip bags, Toronto’s tech transformation, and more. The big idea [Toronto cityscape]( Toronto is the next Silicon Valley, eh? Miami and Austin have each been hyped as the next Silicon Valley — sunny hubs where people can work from the pool or beach. But data suggests a city along the frozen shores of Lake Ontario has them beat. Per The New York Times, Toronto is [growing faster]( than both cities, and now hosts the 3rd-largest tech hub in North America, behind New York and Silicon Valley. How did it get there? While you might think workers are flocking to Toronto to try to hang out with Drake, the city’s rise is actually rooted in its infrastructure: - Universities: The University of Toronto and the University of Waterloo are known for churning out top talent in research and engineering - Corporate “anchors”: Tech giants with offices in the city have helped establish it as a hub, including Canada’s own Shopify, Google, Apple, Stripe, and [yours truly]( This combination of academia and Big Tech has fostered innovative collaborations, including Uber’s self-driving car lab and Google’s “neural networks” lab — both in partnership with University of Toronto professors. Another reason for Toronto’s emergence? Immigration policy Canada’s immigration policy favors [economic immigrants]( (AKA people selected because they can contribute to Canada’s economy), making it easier for workers to immigrate to Canada than the US, where immigration policy prioritizes family reunification. This has helped [fuel]( a 5.2% increase in Canada’s population from 2016 to 2021, 2x that of the US. It’s also helped make Toronto a truly international city with ~50% of its residents born outside the country. Toronto has a long way to go… … to catch the real Silicon Valley. Between 2021 and 2022, Toronto startups garnered $5.4B in investments compared to $132B for startups based in Silicon Valley. But if you’re already packing your bags, ready to head north, don’t forget your winter jacket. It could get chilly up there, eh? [Share on Facebook]( [Share on Twitter]( [Send as email to a friend](mailto:?subject=The%20Hustle%20wrote%20something%20I%20think%20you%27ll%20like...%0A&body=Toronto+is+the+next+Silicon+Valley%2C+eh%3F%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fthehustle.co%2F03222022-Toronto%3Futm_campaign%3DToronto%26utm_content%3D03222022-Toronto%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_source%3Ddaily%0A%0AYou%20can%20subscribe%20with%20my%20link%20here%20to%20get%20the%20latest%20in%20tech%20and%20business%20daily:%0A [View on our website]( SNIPPETS Buzzkill: The Dow’s 5-day win streak came to an end after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell [pledged]( to take tough action to combat inflation. Beef between Bobs: Former Disney CEO Bob Iger and current CEO Bob Chapek reportedly had a [falling out]( — and the spat has created an awkward tension that hangs over the company. Luxury charging: Porsche [announced]( plans to make 80% of its vehicles EVs by 2030, and says it will build out a network of charging stations that could double as luxury lounges. Update: Brazil [lifted]( its ban on Telegram after the company complied with requests to fight misinformation. Telegram previously missed the Brazilian Supreme Court’s requests because it was quite literally “checking the wrong email address.” --------------------------------------------------------------- Hey — enjoy getting quick updates on what you care about? Take [20 seconds]( to personalize your Snippets. Pick your preferences👇 and we’ll send you more of what you love. Boom. [Personalize my Email →]( C’mon [shrinkflation chart]( Singdhi Sokpo The shrinkflation phenomenon Ever open a massive bag of chips only to find, like, 6 chips inside? Well, now you can expect even fewer. Shrinkflation — reducing the size or quantity of a product instead of increasing the price — is a growing trend. Take Snyder’s Honey Mustard & Onion pretzels. Their new bag may boast “big flavor,” but its weight has [dropped]( from 12 ounces to 11.25 ounces. Consumer advocate Edgar Dworsky identifies shrinkflation instances like these on his site, MousePrint, with recent exposés involving Sun-Maid Raisins, Chobani Flips, and Dove Shampoo. Even chains like Domino’s are taking part. In January, the company [said]( it’s dropping the number of wings in its $7.99 special from 10 to 8. Want to vent? There’s a shrinkflation [subreddit]( where 20k+ people discuss this daily. [Share on Facebook]( [Share on Twitter]( [Send as email to a friend](mailto:?subject=The%20Hustle%20wrote%20something%20I%20think%20you%27ll%20like...