
36 segments available
Cameron Adams is the co-founder and chief product officer of Canva. Canva is one of the world’s most valuable private software companies, used by 95% of Fortune 500 companies. Since its launch in 2013, Canva has grown to over 150 million monthly users in more than 190 countries, generating $2.3 billion in annual revenue. Prior to Canva, Cameron ran a design consultancy, worked at Google on Google Wave, and founded the email startup Fluent. He is also an author of five web design books and a regular speaker at global conferences. In our conversation, we discuss: • Why they spent a year building their minimum viable product (MVP) before launch • Why Canva has no managers, and their unique approach to coaching and performance reviews • Why they encourage employees to “give away their Legos” • Insights into Canva’s SEO growth strategy • Their three-pillar framework for integrating AI into their product • Stories from the early days — Brought to you by: • WorkOS—Modern identity platform for B2B SaaS, free up to 1 million MAUs: https://workos.com/lenny • Attio—The powerful, flexible CRM for fast-growing startups: https://attio.com/lenny • Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security: https://vanta.com/lenny Find the transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/inside-canva-with-cameron-adams Where to find Cameron Adams: • X: https://twitter.com/themaninblue • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themaninblue • Website: https://themaninblue.com/ Where to find Lenny: • Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com • X: https://twitter.com/lennysan • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/ In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Cameron’s background (02:00) Reflecting on the success of Canva (04:50) Reflecting on hard times (10:01) Canva’s product-obsessed culture (12:02) Why they prioritize internal promotions and hires (13:56) What makes Canva unique (16:31) The concept of giving away your Legos (21:44) Why Canva has no managers (24:29) Product management at Canva (27:56) Reflections on working with a married couple (30:37) Why they spent a year building their MVP before launch (33:49) Advice for building an MVP (41:23) Canva’s onboarding transformation (44:25) Canva’s SEO strategy (50:37) The success of Canva’s freemium strategy (54:24) Integrating AI into Canva’s product (01:01:50) Where to find Cameron Referenced: • Canva: https://www.canva.com/ • Melanie Perkins on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melanieperkins • Cliff Obrecht on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cliff-obrecht-79ba9920 • Jennie Rogerson, Head of People, LinkedIn post about “season opener” events: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jennierogerson_season-opener-is-one-of-my-favourite-events-activity-7006815614556135424-73bD/ • Game of Thrones on HBO: https://www.hbo.com/game-of-thrones • Woodstock: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodstock • ‘Give Away Your Legos’ and Other Commandments for Scaling Startups: https://review.firstround.com/give-away-your-legos-and-other-commandments-for-scaling-startups/ • Minimum viable product (MVP): https://www.productboard.com/glossary/minimum-viable-product-mvp • Canva’s SEO Strategy Is Elite: https://thegrowthplaybook.substack.com/p/canvas-seo-strategy-is-elite • The SEO Strategy That Led Canva to a $40 Billion Valuation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INyGKt6LAqM • Andrianes Pinantoan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrianes/ • Canva Create: https://www.canva.com/canva-create/ Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com. Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed.
Cameron Adams discusses Canva's remarkable growth, highlighting its $2.3 billion annual revenue and 60% year-over-year growth. He reflects on the company's culture, emphasizing the importance of coaching over traditional management, and the joy of building a collaborative team. This segment sets the stage for understanding Canva's unique approach to product development and team dynamics.
"canva is bigger than figma and Meo and web flow combined you guys are generating $2.3 billion in ARR and you're profitable girls are growing 60% year-over-year and it's accelerating I run everyone thr..."
Cameron shares personal reflections on the success of Canva, discussing moments of celebration with the team and the significance of their 10th birthday celebration. He emphasizes the importance of recognizing achievements amidst the ongoing journey of growth and learning, illustrating the emotional connection to the company's milestones.
"Cameron thank you so much for being here and welcome to the podcast it is so great to be here Lenny I'm very excited I'm even more excited I have at least a billion questions for you I'm hoping I get ..."
In this segment, Cameron addresses the misconception that Canva's journey has been a continuous success. He shares insights into the struggles and challenges faced by the company, emphasizing the importance of sharing these stories to inspire others. This candid discussion highlights the reality of entrepreneurship and the resilience required to navigate tough times.
