When a business plan dies on a slide deck, everyone pays the price.

That’s the problem MissionSync was built to solve. The Waterloo Region-based startup helps companies turn big-picture plans into action so they can grow without chaos and wasted effort.

MissionSync is already helping drive the conversation on why execution matters. During Waterloo Tech Week, founder Tom Olajide hosted a packed roundtable called Execution is the New Capital, bringing together founders, investors and community leaders for an honest look at what it takes to scale.

Check out 10 lessons from founders shared at MissionSync’s Execution is the New Capital panel during Waterloo Tech Week.

Tom knows this problem well. After seven years as a strategist in Nigeria, he grew frustrated watching brilliant strategies disappear after the PowerPoint stage.

“I’d spend weeks or months with a company, gathering data, doing the analysis, building the strategy,” Tom says. “Then three months later, crickets. The plan just disappeared. It was like everyone went back to business as usual.”

That disconnect became the idea for MissionSync.

“Organizations lose 30 to 60 per cent of time, money and team energy between planning and execution,” Tom says. “For every billion dollars spent, $100 million gets wasted. And it takes 16 to 18 months, on average, to move from boardroom decisions to coordinated action.”

MissionSync helps teams shorten that gap and deliver growth without losing focus.

From PowerPoint to product

Tom and his wife moved to Waterloo Region in 2023 to build MissionSync and raise their family.

“I wanted Waterloo,” he says. “This is where the builders are. There’s an entrepreneurial energy and a kind of grit that’s really inspiring.”

One year later, MissionSync is in the market and already working with its first client.

“A lot of companies have brilliant people and brilliant strategies,” Tom says. “But they never really get it done. That’s what MissionSync is trying to fix. We’re turning the strategy slide into a living system that teams can actually own and act on.”

Tom uses a simple analogy to explain the problem.

“Founders start with a clear vision. They’re building a rocket ship. But as they grow, it starts to feel like a hot air balloon. It’s a lot slower and it’s drifting. That’s where execution breaks down.”

Lessons from the frontlines

The Waterloo Tech Week roundtable highlighted just how costly that drift can be for growing companies.

Panelists talked about how early traction often comes from hand-to-hand customer work, why alignment is critical in the first 30 hires and how founders can protect their calendars so more time goes to customers and product.

Those lessons are baked into the MissionSync platform. The tool helps teams keep a clear view of who owns what and stay focused on the milestones that matter most.

Finding community

Tom also credits the Waterloo ecosystem for helping MissionSync get off the ground.

“Being in the Communitech Startup Bootcamp was transformational,” he says. “The coaches, the mentors, the other founder helped us go from ‘we’ve built this thing’ to having a super clear plan for growth. We’re solving a problem that a lot of leaders are facing.”

Beyond programs and pitches, Tom has found something deeper in Waterloo.

“I feel like the community here has accelerated my journey,” he says. “There’s generosity. People genuinely want to help. You’re not building alone.”

The mission ahead

With its first customer live and more on the way, MissionSync is focused on reaching more teams starting to feel the early signs of drift.

“We want to help teams stay aligned, grow with intention and deliver their targets faster,” Tom says. “That’s what MissionSync is about.”

Want to connect with founders like Tom and join conversations about scaling, execution and growth? Get involved with the Communitech community and be part of what’s being built in Waterloo Region.