Unfiltered w/ PORCH Podcast 🎙️

e10: Matrix Venture Studio founders on why you must fall in love with the boredom

Welcome to Unfiltered w/ PORCH, where we explore what it means to be an immigrant entrepreneur from the POV of the immigrant. Join us as we explore the world of the immigrant entrepreneur. In this episode, I'm speaking with Abhijitt Sankar Roy and Dev Mitra of Matrix Venture Studio, a boutique consulting firm that helps immigrant entrepreneurs to build and grow their businesses in Canada. Roy and Dev left behind established legal careers in India to start over in Canada. But it seems the "starting over" gene was a feature not a bug, because after a couple of years in corporate Canada, these two humans resigned and launched Matrix Venture Studio. What I found interesting, or more like mind-boggling, was that they launched their business in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this conversation, Roy, Dev, and I chat about leaving secure cushy jobs to work on their business, how to vet founders by looking beyond the balance sheet, why Canada's conservative investment culture needs to change , and their advice for other immigrant entrepreneurs on building a business from the ground up. Key Takeaways * Fall in love with the boredom: Success often is just consistently doing the same things over and over again until they become second nature. The most successful people have fallen in love with the boredom of their process. * Canadian investors need to do better: Canada's investment scene is too conservative, often acting more like lenders than partners. An investor who only wants to join after you're revenue-positive for five years isn’t an investor. * Your network is everything in Canada: I feel like this lesson keeps popping up again and again. Networking is crucial to your long-term success, especially if you are an entrepreneur starting out in a new country. Building the right connections helps you understand the nuances of the business landscape. * Your past is important but don’t turn it into a crutch: Many immigrants show up with a sense of entitlement based on their past successes. To succeed, It’s important to accept that you be receptive to the new ecosystem’s expectations and understand that you are starting fresh. Official Links * Connect with Dev Mitra on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/devmitra/] * Connect with Abhijitt Sankar Roy on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/abhijitt-sankar-roy/] * Speak to them about launching your business idea [https://www.matrixventurestudio.com/contact-us] Roy and Dev’s Media Diet * One newsletter you’d never miss: Forbes Leadership & Business [https://www.forbes.com/leadership/] and the Betakit newsletter [https://betakit.com/newsletter/] * One immigrant entrepreneur that inspires you: Andrew Carnegie and Ajay Virmani [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-ajay-virmani-2a85b480/], CEO Cargojet * One podcast you regularly listen to: The Tony Robbins Podcast [https://www.tonyrobbins.com/podcasts?srsltid=AfmBOorrHkb0NgGgP_92yy6nr3RnC7DOOhfX4jwv-yXyYZ-g5VC2qWK7] and The Joe Rogan Podcast [https://open.spotify.com/show/4rOoJ6Egrf8K2IrywzwOMk] * Any books or resources that have significantly shaped your entrepreneurship journey: * Atomic Habits by James Clear * Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne * Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell One Ask If you got value from this episode, please forward it to one immigrant entrepreneur you know. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thenewcomers.substack.com [https://thenewcomers.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

