This blog will chronicle my adventures in high-tech entrepreneurship in Montreal.

Being a high-tech entrepreneur in Montreal implies several unique challenges. I hope to examine some of them here. Particularly difficult are language issues, searching for talent who “get it” in a city known more as a cultural mecca rather than a high-tech mecca, and the lack of a young (at least in spirit!), adventurous, high-tech, geeky entrepreneurial community. The latter appears to be a prerequisite for the incubation and development of cutting-edge ideas; for example, those that spawn Web 2.0 companies.

The name “Silicon Island” comes from the fine tradition of naming high-tech regions after the original Silicon Valley (see the wikipedia pages on Silicon Alley, Silicon Forest, Silicon Corridor, Silicon Valley North, etc.). And the island part? Simple: Montreal is a city situated on an island.

Now, my personal feeling is that Montreal does not yet deserve that name, but this blog is one small step towards making Silicon Island a reality!