"personally you basically went from a designer on Google wave to a co-founder of the of one of the most generational successful startups in the past decade how does how does that feel I still think lik..."
Cameron recounts a pivotal moment during Canva's fundraising journey when a lead investor unexpectedly reduced their valuation by 50%. He describes the stress and urgency of the situation, detailing how the co-founders quickly rallied to secure a new lead investor. This story illustrates the importance of adaptability and independence in business.
"for me I think there's probably a few different stories that would resonate with your audience because there's like there business kind of stories of like how the actual company's tracking there's pro..."
Cameron discusses Canva's focus on profitability and how it has shaped their approach to business. He explains that being profitable allows Canva to operate on their own terms, avoiding reliance on external funding. This segment emphasizes the strategic decisions that have contributed to Canva's long-term success and sustainability.
"episode is brought to you by work OS if you're building a SAS app at some point your customers will start asking for Enterprise features like samle authentication and skim provisioning that's where wo..."
Cameron reveals the unique structure of Canva's board meetings, where product updates take precedence over financial discussions. He explains how this focus on product aligns with Canva's mission and values, showcasing their commitment to delivering value to customers. This segment highlights the significance of maintaining a product-led culture in a growing company.
"work.com this episode is brought to you by ATO a radically new type of CRM there's a world where your CRM is powerful easily configured and deeply intuitive ATO makes that a reality ATO is built speci..."
Cameron elaborates on Canva's approach to hiring, emphasizing the importance of promoting from within and fostering a strong team culture. He discusses the challenges of integrating external leaders who may not align with Canva's values and vision. This segment underscores the significance of cultural fit in building a successful organization.
"continue to have success I really like this point you made about how you didn't know any better almost and it reminds me of something else I heard about canva is it took you guys a long time to hire o..."
Cameron discusses how Canva's focus on visual communication shapes its culture and product development. He contrasts this with other companies, like Spotify, that prioritize auditory communication. Adams explains that visual thinkers are essential for success at Canva, as they help articulate ideas through mockups and prototypes.
"think about stuff uh I have this theory that the type of product You're Building very much influences the way that you think uh and this kind of stemmed out of a chat I was having with one of the prod..."
Adams highlights the need for adaptability in a startup environment, where processes and products are constantly evolving. He stresses that employees must be willing to change and grow, and that giving away responsibilities is crucial for scaling the company effectively.
"visual manner so one of the things that's very particular about Cana is really setting visions and I'm in Visions not just in the sense of looking forward two three years but also Visions in the very ..."
Cameron explains the concept of 'giving away your Legos,' which encourages employees to delegate tasks and responsibilities as the company scales. He emphasizes that this mindset is essential for personal growth and team success, allowing individuals to focus on higher-level contributions.
"success that makes so much sense we're talking about cultural elements since I have one more question around culture I saw in a video interview you did once about uh how you love this concept of givin..."
Adams discusses how Canva fosters a culture of growth by providing opportunities and support for employees to expand their skills. He explains the coaching system at Canva, where coaches help individuals identify growth areas and encourage them to take on new challenges.
"everything from the product to the internal processes you have the finance team paying people how you deal with user feedback everything's just constantly growing growing growing and I think this is s..."
Cameron elaborates on the coaching structure at Canva, where each employee has a coach from their specialty area. He explains how coaches facilitate personal growth and help employees navigate their career paths within the company.
"introduce what are the processes needed to get a hundred different languages translated every time you send out an email and that requires you to hand off that stuff you need to maybe stop writing eve..."
Adams describes Canva's approach to performance reviews, which includes 360-degree feedback and input from coaches. He explains how this system has evolved over time and emphasizes the importance of regular feedback cycles for employee development.
"talk about growth and just say please grow um that's not going to be terribly effective but giving them the opportunity and the support to do so is super important we have a system we call coaching at..."
Cameron shares his thoughts on product management at Canva, contrasting it with his experiences at Google. He discusses how Canva's focus on user experience and visual communication shapes its product management approach, emphasizing the need for a unique mindset in this role.
