Tell us what you're building

Three ways to reach us

Use whichever suits you; all three reach the same person.

• Call (604) 632-4959. Best if you'd like to talk the idea through and find out quickly whether we're the right fit.
• Text (604) 632-4959. Best for a short first message, especially if you're between customer visits or jobs.
• Email Ali@Sedighi.ca. Best if you have notes, a pitch, a quote from a builder or numbers to share.

Our hours are set in Pacific time, so plan for the difference: 9 a.m. Pacific is noon in Toronto and 1:30 p.m. in St. John's.

What to include in your first message

Five facts let us give you a useful answer in the first conversation instead of spending it on background.

1. The venture in two sentences. Who it's for and what it does for them.
2. Your stage. Idea only, spoken to buyers, building, launched, or selling.
3. What you've already spent or built. Roughly is fine.
4. The evidence so far. How many strangers have described the problem, asked to buy, or paid.
5. Budget and deadline. What you can spend, and when you need a result.

Here's a template you can copy for a text or email:

Hi, I'm [Your name], founder of [Venture name] in [City, Province]. We're building [one-line description] for [type of buyer]. So far we've [what you've done: e.g. spoken to X people / built a first version / made X sales]. I'm stuck on [the problem]. Budget is about [$ amount] and I'd like a result by [date]. Best time to call: [days and times].

Don't worry about polishing it. A rough, honest message is more useful than a polished pitch.

What happens next

After your message, things move in a predictable order.

1. Reply. We usually reply within one business day to set up the free 30-minute consultation.
2. First conversation. We ask about the five facts above and tell you which stage you're really in. Sometimes the answer is "you don't need us yet; do these three things first."
3. Written scope. If paid work makes sense, you get a short proposal: the question we'll answer, the deliverables, the end date and the fixed price or rate from our pricing.
4. Start. Work begins once you approve the scope in writing.

If you'd like to understand the stages before you get in touch, the services overview explains each one, and the FAQ covers fees, equity and ownership.

Before you send anything sensitive

Founders sometimes worry about sharing an idea. That caution is reasonable.

You don't need to send code, formulas or customer lists in a first message; a description of the problem and the buyer is enough to start. If you want a confidentiality agreement before going deeper, raise it early so it's settled before the details arrive. We also keep to Canada's privacy and anti-spam rules: we use your contact details only to reply to you, and we only email people who have contacted us first.

If you're not sure you're ready

You don't need a finished plan to get in touch. Founders often contact us with nothing more than a problem they've noticed at work and a hunch that others share it. That's a perfectly good starting point. If it turns out you're earlier than any paid work makes sense, we'll tell you which of our guides to work through first and invite you back when you have interview notes.

Who you'll be dealing with

Canadian.Ventures is part of the Sedighi.ca and SAZ.ca group of companies, headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, and led by Ali Sedighi, MBA. Read more about Ali and how we work. Call, text or email when you're ready.