In an era when startups everywhere are adding “AI” to their names in an attempt to sound relevant or attract funding, one Calgary founder is doing the opposite. She’s deliberately avoiding the buzzword in a sector (government procurement) that she describes as cautious about automation and risk.
“We don’t mention AI,” said Purvaja Soochit, CEO and co-founder of Binaloop, during the opening session of Calgary Innovation Week. “We don’t have AI in our name. Where we really start a conversation with our clients is where the bottleneck is and how can we help you.”
Instead of selling technology, Binaloop focuses on solving problems. It’s a simple idea that shows how founders are adapting to an environment that changes faster than most clients or investors can.
Soochit spoke in a session about how to “future-proof” your startup alongside Shahoon Khan, founding director of investments at Front Row Ventures, and moderator Guy Levesque, executive director of the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking at the University of Calgary.
The conversation centred on what it takes to keep a company moving when the landscape changes faster than the plan.
The speakers shared lessons from their own experience on how to stay focused when technology moves faster than budgets, how to build momentum with small teams, and how to create space for learning inside the work itself.
Building small, moving fast
“It was definitely a roller coaster when we started,” Soochit said. “Every day there is something new in the journey of AI. The success for us was really to be able to adapt and change as things move.”
Binaloop began as a two-person team focused on simplifying complex, manual processes inside government. That experience shaped how Soochit thinks about growth.
“If I had to redo it again and start from scratch, I don’t think you need a large team to scale now,” she said. “The availability of AI tools that could assist you to build and scale your solution, you don’t need a large team. You can do much more with much less.”
She argued that smaller teams can move faster and experiment more easily than larger organizations. For her, the ability to adapt and learn has been central to building momentum.
Learning faster
Khan said that mindset is already visible among the student founders his team works with.
“It’s often students helping students,” he said. “It’s kind of like the blind leading the blind. But in terms of mentorship, what goes a long way is being able to sell your dream.”
He described entrepreneurship as less about formal training and more about persistence.
“Entrepreneurship is an industry, but it’s also a mindset of being resourceful, being thrifty, and coming out on top when the odds are stacked against you.”
Soochit added that giving young people room to experiment builds confidence. At Binaloop, interns are encouraged to test new tools.
“We force them to test and experiment with tools that are on the market to automate their daily tasks,” she said. “They finish the internship saying, ‘I did not know I could use that much AI in my day-to-day.’”
What Canada can learn
Soochit said one of the hardest parts of building a company in Canada is gaining traction at home. Her team often pilots technology in the United States first.
“In Canada, our conversations that we had, they’re a little bit more risk-averse,” she said. “They won’t adopt something that doesn’t have a proven success rate, whereas on the other side of the border, the risk tolerance is higher.”
That difference, she said, slows the pace of adoption. More programs that help startups run pilot projects or secure first contracts could make it easier to grow in Canada.
“The biggest problem of an early-stage startup is traction,” she said. “If people in Canada are not buying the tool, and they have to go to the U.S. or to Europe to sell their solution, chances are they will stay there.”
After outlining the challenge, Soochit turned to what founders can control.
“The best way to future-proof your startup is to get started today,” she said. “There is no excuse for not giving your idea a try, however small or big it is.”
The session closed on a practical message for the modern founder. The startups that endure won’t be the best funded or the loudest. They’ll be the ones still learning while everything around them shifts.
Final shots
- Skip the buzzwords. Soochit’s approach shows that credibility comes from solving real problems, not from adding “AI” to a company name.
- Small is an advantage. Lean teams can move faster, test ideas sooner, and change direction without the friction that slows larger organizations.
- Learning beats experience. As Khan put it, entrepreneurship is “being resourceful, being thrifty, and coming out on top when the odds are stacked against you.”
- Canada needs more risk-taking. Founders often look south for early traction. Programs that help startups pilot products at home could keep growth (and talent) here.
- Future-proof by starting now. “There is no excuse for not giving your idea a try,” Soochit said. The edge belongs to those who act before the market catches up.
Digital Journal is an official media partner of Calgary Innovation Week.