"your team okay there's two things I want to follow up on there one is this coaching concept I I've never heard of this so what how does that work there's like do they have a manager and they have coac..."
Adams reflects on the evolution of product management at Canva, explaining how the company initially resisted the title of 'product manager.' He discusses the importance of connecting teams and ideas, and how Canva's approach to product management has developed over time.
"coaching experience that we had as Founders quite a few years ago from an external coach and we decided to bring that into Cana as a whole philosophy okay and these coaches are they like professional ..."
Cameron Adams discusses the unique approach to product management at Canva, contrasting it with his experience at Google. He emphasizes the importance of a product management mindset focused on user experience rather than just technical capabilities. Adams explains how Canva's culture shaped their product management process, leading to a more connected and collaborative environment.
"of product management I don't know it's kind of one of those things that I don't want to qu like I don't want to put it in a box and say this is product management because I've worked at a few places ..."
Cameron shares insights on working with co-founders Melanie Perkins and Cliff Obrecht, who are also a married couple. He reflects on the challenges and advantages of their dynamic, highlighting the importance of transparency and communication in maintaining alignment within the team. Adams discusses how this unique relationship impacts decision-making and team cohesion.
"you mentioned uh melon clip for folks that don't know they're the other two co-founders of canva and they were dating when they were starting canva I think it was called Fusion books back in the day b..."
Cameron explains why Canva took a year to build their minimum viable product (MVP) before launching. He discusses the significance of creating a product that delivers a joyful user experience and the importance of thorough user testing. Adams shares how their deep understanding of the market and user needs shaped their approach, ultimately leading to a successful launch.
"2701 Hippa and more with a single platform vanta V's Market leading trust management platform helps you continuously monitor compliance alongside reporting and tracking risk plus you can save hours by..."
In this segment, Cameron discusses how Canva identified its initial target market during the last six months of product development. He emphasizes the importance of user testing and the emotional responses from potential users, particularly social media managers. Adams explains how this focus on a specific audience helped shape Canva's product features and marketing strategy.
"when we launched and particularly the market that we went after when we launched really loved it I'm curious just what advice you share with Founders when they're asking you how long how how joyous do..."
Cameron highlights the pivotal role of onboarding in user engagement for Canva. He shares how user testing informed their onboarding process, making it easier for new users to understand and utilize the product effectively. Adams discusses the ongoing importance of tailoring the onboarding experience to foster excitement and ensure users grasp the full potential of Canva.
"lint into it there's so many things you all nailed early on one of them is the focus Persona IP which is you said social media managers just to take the lesson from that you basically saw that segment..."
Cameron elaborates on how Canva's onboarding process was designed to unlock user creativity. By guiding users through simple steps, such as searching for images, Canva enabled them to create designs they never thought possible, fostering a sense of achievement and delight.
"process and that's something we still employ today and through that we tailored the onboarding process to get people excited and to understand the deeper goal with camera and the deeper impact it coul..."
Cameron discusses the importance of lowering barriers to entry in the onboarding process. He highlights how encouraging users to take small, manageable steps can lead to significant accomplishments, ultimately enhancing user satisfaction and retention.
"impact that they didn't have before that's why they got super excited we talk a lot on this podcast about the power of onboarding and the the impact that can have on retention and everything down funn..."
Cameron reflects on Canva's commitment to continuously improving its onboarding experience. He explains how the company has maintained a focus on user engagement through iterative testing and refinement, ensuring that new features are easily accessible and enjoyable for users.
"literally said that searching for a monkey is something you probably don't do in most tools so it was a little surprising which was a good kind of inroad uh but it was still super easy like anyone can..."
In this segment, Cameron emphasizes the importance of delight in the user experience. He explains how Canva's onboarding strategy aims to not only lower barriers but also to create joyful moments for users, which is crucial for long-term engagement and retention.
"through several rounds of refinement on the onboarding process so it's those it's it's lowering the barriers to entry and also increasing the amount of delight and I think those two things what you sh..."
Cameron shares insights into Canva's SEO strategy and its significant impact on the company's growth. He discusses how bringing on SEO expert Andre helped crystallize their approach, leading to effective user acquisition through search engine optimization.
