Former Tesla Exec Reveals Single Most Important Habit For Your Career That Is Followed By Elon Musk, Warren Buffett: Report

Snigdha Gairola — Sun, 12 Apr 2026 03:20:38 +0000

Former Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) president Jon McNeill said consistent reading is the most critical habit for career success, pointing to top leaders who rely on it daily.

Leadership Habit Of High Performers

McNeill, who worked closely with Elon Musk and later served as COO of Lyft Inc. (NASDAQ:LYFT), said reading is the defining habit that separates top performers from others, reported The Fortune on Saturday.

"Reading is probably the single most important thing you can do," McNeill told Fortune, noting that elite leaders consistently rely on books to sharpen decision-making.

He pointed to Warren Buffett, who has said he spends up to 80% of his day reading, and Musk, who credits books for much of his learning.

McNeill said he now ...

Full story available on Benzinga.com

Canva's Cliff Obrecht On The Journey From 100 Investor Rejections To Betting Big On AI Agents

Anna Tutova — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 21:00:44 +0000

Credit: Cliff Obrecht (co-Founder & COO of Canva) and Anna Tutova (Founder AI Crypto Minds).

At the World Government Summit in Dubai, Cliff Obrecht, co-founder and COO of Canva, reflected on a journey that began with rejection and is now reshaping how the world creates.

Today, Canva boasts more than 280 million users and counts 95% of Fortune 500 companies among its customers. The company's valuation has surged past $42 billion and annualized revenue surpassed $4 billion. But the path to global scale wasn't smooth.

"It definitely taught us to never give up and also we needed to stick to our mission of solving problems for users," – Cliff Obrecht recalled in an exclusive interview with me.

The 100 Nos That Built a Unicorn

Canva's origin story has become something of Silicon Valley folklore. Founded in Australia in 2013 by Melanie Perkins, Cliff Obrecht and Cameron Adams, the company famously endured over 100 investor rejections before securing early backing. The skepticism was rooted in the belief that design was a niche, professional domain requiring specialized skills and expensive software.

What followed was a decade-long expansion from a simple drag-and-drop design tool into a full-stack visual communication platform used by enterprises, creators, and governments alike.

Its growth has accelerated in tandem with the rise of remote work, digital-first marketing, and now, generative AI.

“Before Canva, it used to be incredibly difficult to design anything,” Cliff Obrecht explained. “You used to have to go to university, buy expensive software.”

That mission democratizing design has remained unchanged, even as the company has evolved into one of the most influential players in the AI-powered productivity race.

"We really felt creativity shouldn’t ...

Full story available on Benzinga.com

Success Stories

Former Tesla Exec Reveals Single Most Important Habit For Your Career That Is Followed By Elon Musk, Warren Buffett: Report

Leadership Habit Of High Performers

Canva's Cliff Obrecht On The Journey From 100 Investor Rejections To Betting Big On AI Agents