Unveiling the Visionaries Behind Atlassian: The Story of Its Founders

Highlights

Founding Duo: Atlassian was established in Sydney, Australia, in 2002 by Mike Cannon-Brookes and Scott Farquhar, who met while studying at the University of New South Wales (UNSW).
Bootstrapped Beginnings: They famously started the company using just $10,000 in credit card debt, focusing intensely on product development and online sales rather than traditional venture capital or sales teams.
Global Success: From its flagship product Jira, Atlassian grew into a global software powerhouse offering tools like Confluence and Trello, went public on NASDAQ (TEAM) in 2015, and now serves over 300,000 customers worldwide.

The Genesis of Atlassian: A University Partnership

Meeting at UNSW

The story of Atlassian begins not in a boardroom, but on a university campus. Mike Cannon-Brookes and Scott Farquhar crossed paths while pursuing degrees at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney. Cannon-Brookes, studying information systems and commerce, sent an exploratory email to classmates about potential startup ventures after graduation. Farquhar, studying business information technology, was the sole respondent, sparking a partnership that would reshape team collaboration software.

The $10,000 Bet: Bootstrapping a Dream

Avoiding the Corporate Path

In 2002, fresh out of university and facing the aftermath of the dot-com bubble burst, Cannon-Brookes and Farquhar made a bold decision. Instead of accepting graduate-level corporate jobs (with typical starting salaries around A$48,500), they opted to forge their own path. Armed with a shared vision and a $10,000 line of credit charged to their personal credit cards, they founded Atlassian.

Early Vision: Solving Collaboration Challenges

Their initial goal was relatively modest: earn a comparable graduate salary without working for someone else. However, their ambition quickly grew. Fueled by frustrations with existing software tools experienced during previous work, they aimed to create practical, affordable software that genuinely helped teams work better together. This philosophy of building useful tools for developers and project managers became the bedrock of Atlassian.

An example of a modern Atlassian office environment, reflecting the company's growth from its humble beginnings.

Building the Foundation: Early Years and Core Products

The Birth of Jira

Atlassian's first major product, Jira, was launched shortly after the company's founding. Designed initially as an issue and project tracking tool for software development teams, Jira quickly gained popularity. It addressed a clear need in the market for a flexible and powerful tool to manage complex development workflows. The success of Jira provided the financial stability needed for the young company to grow without external investment.

A Different Sales Model: Product-Led Growth

Unlike many software companies of the era, Atlassian deliberately avoided building a traditional, expensive sales force. Instead, Cannon-Brookes and Farquhar focused on creating a high-quality product that developers would love and adopted a transparent, low-price, high-volume sales model facilitated through their website. This self-service approach allowed customers to try and buy the software easily online, fostering organic growth and attracting early major clients like American Airlines.

Expanding the Toolkit: Confluence and Beyond

Following the success of Jira, Atlassian methodically expanded its product suite. Confluence, a team collaboration and knowledge-sharing wiki, was another early hit, broadening Atlassian's appeal beyond just software developers to encompass business teams, IT professionals, and project managers. Over the years, strategic acquisitions (like Trello) and internal development led to a comprehensive suite of tools including Bitbucket (code hosting) and Jira Service Management (IT service desk), all designed to improve teamwork and productivity across various functions.

Meet the Founders: Mike Cannon-Brookes and Scott Farquhar

The enduring partnership between Mike Cannon-Brookes and Scott Farquhar has been central to Atlassian's identity and success. While sharing the co-founder title, they brought distinct strengths and perspectives to the company.

Mike Cannon-Brookes: The Visionary CEO

Background and Focus

Born in November 1979, Mike Cannon-Brookes grew up internationally before settling in Australia. Known for his outspoken nature and technical background (Information Systems degree from UNSW), he has often been the public face of Atlassian, driving its strategic vision and product direction. As CEO (initially Co-CEO, now sole CEO as of August 2024), he champions innovation and Atlassian's unique company culture.

Beyond Atlassian: Energy Initiatives

Outside of Atlassian, Cannon-Brookes is a prominent investor and advocate, particularly in the renewable energy sector. He gained significant attention for his involvement in projects aimed at boosting Australia's clean energy capacity, including backing large-scale battery storage and the ambitious Australia-Asia Power Link project, demonstrating a commitment to tackling broader societal challenges.

Scott Farquhar: The Strategic Co-Founder

Background and Focus

Scott Farquhar, born in December 1979, holds a BSc in Business Information Technology from UNSW. Often described as the more operationally focused counterpart, Farquhar played a crucial role in scaling Atlassian's business processes and cultivating its strong company values. As Co-CEO alongside Cannon-Brookes for over two decades, he was instrumental in Atlassian's consistent growth and successful IPO.

Philanthropy and Industry Leadership

Farquhar is a passionate advocate for corporate philanthropy. He co-founded the Pledge 1% movement, which encourages companies globally to dedicate 1% of equity, profit, product, or employee time to charitable causes – a model Atlassian itself follows. He also co-founded Skip Capital, a private investment fund focused on technology and innovation, and serves as a Board Director of the Tech Council of Australia, contributing significantly to the nation's tech ecosystem.