"super simple step for them to type in a prompt and see the result of that I think an interesting and really important takeaway here is you built a very delightful incredible Innovative product but it ..."
Cameron explains the importance of creating a seamless end-to-end user experience in Canva's SEO strategy. He details how optimizing the entire journey from search query to product experience has led to higher user satisfaction and retention.
"thought about SEO we knew it was this thing that you could use and I think in a couple of our pitch techs we had SEO as a whole growth channel that we're going to execute upon in order for investors t..."
Cameron discusses Canva's early focus on internationalization and localization as a key growth strategy. He highlights how expanding into multiple languages and tailoring the product for different markets has significantly accelerated Canva's global reach and user base.
"whole end to end flow from first landing on Google and typing into the search box through to that magic moment where they're like cam just helped me do something amazing and I want to do it again amaz..."
In this segment, Cameron emphasizes the value of providing localized experiences for users in different countries. He explains how understanding cultural differences and user needs has shaped Canva's product development and contributed to its rapid growth in international markets.
"else there that's just like oh wow that was really effective and I didn't expect that there's you know there's a ton in the SEO realm that that Andre drove that can get quite technical but I think one..."
Cameron outlines Canva's freemium strategy, which aligns with the company's mission to democratize design. He explains how offering free access to design tools allows Canva to empower a broader audience while maintaining a sustainable business model.
"products used internationalizing into Brazilian Portuguese meant that we had to focus a ton more on the Android mobile experience which is really different for us because we focused a lot on the deskt..."
Cameron discusses the evolution of Canva's business model from a pay-per-use system to a subscription-based model. He shares insights on how user feedback and market demands shaped the development of Canva Pro, leading to significant revenue growth.
"wasn't so much a growth strategy or a monetization strategy as much as it spoke to our core mission of empowering the world to design we truly want to democratize design which means we want to get des..."
Adams reflects on Canva's initial revenue model based on one-dollar image sales and how it evolved into a subscription service. He shares insights on the growth trajectory of Canva's revenue, highlighting the pivotal moment when subscription offerings began to dominate and how user feedback shaped the features of Canva Pro.
"like you can do that in the early stages of a startup it wasn't until we introduced our first subscription product that we saw really hockey stick growth in our revenue and that was always the plan to..."
Cameron Adams introduces the significance of AI in Canva's future, describing it as a pivotal technology for innovation. He emphasizes the importance of integrating AI thoughtfully into products, focusing on user needs rather than merely adding AI features, and how this approach can enhance the design process.
"was just amazing value value ad for people and I don't even know if we get any revenue from from image element sales now it's all about just going into the subscription amazing just hockey stick after..."
Adams shares insights into Canva's dedicated machine learning team and their evolution over the years. He discusses how their work has shifted from backend recommendations to customer-facing features, showcasing the exciting advancements in visual AI that enhance user experience.
"the best technology and when we started that was mobile phones and cloud computing like they were the innovations that came in that really unlocked canva AI is the next decade I think of innovation it..."
Cameron outlines Canva's strategic approach to integrating AI through three pillars: developing proprietary AI technology, partnering with leading AI experts, and leveraging their extensive app ecosystem. He explains how these pillars create a coherent user experience while meeting diverse customer needs.
"platform we've had a team of machine learning Engineers for probably seven years now I think their work has become a lot more visual now and more customer facing way back when they were just doing rec..."
Adams discusses Canva's upcoming event aimed at showcasing their evolution towards a collaborative enterprise platform. He highlights the shift from individual use to team collaboration, emphasizing the need for tools that cater to larger organizations and the launch of new features tailored for enterprise users.
"millions of people and people are quite eager to do that now we've seen huge uptake in that from AI developers who've included stuff in canva from music generators to virtual avatars that can present ..."
In the closing segment, Cameron Adams invites listeners to share their design stories and experiences. He expresses his passion for design and its impact on individuals and organizations, encouraging engagement from the community and highlighting the joy that design brings to people's lives.
"well so through this growth and through getting to understand the needs of cios uh and heads of security at Enterprises uh We've realized that there pretty much needs to be a new enter entprise produc..."