e09: Patrick Findaro on moving to the U.S as an immigrant entrepreneur

Welcome to Unfiltered w/ PORCH, where we explore what it means to be an immigrant entrepreneur from the POV of the immigrant. Join us as we explore the world of the immigrant entrepreneur. In this episode, I'm speaking with Patrick Findaro, Founding Partner of Visa Franchise, an immigration consultancy that helps immigrant entrepreneurs move to the U.S under the E2 Investor Visa. He's also the author of Own Your American Dream: 8 Proven Paths to Start a Business and Secure a U.S. Visa. Immigration to the United States is a touchy topic right now. But Patrick thinks it's important to consider what actually happens versus what gets said. According to his data, Trump's first term maintained an 88% E2 Investor Visa approval rate, just 3% lower than under other administrations. And he hasn't heard any reports of people on talent and investor visas being denied at the border. In this conversation, Patrick and I chat about the nitty gritty of the E2 visa process—from business incorporation to visa approval, why senior care businesses get approved faster than fast food businesses, and tips to help you hit investment thresholds. Key Takeaways * Investment amounts vary by business type: The type of business directly impacts the investment requirement; online consulting needs minimal capital, service-based franchises like cleaning or painting require moderate amounts for equipment and vehicles, while brick-and-mortar restaurants demand significant upfront costs for kitchen equipment, buildout, and inventory. * You can use borrowed money: Loans from family, banks, or rich uncles and aunts all qualify as long as you document the source. Gift money from parents works too. * Business failure has consequences: If your business fails, you must report it and either apply for another visa or leave. You can set up holding companies for visa flexibility. * The first 18-24 months are key: Success requires rolling up your sleeves, working super hard to establish your preferred business culture, getting initial clients, and integrating into the local business community. Official Links * Connect with Patrick Findaro on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/franchise-for-sale-patrick/] * Check out his Own Your American Dream book [https://www.amazon.com/Own-Your-American-Dream-Business-ebook/dp/B0F9YZXSRB?ref_=ast_author_dp&dib=&dib_tag=AUTHOR] * Check your eligibility for an E2 Investor Visa [https://www.visafranchise.com/eligibility-checker] Patrick’s Media Diet * One newsletter you’d never miss: Wall Street Journal [https://www.wsj.com/newsletters/whats-news] * One immigrant entrepreneur that inspires you: He’s contentious, but Elon Musk inspires me to think big * One podcast you regularly listen to: The All-In Podcast [https://www.youtube.com/@allin] * Any books or resources that have significantly shaped your entrepreneurship journey: Traction: Get A Grip On Your Business by Gino Wickman One Ask If you got value from this episode, please forward it to one immigrant entrepreneur you know. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thenewcomers.substack.com [https://thenewcomers.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

e08: Kingsley Madu on why he doesn't believe in work-life balance

Welcome to Unfiltered w/ PORCH, where we explore what it means to be an immigrant entrepreneur from the POV of the immigrant. Join us as we explore the world of the immigrant entrepreneur. In this episode, I'm speaking with Kingsley Madu, Co-Founder and CEO of Expedier, a super app for all things money. Kingsley thinks the concept of work-life balance is a myth, especially if you are an entrepreneur. Hold on...don't get defensive. Calm yet? Now let me paraphrase Kingsley: "Kids never seem to get tired of playing. Why? Because play is fun for them. So, if you're asking for balance from work because it's stressing you, then maybe you aren't having fun." You would agree there's some sense in that. The irony is that he did pay for his crushing schedule with burnout and a trip to the ER. In this conversation, Kingsley and I chat about holding down three jobs while he built Expedier, why the traditional boundaries don’t work for entrepreneurs, and the brutal and sad reality about raising funds in Canada. Key Takeaways * Fun doesn't need balance: When you're genuinely enjoying what you're building, taking a break becomes irrelevant, similar to kids who never get tired of playing. * Quality over quantity: Blocking out time for “family hour” doesn’t matter if you aren’t fully present. If taking your kids to school every morning and picking them up means you spend that time wholly present with them, do that instead. * Accelerators vs. the funding reality: Going through major Canadian accelerators provided Kingsley with mentorship and connections. But zero investment dollars when it came time to write checks. * There’s no end to the entrepreneurship journey: With each passing day, the journey gets longer, not shorter. And that is where most would-be entrepreneurs miss it. * Start making noise from day one: Nobody would talk about you if you don't talk about yourself first because a perfect product doesn’t exist. Official Links * Connect with Kingsley Madu on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetmrmadu/] * See how Expedier works [https://expedier.co/] Kingsley’s Media Diet * One newsletter you’d never miss: Forbes Daily [https://www.forbes.com/newsletter/daily-dozen/] * One immigrant entrepreneur that inspires you: You reading this and every other unstoppable folks out there * One podcast you regularly listen to: The Ramsey Show [https://www.ramseysolutions.com/shows/the-ramsey-show] * Any books or resources that have significantly shaped your entrepreneurship journey: * Zero to One by Peter Thiel * The Magic of Thinking Big by David J. Schwartz * The Power of Focus by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, and Lewis Hewitt * The Lean Startup by Eric Ries One Ask If you got value from this episode, please forward it to one immigrant entrepreneur you know. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thenewcomers.substack.com [https://thenewcomers.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