Comparing the Founders

This table provides a quick comparison of the two co-founders based on their journey with Atlassian:

Attribute	Mike Cannon-Brookes	Scott Farquhar
Education	B. Commerce (Information Systems), UNSW	BSc (Business Information Technology), UNSW
Initial Role	Co-Founder & Co-CEO	Co-Founder & Co-CEO
Current Role (as of April 2025)	CEO & Co-Founder	Co-Founder, Board Member, Special Adviser (Stepped down as Co-CEO Aug 2024)
Key Focus Areas	Strategic Vision, Product Innovation, Public Advocacy, Company Culture	Operational Scaling, Business Strategy, Corporate Values, Philanthropy
Notable External Ventures	Renewable Energy Investments (e.g., Australia-Asia Power Link)	Pledge 1% Movement, Skip Capital, Tech Council of Australia

Visualizing the Atlassian Journey: Key Elements

The journey of Atlassian and its founders involves several interconnected themes, from their bootstrapping origins to global impact. This mindmap illustrates the key people, events, concepts, and outcomes that define the Atlassian story.

mindmap root["Atlassian Founding Story"] id1["Founders"] id1a["Mike Cannon-Brookes"] id1a1["UNSW Graduate"] id1a2["Co-CEO -> CEO"] id1a3["Focus: Vision, Product"] id1a4["External: Energy Projects"] id1b["Scott Farquhar"] id1b1["UNSW Graduate"] id1b2["Co-CEO -> Board/Advisor"] id1b3["Focus: Operations, Values"] id1b4["External: Pledge 1%, Skip Capital"] id2["Key Events"] id2a["Founded 2002, Sydney"] id2b["Jira Launch"] id2c["Bootstrapped ($10k Credit Card)"] id2d["IPO 2015 (NASDAQ: TEAM)"] id2e["Scott Farquhar Steps Down (2024)"] id3["Core Concepts"] id3a["Bootstrapping"] id3b["Product-Led Growth"] id3c["Self-Service Sales"] id3d["Team Collaboration Focus"] id3e["'TEAM Anywhere' Culture"] id4["Impact & Outcomes"] id4a["Global Software Leader"] id4b["300k+ Customers"] id4c["12k+ Employees"] id4d["Billionaire Founders"] id4e["Australian Tech Icon"] id4f["Products: Jira, Confluence, Trello, etc."]

Founder Attributes: A Comparative Look

While both founders were crucial to Atlassian's success, they brought different, complementary strengths to their leadership roles. This chart offers a conceptual representation comparing attributes often associated with successful tech founders, based on their known roles and public activities. The scores are illustrative interpretations rather than precise measurements.

Scaling New Heights: Growth and Global Impact

The Landmark IPO of 2015

A pivotal moment arrived on December 10, 2015, when Atlassian debuted on the NASDAQ stock exchange under the ticker symbol TEAM. The Initial Public Offering (IPO) was highly successful, valuing the company at approximately $4.37 billion on its first day of trading. This milestone not only provided significant capital but also cemented Atlassian's position as a major player in the global tech industry.

Global Expansion and TEAM Anywhere

From its Sydney roots, Atlassian grew into a truly global company. As of April 2025, it boasts over 12,000 employees ('Atlassians') spread across 14 countries, serving more than 300,000 customers in over 200 countries. Key offices include the global headquarters in Sydney and a significant US headquarters in San Francisco. Embracing modern work trends, Atlassian implemented a "TEAM Anywhere" policy, allowing employees significant flexibility in where they work, reflecting its collaborative ethos.

Becoming Tech Billionaires

The success of Atlassian, particularly post-IPO, transformed its founders into Australia's first technology startup billionaires. Their wealth, largely tied to their Atlassian shares, has consistently placed them among the richest individuals in Australia. In 2025, Forbes Australia ranked Mike Cannon-Brookes and Scott Farquhar at numbers 3 and 4 respectively on its 50 Richest list, highlighting their remarkable journey from bootstrapping entrepreneurs to globally recognized tech titans.

Leadership Evolution: Recent Changes

Scott Farquhar's Transition

In April 2024, Scott Farquhar announced his decision to step down from the Co-CEO role, effective at the end of August 2024. After more than two decades leading the company alongside Cannon-Brookes, Farquhar cited a desire to dedicate more time to his family, philanthropic activities through Pledge 1% and Skip Capital, and broader engagement with the global technology industry. He remains actively involved with Atlassian as a member of the board and a special adviser, ensuring continuity and leveraging his deep institutional knowledge.

Mike Cannon-Brookes as Sole CEO

Following Farquhar's transition, Mike Cannon-Brookes assumed the role of sole CEO of Atlassian. He continues to lead the company's strategic direction, focusing on navigating the evolving tech landscape, including the integration of artificial intelligence across Atlassian's product suite, and maintaining the company's growth trajectory and unique culture.

Insights from the Founders

The following video features Scott Farquhar discussing the founding and scaling of Atlassian, offering direct insights into the entrepreneurial journey and the principles that guided the company's growth.