Zero to Sales

​Most go-to-market advice is written for later-stage companies. This session isn't. It's for founders who have an idea taking shape but haven't yet figured out how to test whether the market actually wants it, who to validate it with, or how to turn early interest into a real sales motion.

​Thomas Waites, a sales and go-to-market expert, will open with the foundations of go-to-market and founder-led sales, drawn from his own experience as an operator. Then he'll turn it into a live case study with Ranvir Chaudhri, co-founder of Tiny Tube, an Antler portfolio company rebuilding the micro pipette from the ground up. You'll watch Thomas advise Ranvir in real time, the way he would with any founder, then bring your own questions and apply the same thinking to what you're building.

​Expect fewer frameworks for their own sake and more of the tactical stuff: how to test whether a market wants what you're building, how to pick the right people to pilot or beta test with, and how to move from "I think this could work" to an actual go-to-market plan.

​Space is capped at 25 people so the room stays small enough for real conversation. Registration includes a couple of quick questions (we're using them to make sure the room is the right mix of early-stage builders). Once we hit 25, later signups will be added to a waitlist and offered a spot if one opens up.

We are official event hosts with Waterloo Tech Week 2026, a celebration of what’s been built here, and what’s still to come. We’re building something great together. September 12-17, 2026. waterlootechweek.ca