Startup success by design

A visit to Canva HQ. As startup founders, we all need stories like this one to inspire us.

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Canva is super cool Australian design software startup recently valued at over $1bn. It’s only the second Aussie tech unicorn after Atlassian.

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I’m a fan of their product and recently visited for a tour. It was such a delight to meet the team in my hometown of Sydney. Here are some notes from the experience:

• The Canva team all stop work and eat lunch at the same time. The communal ground level space lights up with energetic conversation.
• New team members get shiny star balloons above their desks, and number balloons for work anniversaries.
• Visual design culture permeates every space, so for example the motivational wall posters are actually cool and meaningful.
• Creative thinking is felt everywhere. Toy animals in a race show development stages of Canva software features.

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Following my recent visits to Airbnb, Facebook & Google in the Silicon Valley, it was great to compare the Canva experience and identify common threads for these innovative companies. At the heart of each one is a team culture powered by diversity, creativity, collaborative thinking and bound by a strong shared vision.

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Thanks again to Shipra M for a wonderful tour and my buddy Syed A for arranging everything!

The Journey

I love the article that co-founder Melanie Perkins posted. It’s jam-packed with gems, insights and inspiration from her entrepreneurial journey.