76: 8 Million Users, $233m Valuation & Rockstar Investors all in 2 Years? The Canva Story with Melanie Perkins

Finding the right startup idea is difficult even for lifelong entrepreneurs. But when it comes down to it, the best approach is to take a long hard look at what you're passionate about and try to figure out a way to share that with the world. By sharing her passion for graphic design to anyone who was interested, Melanie Perkins was able to become a certified tour de force in the entrepreneurial world. Seemingly coming out of nowhere, in just under two years her company has grown to 8 million users, is now valued at $233 million dollars, and has the backing of heavyweight investors like Guy Kawasaki, Bill Tai, and Lars Rasmussen, just to name a few. As the CEO and founder of Canva, Perkins knew that everyone had a little bit of an artist's streak inside them. The trouble was, the tools to bring that out were either too expensive or too clunky to learn. So she did what every good entrepreneur does. She made a product that took the complex and made it simple. Responding to the rapid expansion of social media and the growing importance of being able to communicate visually, Perkins has made it possible for anyone to pick up her product and start making visually striking images. With an eye for even loftier heights along with her keen eye for design, Perkins shares with us her lessons on how to turn your passion into a multi-million dollar success story. In this interview you will learn: The tools that you need to kickstart your own graphics design company The importance of finding and empowering the right people on your team for maximum results Why you need to fundamentally believe in what you're trying to achieve with your startup How to get people to use your platform and software in a crowded market What you need to do develop your team's focus, decision making, and leadership skills so your business works for you & much more.