“You won’t feel competent on day one. But if you stick with it long enough
to build real skill, that’s when you’ll know if it’s what you’re meant to do.”
We’re thrilled to welcome Ilia Tulchinsky, Senior VP of Software Development at Alphabet-owned Verily and a Google veteran, as our newest Executive in Residence.
Ilia’s tech journey began in the former Soviet Union, where getting access to a computer required tracking down local clubs and scribbling code in notebooks before the machines shut down. After moving to Israel and getting his own computer, what began as a hobby quickly turned into side gigs — and by the time he graduated from college, Ilia had already built years of experience implementing software for DJs and radio.
His first step into healthtech came in 2000, at a Toronto-based medical device company focused on neurology. When the company was acquired, Google brought him on as one of its first Canada hires. Over the next decade, Ilia worked across mobile, ads, and product infrastructure before being tapped to launch the Google Cloud Healthcare and Life Sciences team.
In 2021, Ilia joined Verily to help transform the innovation lab into a mature company focused on using precision data to power care and life sciences research. His depth of experience — and interest in supporting the Canadian tech ecosystem — make him an invaluable adviser to founders. He sat down with us to discuss his passion for skiing, how to adjust business ideas, and why we shouldn’t just do things we’re naturally good at.
TELL US SOMETHING MOST PEOPLE MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT YOU
I’m an avid skier and racer, it’s a big part of who I am. You’ll find me on the slopes every single winter weekend… and you can derail any conversation with me just by bringing up skiing!
Sports teach you, on a very fundamental level, that you very rarely achieve success linearly or quickly, but rather through a sustained and thoughtful effort.
CAN YOU SHARE ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES OR FAILURES THAT YOU LEARNED FROM?
One of the biggest challenges I faced was during my time working on Google’s attempt at a social network, Google+. It wasn’t a failure from an engineering standpoint, but the combination of new management responsibilities and larger-scale execution caused me to burn out.
I learned that you can’t spread your attention across everything and expect to catch every detail. You have to consciously prioritize what matters most—and be willing to let go of control over the rest. I also learned the importance of adapting my approach when managing work across multiple teams.
Just as importantly, I realized that you can face any challenge if you work with people you respect and can learn from. Since then, the quality of an organization’s top leadership has become a key factor in deciding where I want to work.
WHAT’S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU RECEIVED IN YOUR CAREER?
“Don’t look for something you’re instantly good at.”
Oftentimes, people get interested in something, start doing it, and when they hit roadblocks, they assume it’s not for them. So they move on, looking for something that just clicks. But nothing worth doing works like that. You won’t feel competent on day one. You have to stick with it, build real skill, and as you do, you’ll start to feel more comfortable and successful. That’s when you should ask yourself if it’s what you truly want to be doing.
WHAT’S A QUESTION YOU WISH PEOPLE ASKED YOU MORE OFTEN?
Sometimes, founders focus too much on finding the winning idea. But in reality, most early ideas don’t survive their first year in their original form. What matters more is asking: How should I structure my team, my product, my company for continuous learning and improvement?
It’s just as important to think about execution. Plenty of companies have good ideas—but fail to execute. Founders should ask themselves: How do we move fast? And how do we strike the right balance between speed and safety?
WHAT ENERGIZES YOU? HOW DO YOU TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF?
What energizes me is brainstorming ideas and exploring how technology can be applied across different domains. That’s why I work at the intersection of tech and healthcare—I’m always drawn to uncovering hidden connections.
But I’m not just a software engineer, even if that’s what I do and love. I stay grounded by nurturing a wide range of interests. I enjoy art and fiction, my music tastes span from classical to electronic, and—of course—there’s skiing. Nature, sports, and artistic expression are what keep me balanced.
IN YOUR ROLE AT INOVIA, WHAT QUESTIONS SHOULD FOUNDERS ASK YOU?
Ask me how to develop and bring complex technologies to market—especially in regulated spaces like healthcare, where the challenges go far beyond the tech itself. From navigating AI implementation to avoiding common pitfalls, I may not have all the right answers, but I can definitely tell you what not to do.
I also have insights on scaling teams and technologies, and on the hurdles startups face when transitioning from the lab to the real world of products and customers.