Cliff Obrecht is the co-founder and COO of Canva.

On Entrepreneurship and Building a Business

  1. Quote: "The world is moving too fast to sit on the fence or wait for someone else to do it. The start-up environment in Australia is a great place for ideas to grow, even in Perth, and you'll regret not finding out what could've been if you don't give it a shot!" [1]
  2. Quote: "We really believed that everyone should have the ability to design and visually communicate their ideas." [1]
  3. Quote: "Persistence really, really pays off. You need to have some semblance of a good idea, but persistence really, really pays off." [2]
    • Learning: Resilience and perseverance are crucial for overcoming the numerous rejections and challenges inherent in the startup journey. [2]
    • Source: 20VC, "Canva's Cliff Obrecht: How We Turned Our Yearbook Company to $40B Business | 20VC #971"
    • Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzFa859qPGE
  4. Quote: "I think about business as a really long game... just be honest and if you say something, stick to your word." [2]
    • Learning: Building a reputation for integrity and honesty is a long-term strategy that pays dividends in business relationships. [2]
    • Source: 20VC, "Canva's Cliff Obrecht: How We Turned Our Yearbook Company to $40B Business | 20VC #971"
    • Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzFa859qPGE
  5. Quote: "Start niche and go wide. Like you don't want to boil the ocean. You want to solve a problem for someone that has that problem, solve that problem really, really well." [2]
    • Learning: A focused initial market strategy is more effective than trying to be everything to everyone from the start. [2]
    • Source: 20VC, "Canva's Cliff Obrecht: How We Turned Our Yearbook Company to $40B Business | 20VC #971"
    • Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzFa859qPGE
  6. Learning: Don't be afraid of a "bit of chaos" in a flat organizational structure, as it can be a sign of speed and creativity. [3]
  7. Learning: Your physical location as an online business is less important than your access to high-quality talent. [3]
  8. Learning: A naive and straightforward mindset can be an asset when tackling seemingly insurmountable challenges like raising capital in Silicon Valley. [3]

On Hiring and Team Building

  1. Quote: On looking for "distance traveled" in candidates: "If you grew up in a privileged family, went to an Ivy League school, and you end up as an investment banker, that's great... [but I'm also impressed by] refugees from Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Asia... who educated themselves, learned a new language, and attained employment." [2]
    • Learning: Look for candidates who have overcome significant adversity; their resilience and determination are invaluable assets. [2]
    • Source: 20VC, "Canva's Cliff Obrecht: How We Turned Our Yearbook Company to $40B Business | 20VC #971"
    • Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzFa859qPGE
  2. Quote: "We made a bunch of really, really poor hiring decisions because we just assumed these people were smarter than us... we've kind of come full circle there and realized that actually we're not bad at some of the stuff we do." [2]
    • Learning: Don't be intimidated by impressive resumes from "fancy companies." Trust your own judgment and be wary of the "imposter syndrome" when hiring. [2]
    • Source: 20VC, "Canva's Cliff Obrecht: How We Turned Our Yearbook Company to $40B Business | 20VC #971"
    • Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzFa859qPGE
  3. Learning: Foster internal talent. Obrecht proudly points to their CMO who started as a 19-year-old contract writer and their Head of People who was his executive assistant. [2]
  4. Learning: When a candidate rejects your offer, treat them with respect. If you leave a positive impression, they may come back when the time is right. [2]

On Leadership and Personal Growth

  1. Quote: "I think now it's just like honesty." [3]
  2. Quote: On work-life balance: "As you get older, you realize that's not quite sustainable. So you need to start looking after all the things that really matter, like actually getting sleep... and exercise." [2]
    • Learning: Sustainable high performance requires self-care; you can't just "grind it out" indefinitely. [2]
    • Source: 20VC, "Canva's Cliff Obrecht: How We Turned Our Yearbook Company to $40B Business | 20VC #971"
    • Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzFa859qPGE
  3. Quote: "The best performers I know are just constantly learning and they feel they don't know everything." [2]
    • Learning: A commitment to continuous learning and a humble recognition of what you don't know are hallmarks of high achievers. [2]
    • Source: 20VC, "Canva's Cliff Obrecht: How We Turned Our Yearbook Company to $40B Business | 20VC #971"
    • Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzFa859qPGE

