Canva: She founded a unicorn by 30. Now she's taking on the tech giants | Make It International

Summary

Melanie Perkins, co-founder and CEO of Canva, an online design platform, shares her ambitious journey from dreaming of challenging tech giants to becoming one of the world's youngest female tech unicorn founders. With a vision to democratize design, she and her team persevered through challenges, securing investments and partnerships, leading to Canva's valuation of $3.2 billion. Now, with a focus on profitability and expansion, Perkins is poised to take on the professional design tools market, already used by 85% of Fortune 500 companies.

Takeaways

• 🚀 Melanie Perkins has been ambitious from a young age, aspiring to make a significant impact in the tech industry.
• 💡 As a teenager, Melanie and her boyfriend Cliff Obrecht envisioned creating a unified, accessible design ecosystem to challenge industry giants like Microsoft and Adobe.
• 🌐 Melanie traveled to Silicon Valley to pitch her idea to over 100 investors, showcasing her determination and innovative approach to business.
• 🎨 Melanie's creative tactics, such as faking an interest in kitesurfing to connect with potential investors and creating personalized stories for prospective employees, demonstrate her resourcefulness.
• 💰 After starting Canva in 2013, the company reached a valuation of $1 billion in just five years, making Melanie one of the youngest female tech unicorn founders.
• 📈 At the age of 32, Canva is valued at $3.2 billion, reflecting the rapid growth and success of the company under Melanie's leadership.
• 🌟 Canva has celebrity endorsements from Hollywood actors like Owen Wilson and Woody Harrelson, highlighting its global recognition and appeal.
• 🔄 The platform has enabled the creation of nearly 2 billion designs across 190 countries in just six years, emphasizing its widespread use and impact.
• 📚 The idea for Canva originated from Melanie's frustration with the complexity of existing design tools while teaching at university, leading to the development of a simpler, more collaborative design tool.
• 🤝 With the help of investors like Bill Tai and tech advisors like Lars Rasmussen, co-founder of Google Maps, Melanie was able to find the right team to build Canva.
• 💼 Canva's success has been attributed to its profitability and the ability to grow sustainably without burning through investment capital, setting it apart from many other tech startups.
• 🏆 Melanie's leadership and Canva's achievements make it one of the world's most valuable female-led tech startups, serving as an inspiration to women in the industry.

Q & A

Who is Melanie Perkins and what is her ambition?

Melanie Perkins is an Australian entrepreneur and the co-founder and CEO of Canva, an online design platform. Her ambition has always been to make design accessible to everyone, with a vision to integrate the entire design ecosystem into one page and make it accessible worldwide.

What was the initial goal of Canva when it was founded?

The initial goal of Canva was to create a simple, accessible, and collaborative design tool that could be used by anyone to design logos, flyers, presentations, and more, with the aim to disrupt the design market dominated by big players like Adobe.

How did Melanie Perkins approach investors in Silicon Valley?

Melanie Perkins approached investors by pitching over 100 investors in Silicon Valley, using creative tactics such as faking an interest in kitesurfing to connect with potential investors and even stalking future employees to convince them to join her company.

What was the value of Canva five years after its founding?

Five years after its founding in 2013, Canva was valued at $1 billion, making Melanie Perkins one of the world's youngest female tech unicorn founders.

What is the current valuation of Canva and Melanie Perkins' age?

As of the time the script was written, Canva is valued at $3.2 billion, and Melanie Perkins is 32 years old.

Who are some of the celebrity backers of Canva?

Canva has celebrity backers that include Hollywood actors Owen Wilson and Woody Harrelson.

How did Melanie Perkins and Cliff Obrecht start their entrepreneurial journey?

Melanie Perkins and Cliff Obrecht started their entrepreneurial journey by creating a simple school yearbook design tool in Melanie's mother's living room, with Cliff as her business partner, targeting schools in Australia.

What was the turning point that led Melanie Perkins to Silicon Valley?

The turning point was a meeting with investor Bill Tai, who after a brief conversation at a conference in Perth, invited Melanie to Silicon Valley, where he introduced her to potential investors and helped her connect with Lars Rasmussen, the co-founder of Google Maps.

How did Melanie Perkins handle the challenge of finding a technical co-founder?

Melanie Perkins faced the challenge by persistently presenting potential candidates to Lars Rasmussen, who was serving as a tech advisor. After a year of rejections, they eventually found a technical co-founder in Cameron Adams and a tech developer in Dave Hearnden, both from Google.

What is the significance of Canva's valuation reaching $3.2 billion?

The valuation of $3.2 billion signifies not only the growth and success of Canva but also its recognition as one of the world's most valuable female-led tech start-ups, setting a positive example for women in the tech industry.

What are Melanie Perkins' plans for the future of Canva?

Melanie Perkins plans to use the funding to continue proving her leadership, expand her team across Sydney, Beijing, and Manila, and build out new revenue streams with Canva Pro and Canva for Enterprise, positioning the company to compete with professional design tools of top tech giants.