THUNDER BAY -- Entrepreneurs in Thunder Bay should know they're as brilliant as people anywhere else Scott Dougall says.
Now a director of project management with Google, Dougall started his first software company in Thunder Bay. On Friday he spoke to a new generation looking to be the next big thing as the second annual Startup Weekend kicked off.
After a one minute pitch, the group decides which ideas to work on before spending the remainder of the weekend in teams working on a prototype. Organizing committee member Mike Dohan said anyone with an idea can take part. And while Thunder Bay isn't Silicon Valley, it's a start.
"This kind of thinking can lead to jobs in the community," he said.
For Dougall, a great idea can come from anywhere. Seeing people working at Startup Weekend, he sees a community developing that an idea needs to grow. There's no magic ingredient for success but looking outside of Thunder Bay while taking advantage of what it has to offer, like low cost of living, ideas from this city can be as good or even better than ones from elsewhere.
"There's brilliance here just as there's brilliance elsewhere and people need to understand that and reach out for that," he said.
It may be more difficult to take an idea to market in Thunder Bay, but it's far from impossible.
"Being able to think big and understand that the world is your market," Dougall said.
"But you also need to understand that the entire world is your competitor."
Speaking about his experiences with Google but also as a startup from Thunder Bay, Dougall said it's great to be able to come home and share what he's learned.
"I had a lot of support from the community to do that and I'm really happy I have the opportunity to come back and give back," he said.
On Sunday afternoon the top three teams will be awarded around $2,000 in prizes.
Disclosure: Scott Dougall's mother Elizabeth Dougall is the president of Dougall Media, owner of this website.