On Philanthropy and Wealth

  1. Quote: "If you just lived in your bubble your whole life, get out of the bubble. That's just... fucking live, kind of thing." [4]
  2. Quote: "I think that causes a lot of mental health issues, when you essentially grow up knowing you don't need to earn your way in life and you grow up not feeling proud of your accomplishments." [4]
  3. Quote: "Just start. Stop thinking about it. Just start." [4]
  4. Learning: Committing a small percentage of your income or wealth to philanthropy (like the 1% Pledge) can be a "forcing function" that starts your journey of giving. [5]
  5. Quote: "I've always felt rich, right? Like, my favorite wine is what we call in Australia a Goon bag... it costs, like $10 a box." [6]

Additional Quotes and Learnings

  1. Learning: Starting a business with your partner can work if you build the "muscle" for separating work and personal life. [2]
  2. Quote: On deal-making: "I just find being really transparent like here are our goals, what are your goals, if we can get our goals to align, magic can happen." [2]
  3. Learning: In acquisitions, transparency and aligning goals are more effective than posturing. [2]
  4. Quote: "My word is my bond. I don't need a term sheet." [2]
  5. Learning: Your integrity is your most valuable asset in business. [2]
  6. Learning: Don't underestimate the power of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) as a user acquisition channel, especially for a content-focused company. [2]
  7. Learning: A great freemium product is a powerful marketing tool. [2]
  8. Learning: To have a successful paid product, it must be a significant step up from your free offering. [2]
  9. Quote: "Education is something we really care about." [1]
  10. Learning: Integrating social good into your business model, like providing free access for schools and non-profits, can be a core part of your company's identity and success. [1]
  11. Learning: Overcoming imposter syndrome is a crucial step in a founder's journey. [3]
  12. Learning: Trust your own judgment and that of your co-founders, especially when you have a proven track record. [2]
  13. Learning: A background in education can provide valuable insights into building user-friendly products and fostering a learning culture. [1]
  14. Learning: Your upbringing and early experiences can profoundly shape your entrepreneurial values. [4]
  15. Learning: Experiencing poverty firsthand can be a powerful motivator for both business and philanthropy. [4]
  16. Learning: The journey of philanthropy involves making mistakes and learning what is most effective and important to you. [4]
  17. Learning: When giving, partnering with established and effective organizations can amplify your impact. [4]
  18. Quote: On their two-step plan: "The first is build one of the most valuable companies in the world, the second is do the most good we can do." [2]
  19. Learning: Ambitious business goals can and should be paired with equally ambitious philanthropic goals. [2]
  20. Learning: Having a clear and powerful vision can help you endure hundreds of rejections from investors. [1]
  21. Learning: The Australian startup ecosystem has matured significantly and is a viable place to build a global company. [1]
  22. Learning: A successful first venture, even a small one like Fusion Books, can serve as a crucial proof-of-concept for a much larger idea. [1]
  23. Learning: Identifying a gap in the market for a simpler, more accessible tool is a classic path to startup success. [1]
  24. Learning: A diverse team brings a multitude of perspectives, fostering innovation and creativity. [2]
  25. Learning: Open communication within a company fosters trust and enables everyone to contribute their ideas. [2]
  26. Learning: Actively seeking user feedback is essential for staying attuned to their needs and continuously improving your product. [2]
  27. Learning: A user-centric approach and a focus on simplicity can democratize a complex field like design. [2]
  28. Learning: As a leader, you need to adapt your communication style to different personality types to be effective. [2]
  29. Learning: Frank and transparent feedback, when delivered appropriately, is crucial for helping people grow. [2]
  30. Learning: Don't be afraid to take the time to build a great initial product, even if it goes against the "launch early and iterate fast" mantra. [2]

Learn more:

  1. Cliff Obrecht talks Canva, start-ups and the road to success - The University of Western Australia
  2. Canva's Cliff Obrecht: How We Turned Our Yearbook Company to $40B Business | 20VC #971
  3. 20VC Canva CoFounder, Cliff Obrecht on The Journey From 100 VC Rejections to a $40BN Company, Why Good Enough is Not Good Enough, The Secret to Hiring NonObvious Talent and Relationships to Money and Why They Are Giving Away Billions - Deciphr AI
  4. Cliff Obrecht on how to give thoughtfully - StartGiving
  5. Cliff Obrecht on How to Give Thoughtfully - YouTube
  6. Australia's Coolest Billionaire: Canva Co-Founder Cliff Obrecht Shares Insights | TikTok