# Atlassian: Mike Cannon-Brookes and Scott Farquhar

- Show: [How I Built This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this)
- Published: 2021-02-08
- Length: 1h 12m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-02-08-atlassian-mike-cannon-brookes-and-scott-farquhar

## Summary

Mike Cannon-Brookes and Scott Farquhar, co-founders of Atlassian, explain how they pivoted from a failed tech support service to building Jira, a project management tool that became a $50 billion enterprise. They discuss their early days in Sydney, Australia, where lack of venture capital forced them to build a product-led, self-serve business model and use guerrilla marketing tactics like leaving flyers at conferences. The founders also detail their unique leadership approach, including using rock-paper-scissors to resolve disputes and their decision to remain independent despite acquisition offers.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-02-08-atlassian-mike-cannon-brookes-and-scott-farquhar#t=0) Introduction: Mike Cannon-Brookes and Scott Farquhar
- [4:52](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-02-08-atlassian-mike-cannon-brookes-and-scott-farquhar#t=292) Early Lives and Meeting at University
- [12:58](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-02-08-atlassian-mike-cannon-brookes-and-scott-farquhar#t=778) First Startup: Bookmark Box and Sale to Blink
- [17:05](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-02-08-atlassian-mike-cannon-brookes-and-scott-farquhar#t=1025) Starting Atlassian as a Tech Support Service
- [26:34](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-02-08-atlassian-mike-cannon-brookes-and-scott-farquhar#t=1594) Pivoting to Software: Building Jira
- [37:41](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-02-08-atlassian-mike-cannon-brookes-and-scott-farquhar#t=2261) Guerrilla Marketing and Early Sales
- [47:15](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-02-08-atlassian-mike-cannon-brookes-and-scott-farquhar#t=2835) Product-Led Growth and Viral Teams
- [49:13](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-02-08-atlassian-mike-cannon-brookes-and-scott-farquhar#t=2953) Leadership, Culture, and Hiring
- [54:41](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-02-08-atlassian-mike-cannon-brookes-and-scott-farquhar#t=3281) Ignoring Acquisition Offers and Patience
- [59:03](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-02-08-atlassian-mike-cannon-brookes-and-scott-farquhar#t=3543) Sabbaticals, Wealth, and Future Vision

## Topics

- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)
- [Growth, exits & acquisitions](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/growth-exits-and-acquisitions)

## Most relevant to

founders before launch, early-stage companies, companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Atlassian (company)
- Jira (product)
- Bookmark Box (product)
- Blink (company)
- Bay Networks (company)
- Nortel Networks (company)
- IBM (company)
- PWC (company)
- ASX (company)
- Dropbox (product)
- Slack (product)
- Shopify (company)
- U.S. Bank (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [The Reluctant Entrepreneur: Mike Konrad's Journey Through Entrepreneurship, Networking and SMTA](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2025-03-14-the-reluctant-entrepreneur-mike-konrads-journey-through-entrepreneurship-network) (EMS@C-LEVEL)
- [Rooting for the Home Team with Paul Freedman and Bryan Carmel](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2026-05-27-rooting-for-the-home-team-with-paul-freedman-and-bryan-carmel) (Oxide and Friends)
- [Competing with Tech Giants: Approaches and Challenges with Morgan Teachworth of Cisco](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2023-03-02-competing-with-tech-giants-approaches-and-challenges-with-morgan-teachworth-of-c) (Over the Air)
- [S1E43 A Joyful Approach to Product Development | Lisa Ho & Andrew Muyanja (Menlo Innovations)](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-10-09-s1e43-a-joyful-approach-to-product-development-lisa-ho-andrew-muyanja-menlo-inno) (Being an Engineer)
- [#169 - "How to Take Advice" with Nikhil Arora](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2024-11-12-169-how-to-take-advice-with-nikhil-arora) (The Startup CPG Podcast)

## Citing this page

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