From a Surf Trip in Tofino to $100M+ Raised: The Certn Story with Andrew McLeod

What does it actually take to turn an idea into a company with hundreds of employees and more than $100 million raised? Certn co-founder and CEO Andrew McLeod joins Willson Cross on Make It Click for a founder-to-founder conversation about the nine-year journey behind one of Canada’s standout tech companies. Andy shares how an idea dreamed up while surfing in Tofino evolved through multiple pivots, why he believes founders should find the customer before building the product, and how Certn went from early prototypes and design partners to a global background screening business.They get into the parts of scaling that rarely make the highlight reel: raising the first dollar of venture capital, choosing investors you actually want around the table, competing in crowded markets, hiring the right leaders, and making the transition from scrappy founder to disciplined operator.Andy also shares some of the harder lessons he has learned as a CEO, including why being kind does not always mean being nice, why great leaders need to have difficult conversations, and why the best feedback is often the feedback people least want to hear.Plus, they dig into building a global company from Canada, work-life integration as a founder, the role of grit versus luck, and why there is no such thing as an overnight success.