In a recent LinkedIn post, Dan Sherrard-Smith highlights the remarkable journey of Canva co-founder Melanie Perkins, detailing how she transformed significant investor rejection into a foundational strength for her now multi-billion dollar company. Sherrard-Smith emphasizes Perkins’ unique approach to handling the numerous “no’s” she encountered during the early stages of fundraising.
Leveraging Rejection as a Catalyst for Growth
Sherrard-Smith points out that while many founders become discouraged by initial rejections, Perkins adopted a more constructive mindset. According to Sherrard-Smith, Perkins “treated rejection as product development,” using each “no” as an opportunity to refine her pitch and identify areas for improvement.
“Most founders hear ‘no’ and get discouraged. Melanie heard ‘no’ and got curious.”
This curiosity, as detailed by Sherrard-Smith, led Perkins to systematically address investor concerns. Sherrard-Smith elaborates on how specific feedback was directly integrated into the pitch deck. For instance, when told the market was too small, Perkins added a slide detailing market size. Similarly, feedback about competitors led to the creation of a dedicated positioning page.
Breaking Down Impossible Goals
Beyond refining the pitch, Sherrard-Smith highlights Perkins’ ability to break down seemingly impossible goals into actionable steps. He notes that Canva’s mission to “empower the world to design” was pursued with a deliberate, phased approach, starting with a single language and expanding incrementally to over 100 languages globally. This systematic expansion strategy has contributed to Canva’s current user base of 150 million monthly active users.
“She broke impossible goals into possible steps.”
Sherrard-Smith also draws attention to Perkins’ commitment to purpose alongside profit, a decision made from the company’s inception. He notes that Canva pledges a significant portion of its equity to charitable causes.
Impact Beyond Financial Success
The post underscores Canva’s substantial philanthropic efforts, detailing the annual value of products given away and the number of charities utilizing their premium tools for free. Sherrard-Smith frames Perkins as a founder who “gives a sh*t” and was willing to challenge conventional norms, such as being based in Australia rather than Silicon Valley and leading as a female CEO in a male-dominated industry.
“She shows us that your biggest obstacle isn’t rejection. It’s giving up before rejection teaches you something.”
Ultimately, Sherrard-Smith concludes that Perkins’ story, where she “turned 100 ‘no’s’ into one extraordinary ‘yes,'” serves as a powerful example. Her journey demonstrates that building substantial wealth and creating significant positive impact are not mutually exclusive goals.
“She proved you don’t have to choose between building wealth and building impact. You can do both.”
Sherrard-Smith invites readers to share their own stories of overcoming rejection, reinforcing the theme that perseverance and a willingness to learn from setbacks are key to achieving ambitious goals.
📝 About This Content
This article is based on insights shared by Dan Sherrard-Smith on LinkedIn.
📅 Originally posted on February 17, 2026 | View original post on LinkedIn →