How I Built This with Guy Raz Atlassian: Mike Cannon-Brookes and Scott Farquhar
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Feb 8, 2021 Mike Cannon-Brookes and Scott Farquhar, the co-founders of Atlassian, share their inspiring journey from college friends to tech billionaires. They discuss the challenges of launching a startup in Australia, including societal skepticism and the early struggle to pivot from tech support to developing software. Their fortuitous creation of Jira decimated boundaries in project management and led to their monumental success. With humor, they recount their unconventional marketing tactics and the importance of core values in navigating rapid growth.
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Humble Beginnings
- Scott Farquhar's father worked odd jobs due to a sleep disorder, while his mother was a housewife and held various jobs.
- Farquhar recalls feeling a sense of disparity when noticing friends' houses that were much larger than his own after his parents' divorce.
Early Tech Exposure
- Mike Cannon-Brookes's upbringing differed significantly from Farquhar's, with his father working as a banker and the family frequently relocating.
- Cannon-Brookes received his first computer through airline frequent flyer points and connected to the internet early.
Bookmark Box
- Cannon-Brookes's first startup, Bookmark Box, aimed to sync bookmarks across different browsers, anticipating the need for cross-platform access.
- Despite raising funds from family, Bookmark Box faced competition and was eventually sold, with Cannon-Brookes's father jokingly regretting not investing in Atlassian later.