Melanie Perkins is the co-founder and CEO of Canva, one of the world's most valuable private technology companies. Her journey from teaching design in Perth to building a global platform used by millions is a masterclass in persistence, visionary thinking, and the power of solving meaningful problems.

Part 1: Vision, Purpose, and the Two-Step Plan

  1. On the Motivation for Wealth: "For me, getting really rich is not a goal unto itself whatsoever. It gives so much more meaning behind work." — Source: Deliberate Directions
  2. On the Core Mission: "Our ambition with Canva is to empower the whole world to design." — Source: Deliberate Directions
  3. On Step One of the Plan: "Build one of the world's most valuable companies." — Source: Canva
  4. On Step Two of the Plan: "Do the most good we can." — Source: Canva
  5. On the Intersection of Success and Impact: "From the beginning, we've believed that success and impact go hand in hand. The more we grow, the more good we can do." — Source: Canva
  6. On Ethical Entrepreneurship: "I wouldn't do Canva if it wasn't going to have a positive impact on the world." — Source: Deliberate Directions
  7. On the Future of Professional Skills: "Design is no longer going to be a profession for a small number of people—it's going to be a skill that everyone needs." — Source: Deliberate Directions
  8. On Setting Standards: "If a goal doesn't make me feel small and inadequate before it, it isn't big enough." — Source: People Matters Global
  9. On the Scale of Ambition: "We want to empower every single person to design anything they can possibly imagine in every language on every device." — Source: Deliberate Directions
  10. On Long-term Trajectory: "Our mission is to empower the world to design, and we've only just scratched the surface." — Source: Deliberate Directions

Part 2: Persistence, Resilience, and Overcoming Rejection

  1. On the Nature of Rejection: "The rejection is often not because of the reasons you think they are rejecting you." — Source: Deliberate Directions
  2. On Strategy Refinement: "Being rejected a lot in our initial stages just meant that I had to try harder and refine my strategy." — Source: Deliberate Directions
  3. On Difficulty and Worth: "If it were easy, it probably wouldn't be worth doing." — Source: Quora
  4. On Gaining Entry: "When you don't have any connections, you don't have any network, you just kind of have to wedge your foot in the door and wiggle it all the way through." — Source: Deliberate Directions
  5. On Rejection as Feedback: "Every no is free market research. They are telling me exactly what I need to prove wrong." — Source: Medium
  6. On Internal Locus of Control: "Blaming rejections on things I could control meant I could use them as fuel to improve." — Source: Medium
  7. On Conviction: "I knew this was the future — there was no doubt in my mind. The only question was whether I would be the one to build it." — Source: Gulf News
  8. On Creative Desperation: "Acts of desperation will make you think creatively." — Source: NPR - How I Built This
  9. On the Only Path Forward: "Rejection hurts a lot, but failure was never an option." — Source: Deliberate Directions
  10. On Emotional Resilience: "Continue to use it to refine it rather than taking it as a personal rejection. Find people that do like what you're trying to say." — Source: YouTube - Goldman Sachs Talks

Part 3: Strategy, Growth, and Problem Solving

  1. On the Formula for Success: "Solve customer problems and make sure that the customer is representative of a large market and then you will have a pretty good formula." — Source: My Frugal Business
  2. On Identifying Gaps: "University students struggled with complex design software... they spent time learning the interface rather than creating." — Source: Venture Catalysts
  3. On the Future State: "Column B thinking involves envisioning the ideal future and then working backward to achieve it, rather than being constrained by present resources." — Source: Startup Bell
  4. On Leading Through Complexity: "All ideas and concepts need to go from chaos to clarity, and the job of a leader is facilitating that transition." — Source: Deliberate Directions
  5. On High-Value Ideas: "The very best startup ideas tend to have three things in common: they're something the founders themselves want, that they themselves can build, and that few others realize are worth doing." — Source: Deliberate Directions
  6. On Immediate Action: "Just get started; you'll learn everything as you go, you have no other option!" — Source: Economic Times
  7. On Iterative Learning: "Fusion Books served as a vital learning ground. She learned to use feedback to continuously iterate on the product." — Source: Inspirepreneur Magazine
  8. On Growth Through Action: "Growth and clarity often come through taking action and adapting in real-time, rather than waiting for complete preparedness." — Source: Startup Stash
  9. On Market Entry: "If you get your foot in the door just a tiny bit, you have to kind of wedge it all the way in." — Source: Deliberate Directions
  10. On Strategic Fuel: "Every rejection was not a failure but an opportunity to refine her strategy and strengthen her resolve." — Source: Startup Bell

Part 4: Product Philosophy and Design Obsession

  1. On Simplicity: "Make complex things simple." — Source: Vanguard Business Education
  2. On User Feedback Loops: "Closing the loop involves resolving user complaints and then informing them of the resolution." — Source: YouTube - Goldman Sachs Talks
  3. On Inclusivity as Advantage: "Democratizing design turned inclusivity into a competitive advantage." — Source: Prezi
  4. On User-Centricity: "The core of Canva's success lies in its mission to make graphic design simple and accessible to everyone." — Source: Composability Scores
  5. On Technological Convergence: "I realised the future of design was going to be simpler, online and collaborative and that's when the idea of Canva occurred to me." — Source: Medium
  6. On the Role of AI: "AI will play an integral role in design, automating mundane tasks and offering personalized suggestions." — Source: Medium
  7. On Experience Design: "Step One is about creating value by empowering the world to design." — Source: Canva
  8. On Continuous Improvement: "Canva's success is attributed to listening to customer feedback and continuously refining the product." — Source: My Frugal Business
  9. On Universal Design: "We want to empower every single person to design anything they can possibly imagine." — Source: Deliberate Directions
  10. On Creative Efficiency: "Students spent significant time learning the interface rather than creating. This led her to envision a simpler platform." — Source: Venture Catalysts

Part 5: Leadership, Team, and Company Culture

  1. On Foundational Values: "Be a good human." — Source: Vanguard Business Education
  2. On Hiring Pace: "Hire slow." — Source: Inc.
  3. On Cultural Alignment: "New hires are introduced to Canva's vision by the co-founders to ensure a shared understanding." — Source: Medium
  4. On Servant Leadership: "Leadership is enabling others to achieve more." — Source: Vanguard Business Education
  5. On Psychological Safety: "Create psychological safety where employees feel empowered to contribute ideas and challenge assumptions." — Source: People Matters Global
  6. On Team Composition: "Surround yourself with expertise to bring your vision to life." — Source: Inspirepreneur Magazine
  7. On Strategic Rhythm: "Canva uses regular 'Season Openers' to align teams with strategic goals and energize them with purpose." — Source: Marketing Mag
  8. On Humility: "Perkins models humility, crediting team effort over personal success." — Source: Vanguard Business Education
  9. On Scaling Culture: "As Canva expanded globally, Perkins ensured that the company's core values scaled with it." — Source: Vanguard Business Education
  10. On Lasting Impact: "Canva has committed to donating a significant portion of its equity to charitable causes." — Source: YouTube - Goldman Sachs Talks