%0A&body=The+shrinkflation+phenomenon%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fthehustle.co%2F03222022-shrinkflation%3Futm_campaign%3DToronto%26utm_content%3D03222022-shrinkflation%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_source%3Ddaily%0A%0AYou%20can%20subscribe%20with%20my%20link%20here%20to%20get%20the%20latest%20in%20tech%20and%20business%20daily:%0A [View on our website]( Masters of Puppets [Puppet wrangler]( Puppet wranglers want a fair deal Puppetry seems like a jovial profession, but per [The Hollywood Reporter](, it’s anything but for some employees. The Jim Henson Company is the biggest name in puppetry — there’d be no Muppets without it. But its puppet wranglers say they’ve been unfairly treated for years and are pushing to unionize. What exactly is a puppet wrangler? They not only build puppets, but [act]( as their hair, makeup, costume, and props department. A 2018 Market Watch [video]( shows a busy “Sesame Street” wrangler repairing and touching up puppets on set. The job is so specified that there are ~25 full-time wranglers worldwide, yet they’ve never had a union. Wranglers told THR that they’re often seen as “lesser than” puppeteers, who are members of SAG-AFTRA, Hollywood’s union for performers. But that’s not their only complaint: - Many wranglers are considered freelance and receive no benefits (they would receive guild benefits if they unionized) - They work with potentially hazardous materials — a SAG-AFTRA safety consultant told THR that The Henson Company doesn’t hold proper safety seminars - Builds are often understaffed, underfunded, and disorganized The Henson Company — now headed by founder Jim Henson’s children, Brian and Lisa Henson — has denied these accusations via its attorneys. While a union could solve some of the alleged issues… … it’s not clear which one the wranglers would join. SAG would put them with puppeteers. But others feel like they should go into a craft union with costumers, while still others think a props union would be best. There are pros and cons to each, but given [recent concerns]( around Hollywood’s working conditions, insiders say it’s the perfect time to finally negotiate. BTW: A puppet wrangler [explains]( how the puppets in Broadway’s “Avenue Q” work. [Share on Facebook]( [Share on Twitter]( [Send as email to a friend](mailto:?subject=The%20Hustle%20wrote%20something%20I%20think%20you%27ll%20like...%0A&body=Puppet+wranglers+want+a+fair+deal%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fthehustle.co%2F03222022-Puppet-wranglers%3Futm_campaign%3DToronto%26utm_content%3D03222022-Puppet-wranglers%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_source%3Ddaily%0A%0AYou%20can%20subscribe%20with%20my%20link%20here%20to%20get%20the%20latest%20in%20tech%20and%20business%20daily:%0A [View on our website]( TRENDS Bearable’s guide to 300k users (via Reddit) James Saady launched his personal wellness app, Bearable, in 2019 and bootstrapped it to 300k+ users and profitability. Today, he’s converting 4%-5% of free users to premium (2x the industry average). Keys to his community-driven success - Community-sourcing: Bearable launched over one year with steady feedback from Redditors. See [our summary of his timeline](. - Storytelling > marketing: Personal posts kept people invested. Saady proved his app’s practicality by [tracking his own social life]( and sharing results. - Launch highlights: [3k+ sign-ups quickly recouped $30k]( in development expenses. Adding one simple feature doubled homepage conversions. We bear much more. [Get Trends access for $1]( to peruse our market signals, niche deep dives, and 17k-member community forum. AROUND THE WEB 🏬 On this day: In 1954, the world’s largest shopping mall at the time [opened]( in Southfield, Michigan, with a Hudson’s, 80 retail spaces, and art. But after decades of decline, the final store closed in 2015. 🚰 Huh: [Martin Riese]( is a water sommelier — yes, for real. His passionate TikToks explain the differences between various waters, from still to sparkling. 🚶 Cure boredom: Recently, we showed you a site where you can experience driving in cities across the world. Now, here’s one for [taking a stroll](. 😊 How to: From Harvard Business Review, [a guide]( to using more inclusive language in your organization. 🐶 Aww: And now, [a dog]( that’s bad to the bone. Meme of the day [Drake sitting on a tower] The real reason to move to Toronto? Legend has it, Drake is still sitting up there to this day. (Source: [Twitter]() SHARE THE HUSTLE Hey. Stop keeping us a secret. Refer just 3 people and we’ll start to send some goodies as a thank you. [My First Million ebook]( Spread the news. Help us grow 🌱 [Share The Hustle 🤠→]( Or copy this custom referral link: [ Your referral count: 0 How did you like today’s email? Today's email was brought to you by [Jacob Cohen](, [Juliet Bennett Rylah](, [Rob Litterst](. Editing by: Mark “Will Drake be there?” Dent. 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