Meet The Photographer Who Built a $10B Startup (Ivan Zhao)

Video Description

Wow. Lot's of lessons here. Witnessing Ivan's humility in person was inspiring. A big reminder how critical it is for team building. I love what he said; "When people come join at Notion, I like to tell them like, I'm no different than you. I just got here early. Like, don't take me too seriously." Imagine hearing that from the CEO on day 1 haha. One of the most influential software companies of the modern era, built on a radical rethinking of how humans create, organise and extend their own tools. Under his leadership, Notion has grown into a global platform used by more than 100 million people and generating over $500M in annual revenue, becoming a $10B+ company that has reshaped the productivity landscape. He is a designer, systems thinker and product visionary widely regarded as one of the most original minds in contemporary software. Throughout the company’s rise, Zhao maintained an unwavering focus on craft and aesthetics - insisting that software should be soft, malleable and deeply human. His philosophy, drawn as much from photography, art and classical design as from computer science, helped define Notion’s signature feel and its cult-like connection with users. He turned an initially failing startup into a global phenomenon through a rebuild in Kyoto that has since become part of Silicon Valley lore. Beginning as a designer who once considered pursuing photography full-time, Zhao evolved into a founder whose ideas now influence the future of knowledge work. His creation of Notion’s “Lego block” model - where pages, databases and tools interlock into fully customisable systems—transformed the company into an operating system for teams, creators, startups and enterprises. His relentless pursuit of beauty and utility at scale allowed Notion to stand apart in an industry dominated by brute-force incumbents. His major accomplishments include co-founding Notion in 2013, rebuilding the product from scratch during its near-failure, pioneering a new category of modular software tools, expanding Notion into one of the fastest-growing productivity platforms in the world, and now leading the company into its most ambitious chapter: AI super agents capable of performing complex knowledge work. While much of the industry chases speed and hype, Zhao continues to operate from first principles, building tools that amplify human capability rather than replace it. This conversation captures one of the most thoughtful and quietly influential founders of his generation, offering a rare look into the philosophy, discipline and artistic sensibility behind one of the defining software companies of our time. We go deep on his artistic roots, the philosophy behind Notion, the near-death early years, and why beauty and utility guide everything he builds. Ivan also reveals Notion’s bold vision for AI super agents, how he thinks about company building, and what the future of knowledge work looks like. If you’re a founder, a creative, or someone curious about where work is heading, this is an episode you won’t forget. JOIN OUR COMMUNITY LinkedIn 🚀: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-sachin-and-adam-show 🐦 X: https://x.com/Sachin_and_Adam 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sachinandadam/ LISTEN TO THE SHOW Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3M29tMFbZ4mtzJbcRNY3N6?si=731f376e2ddf4d34 iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-sachin-and-adam-show/id1462522364 About us We are two best friends, trying to build a community around in-depth interviews and short documentaries with the best minds in technology and startups. Through bold storytelling and candid conversations, we explore how visionary thinkers are shaping the future. The best way to support is subscribing, truly it makes all the difference for us 💙