Shopify

Shopify is as close to a SV-style company as you will find in Ottawa. There are a ton of perks. Healthy lunches are prepared daily by trained chefs in a professional kitchen. Cereals, snacks, soft drinks, and coffee – there is no shortage of food. You even get a bi-monthly cleaning service.

I work in the software development side of the business. There's "no vacation policy", but realistically, most people will take 3-4 weeks of vacation per year. Work hours are flexible; hours don't necessarily matter, what matters is getting your work done. That being said, I would estimate most people work around 40 hours a week.

Culture is first-class, with numerous company-wide events throughout the year. There are weekly town hall meetings (with beer!) on Fridays, and a monthly AMA (ask me anything) with the CEO. There is great emphasis placed on making employees as productive as possible. Developers are given the latest Apple hardware and are encouraged to attend and speak at industry conferences.

The company is a rocket ship, and there are plenty of opportunities to grow your career.

You can get burnt out if you allow it to happen.

The company is very young (in age and spirit), and it may take some adjustment for those coming from traditional office environments.

Try to ensure that culture remains, even as the company grows.