e07: Katherine Li on the mental game of immigrant entrepreneurship

Welcome to Unfiltered w/ PORCH, where we explore what it means to be an immigrant entrepreneur from the POV of the immigrant. Join us as we explore the world of the immigrant entrepreneur. In this episode, I'm speaking with Katherine Li, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer at Pulse FX, a startup that helps Canadian businesses make sense of all the chaos that comes with currency exchange rates and international payments. Before launching PulseFX with her co-founders, Katherine had worked in the finance industry for 10 years. But that didn't stop her from dealing with self-doubt or getting in her own way. In this conversation, Katherine and I chat about entrepreneurship as a journey of self-discovery, staying curious, the need to find supportive communities as an immigrant entrepreneur, and why being experienced in the problem you are looking to solve doesn't guarantee entrepreneurial success. Key Takeaways * The bad days are not forever: Don't mistake the moment for who you are. Bad days will pass, and they're not your normal. * Entrepreneurship is a search for yourself: What we build is a vision of how we see the world. The “more” that drives entrepreneurs is really the search for meaning and self-discovery through creating something new. * Name your inner critic to control it: Katherine calls her inner critic “Randall” and actively works to quiet his voice when he keeps on yapping that she can't succeed. * Networking after a certain age can serve a dual purpose: This was surprising but it tracks. Networking events can also be an opportunity to make new friends because we all know how hard it is to make friends as adult immigrants. Official Links * Connect with Katherine Li on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherine-li-36a6b467/] * Book a call to chat exchange rates and international payments [https://calendly.com/katherine-li-pulsefx/30min?month=2025-07] Katherine’s Media Diet * One newsletter you’d never miss: Doesn’t have any that she doesn’t miss. * One immigrant entrepreneur that inspires you: Juan David Gutierrez [https://www.linkedin.com/in/juan-gutierrez-7338a577/], Co Founder of Sostanza Global * One podcast you regularly listen to: Hidden Brain [https://hiddenbrain.org/] * Any books or resources that have significantly shaped your entrepreneurship journey: Think Again by Adam Grant One Ask If you got value from this episode, please forward it to one immigrant entrepreneur you know. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thenewcomers.substack.com [https://thenewcomers.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

e06: Ben Su on why some of Canada's best founders are leaving for the US

Welcome to Unfiltered w/ PORCH, where we explore what it means to be an immigrant entrepreneur from the POV of the immigrant. Join us as we explore the world of the immigrant entrepreneur. In this episode, I'm speaking with Ben Su, Co-Founder & COO of Capita, an AI-native legal tech company building the tools to remove legal cost as a barrier to entrepreneurship. What happens if a country's startup ecosystem optimizes for the wrong metrics? You get what we are currently dealing with in Canada: builders moving to the US, incubators charging startups to access grants, and entrepreneurs learning how to pitch to bureaucrats instead of selling to customers. Ben Su thinks we would have better Canadian startups if the government stepped out of the way and allow the market decide who stays up and who goes to the startup graveyard. In this conversation, Ben and I chat about the outcomes we incentivize for in Canada when startups optimize for grants, why he thinks America is the greatest startup in the world, life before Capita, and more. Key Takeaways * Grants are great: But they can also incentivize the wrong behaviours. When startups can get money without proving market demand, they never learn if customers actually want their product. We can’t be rewarding skilled grant writers over market-validation. * Network effects compound: The best founders want to be around other great founders, not folks focused on securing handouts. Ouch. This also has consequences because when the best talent congregates in one ecosystem (i.e. Silicon Valley), other countries lose both human capital and growth opportunities. * You can’t out-entrepreneur government policy: Once a system rewards certain behaviours, they become self-reinforcing cycles that are difficult to break. And yes, some companies can succeed despite these limitations, but we need systemic change to start seeing any real growth. Official Links * Connect with Ben Su on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-su-66620544/] * Get legal support for your startup [https://capita.io/] Ben’s Media Diet * One newsletter you’d never miss: Doesn’t subscribe to any. * One immigrant entrepreneur that inspires you: Elon Musk * One podcast you regularly listen to: The All-In Podcast [https://allin.com/] * Any books or resources that have significantly shaped your entrepreneurship journey: * Cold Start Problem by Andrew Chen * Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey A. Moore * The Score Takes Care of Itself by Bill Walsh, Steve Jamison, and Craig Walsh One Ask If you got value from this episode, please forward it to one immigrant entrepreneur you know. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thenewcomers.substack.com [https://thenewcomers.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]