Turning Rejection into Billions

Are you a Canva user? I am!

This week, we’re diving into the story of Melanie Perkins, the founder of Canva, and how her relentless determination to solve a massive problem led to one of the most successful pivots in startup history.

This Week

In today's issue you'll find:

• curated >> Lesson's from Canva's Pivot
• this week >> Canva's Pivotal Story
• favorites & free downloads >> Ask Yourself & Motivation
• what's next >> At The Venture Project

curated >>

Starting a business often means facing obstacles that seem insurmountable.

Melanie Perkins faced more than her share of rejections and roadblocks before turning her idea into a billion-dollar success with Canva.

This is a story of persistence, problem-solving, and how a smart pivot can completely transform your business.

Lessons from Canva's Pivot

1. Solve a Real Problem for Real People

The most successful businesses solve a genuine pain point for a wide range of people.
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2. Start with a Niche Before Expanding

Melanie didn’t launch Canva out of nowhere.

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3. Persistence. Especially in the Face of Rejection

Every entrepreneur faces rejection.

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this week >>

Pivotal Story: The Canva Pivot That Changed the Game

Melanie Perkins’ idea for Canva didn’t start out as the all-encompassing design tool we know today. Initially, she was focused on making it easier for students and teachers to create school yearbooks — a small but specific market.
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As she developed her platform, she realized there was a much bigger opportunity: democratizing design for everyone, from small businesses to bloggers to marketers.

But even with this revelation, Melanie faced countless investor rejections. Despite the setbacks, she and her co-founder, Cliff Obrecht, stayed focused on their goal of making design simple and accessible.

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It wasn’t until 2013, when they launched Canva to the public, that things started to take off. Today, Canva is a $40+ billion company used by millions worldwide. But that success was built on years of refining their concept, pivoting their approach, and remaining resilient.

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SOLVE - Melanie didn’t just create a graphic design platform; she solved a problem that countless non-designers were facing: how to create professional-looking graphics without the steep learning curve of traditional design tools.

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NICHE - She started small with a specific market — school yearbooks — and built a design platform to address that niche before scaling to serve the wider public.

This allowed her to test her solution, prove its value, and eventually pivot to a broader, more scalable product.

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PERSISTENCE - Melanie took years to get investors on board, but her refusal to give up on her vision ultimately paid off. Sometimes, resilience is what separates success from failure.

Takeaway

Resilience means trusting your vision, even when others don’t.

You don’t have to get it perfect the first time. Start small, listen to your market, and don’t be afraid to pivot when the opportunity arises.
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See you next week with fresh energy.

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favorites + free downloads>>

Ask Yourself>>

What’s one area of your business where you could pivot or refine your offering to better solve a customer problem?

Motivation

Download this graphic to keep your motivation going!

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what's next >>

Master the Essentials: the Art of Adapting & Pivoting

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