The Twenty Minute VC (20VC): Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch 20VC: Atlassian CEO on Why Everything is Overvalued & Are We in an AI Bubble | Do Margins Matter & Does Defensibility Exist in an AI World | Is Per Seat Pricing Dead & The Future of Vibe Coding with Mike Cannon-Brookes
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Oct 13, 2025 
Mike Cannon-Brookes, Co-founder and co-CEO of Atlassian, discusses the myth of the 'unreasonable man' in startups, emphasizing how challenging norms drives innovation. He shares insights on navigating co-CEO dynamics and reflects on the landscape of AI investment, warning about overvaluation. Mike explores the future of software development, predicting a rise in engineer productivity through AI tools. He also tackles the evolution of pricing models and the need for defensibility in the fast-paced AI world, while offering parenting wisdom and leadership reflections.
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Unreasonable People Drive Progress
- Unreasonable people drive major progress by challenging boundaries and creating change.
- Mike Cannon-Brookes argues that founders must fight the entropy of ambition to keep moving forward.
Co-Founders Matched In Stage And Ambition
- Mike attributes Atlassian's success to equal, balanced co-founders who matched in life stage and ambition.
- He credits Scott for tolerance, hard work, and pushing a higher bar which improved both their performance.
Make Co-CEO Roles Explicit
- Keep open communication and clear swim lanes when running co-CEO structures to reduce conflict.
- Aim for 60–80% overlap in responsibilities so partners share context but still have separate authority.
