I’ve been meaning to write this blog for a long time.
I went to a lot of in-person tech meetup events in Toronto — and honestly, I usually have a fantastic experience. I met incredible people, had deep conversations, and built some great connections.
But… you can’t go to so many big tech events without running into at least a few Tech Bros.
I don’t mean that as an insult. Some of them were probably just having an off day, and I’m sure they’re perfectly nice in other contexts. But some of these encounters were so surreal, I can’t not share them.
So here’s my field guide to the Tech Bros of Toronto — six types I personally met this year.
1. The Egotistical Startup Founder
I get it: you need a certain personality to be a startup founder. You have to be confident, maybe even a little bit egotistical.
At one event, I met a group of founders — the COO, CEO, and CTO of a startup. Their business model sounded a little convoluted, so naturally I asked a few follow-up questions.
Before I could get far, the CEO stopped me and asked:
“Are you an investor? Are you interested in investing in our company?”
When I said no — because I’m just a developer at the “bottom of the food chain,” not a VC — he literally walked away.
At tech conferences, my favorite thing is to stop at startup booths and listen to pitches. I find them pretty inspiring. At a large conference, I stopped at a startup booth. The founder was glued to his phone, no demo set up, no laptop out. When I asked what his company did, he shrugged and said he had already gotten funding, and he was only there because the VC asked him to show up.
He wasn’t networking. He wasn’t pitching. He just didn’t want to be there.
That conference is pretty big, and I know from other startups that it is not cheap to rent a booth. There were other startups eager to pitch and get the most value out of the money. To him, it felt like: “I got my money. Career journey over.”
Statistically, about 90% of startups fail. But every founder I meet seems absolutely sure they’re part of the lucky 10%. And honestly — I wish them the best of luck.
2. The Judgmental Tech Bro
Then there are the ones who size you up in the first ten seconds and decide whether you’re worth talking to.
When I was job hunting, I went to a meetup and asked someone if their company was hiring. I barely finished my introduction before he said:
“I don’t think you’re qualified.”
Even if he was right, who says that to a stranger? He didn’t want to talk to me because he thought I was unemployed and not worth making a connection with.
At a career fair, another guy opened our conversation with:
“I’m a senior developer. Don’t worry, I’m not here to take your job.”
Maybe he assumed I was a new grad because I look young — but I actually have work experience. And trust me, I was not worried at all. These guys just can’t resist gatekeeping.
The Judgmental Tech Bros are quick to assume, quick to dismiss, and quick to put you in a box.
3. The Finance-Obsessed Tech Bro
There are people who think because they have a job and you don’t, they are better than you. Then there’s a different breed: the ones who treat casual networking like Shark Tank. And there are also people who think because their company’s valuation is higher than your company’s valuation, they are better than you.
At one event, I introduced myself and mentioned I worked at a VC-backed startup. The first question I got back was:
“What’s the funding stage of your company? How much did you raise in the last round?”
I had to Google that information. After I told him the figure, his reaction was just:
“Not bad.”
And honestly, my first thought was:
Who the hell remembers their company’s valuation?
I’m a developer. The company’s bank account has nothing to do with me. I don’t get a cut of that Series A/B/C/D/E funding.
But these Finance-Obsessed Tech Bros talk in millions and billions, act like their company’s valuation is their own net worth — and they want to measure you based on your company’s numbers too.
It’s such a weird flex.
4. The Know-It-All Tech Bro
Tech is huge. Nobody can know it all. But some people think they do.
At one event, we were supposed to pitch startup or app ideas to the people around us. I shared mine — and the guy next to me, who I had just met, immediately shut me down:
“That’s too complicated.”
No discussion. No curiosity. Just instant dismissal.
Then he pitched his idea, which was so simple I could probably build it in an afternoon using AI tools.
Maybe he was early in his career and didn’t know what he didn’t know. But I’m at the stage in life where I’m too tired to argue.
I quietly moved to another seat. Sometimes protecting your peace is better than proving your point.
5. The AI-Doombro
AI is definitely the future — and I’m not in denial about that. I’m a front-end developer, and maybe someday, when AGI arrives, my job will be automated away.
But that day isn’t today.
At one event, I met an AI engineer and his friend. I introduced myself and told them I was a front-end developer.
And they just could not stop laughing. I’m not exaggerating — they laughed for about a full minute, right in my face.
When I asked, “Why are you laughing?” he said:
“Do you think there will be front-end developers in the future?”
Maybe he’s right. But the way he said it — laughing at my entire profession — made the moment feel weirdly mean.
Maybe there won’t be front-end developers in the future, but I still need to make a living in the near future.
Even if AI is coming for our jobs someday, that doesn’t mean the work we do today is worthless.
6. The Opportunistic Tech Bro
I was job hunting and went to an event organized by a large enterprise that had plenty of job opportunities. I met a fellow attendee who was also job hunting. He seemed like he had an interesting background, and I genuinely wanted to network and learn more about his experience.
But halfway through, a corporate co-op from the host company walked in — and he dismissed me, walking straight over to network with the co-op student instead.
I respect the hustle. I get it — we’re all there to maximize our chances. But it still felt a little bad to be dropped mid-conversation just because I wasn’t “useful” enough in that moment.
Conclusion
So there you have it — my field guide to the six types of Tech Bros I met this year.
Sometimes I wish I was making these stories up — that these characters were just over-the-top stereotypes invented for comedy. But they’re not. These people really do exist.
Maybe they’re just confident. Maybe they’re “on top of the world.” Or maybe they’re just judgmental. Who am I to judge them?
Tech bros used to be a stereotype for nerds - the hoodie-wearing, pizza-eating, socially awkward coder type. But now they're starting to feel more like finance bros- focused on valuations, funding rounds, and personal status.
And maybe that's just what happens when an industry gets big. You get all kinds of people, including the ones who act like this.
At the end of the day, running into a few Tech Bros didn’t ruin any in-person meetup events for me. I still love to attend different meetups, socialize with people, and get inspired. I still met amazing people and had great conversations.
But these encounters reminded me that tech is as diverse as the humans in it — for better or worse.
Top comments (2)
Cool read, your “Field Guide to Toronto Tech Bros” is sharp and funny, but rings true.
Which type surprised you the most in real life, and did you ever try calling them out (in a nice way)?
i never called anyone out, maybe i just too chicken. i simply ignored them and not add them on linkedin (or delete them from my linkedin later).