Michelle Zatlyn, Co-founder of Cloudflare: Pursuing the Greatest Mistake of Your Life

Michelle Zatlyn is the Co-founder, President, and COO of Cloudflare, an internet infrastructure company that is making the internet a faster and safer place. On today’s episode, Jon Sakoda speaks with Michelle Zatlyn on her path to Co-founder and why you have to love what you do in order to succeed. 

1. Don’t Be Afraid To Deviate From The Plan [2:30-14:15] - Michelle grew up thinking she wanted to be a doctor but an unexpected award for a research project made her rethink her future. Years later, she turned down a coveted job at LinkedIn to keep growing Cloudflare. Listen to hear why going down the path unknown could turn into the best decision of your life.
2. How To Build A Team You Can Win With [31:18-33:04]  - Facing roadblocks is inevitable during the startup journey but Michelle believes in cultivating a team that can survive the ebb and flow of a growing company. Her goal was always to work in a team that loves what they do and who they work with. Listen to learn why you need a team that can play together and win together.
3. Know When To Marry Your Tech With Business [33:34-34:41] - As self-proclaimed geeks, Michelle and her co-founders spent years developing the technology behind Cloudflare. Looking back, Michelle talks about why all good tech startups need equally good business counterparts to succeed.

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