# Canva: Melanie Perkins

- Show: [How I Built This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this)
- Published: 2019-01-28
- Length: 47m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2019-01-28-canva-melanie-perkins

## Summary

Melanie Perkins, co-founder of Canva, explains how she pivoted from a successful yearbook startup, Fusion Books, to building a billion-dollar design platform by securing a tech team and venture capital. She details the grueling process of pitching over 100 investors in San Francisco, overcoming the 'no tech team' objection by recruiting Google alumni Cameron Adams and Dave Hunter, and leveraging Australian government matching funds. The episode also covers Tristan Corriveau’s journey in founding The One Gallon Soap Company, where he solved the technical challenge of stabilizing recycled liquid soap using baking soda after initial failures.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2019-01-28-canva-melanie-perkins#t=0) Introduction: Melanie Perkins and Canva
- [4:11](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2019-01-28-canva-melanie-perkins#t=251) Fusion Books: The Yearbook Start
- [10:33](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2019-01-28-canva-melanie-perkins#t=633) First Trip to Silicon Valley and Bill Tai
- [13:56](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2019-01-28-canva-melanie-perkins#t=836) Recruiting the Tech Team: Lars Rasmussen and Google Alumni
- [18:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2019-01-28-canva-melanie-perkins#t=1080) The Maui Conference and Kite Surfing Pitch
- [28:15](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2019-01-28-canva-melanie-perkins#t=1695) Raising the Seed Round and Launching Canva
- [36:53](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2019-01-28-canva-melanie-perkins#t=2213) Scaling Canva and Leadership Lessons
- [42:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2019-01-28-canva-melanie-perkins#t=2528) How You Built That: Tristan Corriveau and The One Gallon Soap Company

## Topics

- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Fundraising & investors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/fundraising)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Hiring & workforce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/hiring-and-workforce)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies, founders before launch

## Mentioned

- Canva (product)
- Fusion Books (product)
- Adobe (company)
- Microsoft (company)
- Google (company)
- Bill Tai (other)
- Lars Rasmussen (other)
- Cameron Adams (other)
- Dave Hunter (other)
- The One Gallon Soap Company (product)
- Tristan Corriveau (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Oddball's Path From Idea to Funding a Nationwide Target Launch](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2026-07-11-oddballs-path-from-idea-to-funding-a-nationwide-target-launch) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [Dip Into Paradise with Founder Emily Edwards](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2021-03-01-dip-into-paradise-with-founder-emily-edwards) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [#100 Toasting to 100 Episodes of The Startup CPG Podcast with Our Favorite Moments](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2023-07-25-100-toasting-to-100-episodes-of-the-startup-cpg-podcast-with-our-favorite-moment) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [Founder Feature:  Elan Halpern & Kiki Couchman of Sourmilk](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2025-11-07-founder-feature-elan-halpern-kiki-couchman-of-sourmilk) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [Founder Fundraising Journey: Victor Guardiola, Bawi](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2026-08-01-founder-fundraising-journey-victor-guardiola-bawi) (The Startup CPG Podcast)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2019-01-28-canva-melanie-perkins. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to How I Built This.