Ivan Zhao
ca Canada
Entrepreneur
🔥 Net Worth (2025)
~1.7 Billion USD
🌐 Industry
Technology
🧠 Niche
Productivity Software
BIO & Story
From Ürümqi to Vancouver
Ivan Zhao grew up in Ürümqi, a bustling city in China’s Xinjiang region, where his early exposure to coding began with the International Olympiad in Informatics github. His childhood was heavily influenced by his mother, who later moved with him to Vancouver, Canada github. This transition not only introduced him to the English language through shows like SpongeBob SquarePants but also expanded his cultural horizons github. Zhao pursued applied mathematics and computer science, honing his coding skills through competitive programming, which laid the foundation for his future endeavors code….
Notion: Crafting Digital Workspaces
Ivan Zhao co-founded Notion, a platform aimed at enhancing productivity by crafting customizable workspaces canv…. The journey began with a mission to address the inefficiencies of ‘busy work’ through innovative software solutions sloww. Zhao’s strategy involved leveraging AI to streamline tasks, making the platform an indispensable tool for both personal and professional use magai. Notion gained significant traction due to its adaptive design philosophy, which prioritizes user needs and team workflows scru…. A pivotal moment for the company was securing a $275 million Series C funding, underscoring its market potential sale….
2025: Shaping Future Workspaces
By 2025, Ivan Zhao’s Notion had become a cornerstone in the productivity software market, symbolizing the future of work canv…. The platform’s valuation soared, reflecting its widespread adoption across industries sale…. Zhao played a crucial role in steering Notion towards a strategic shift, embracing AI to further enhance user experience magai. His vision for a world where software molds to user needs rather than the reverse became a beacon for digital transformation scru…. Today, Ivan Zhao stands as a symbol of innovation, design excellence, and relentless pursuit of efficiency colu….
Milestones
2010
Created news aggregation app Pulse as a class project in approximately six weeks
Early entrepreneurial venture that demonstrated coding ability and product development skills hust…
2013
Founded Notion Labs, Inc. with co-founder Simon Last; raised approximately $2 million from angel investors
Zhao and Last embarked on mission to redefine how people interact with digital tools, inspired by Zhao’s frustration with fragmented productivity applications cont…
2015
Relocated to Kyoto, Japan with Simon Last; laid off small team and rebuilt Notion from ground up
Facing dwindling resources and looming bankruptcy, the co-founders made drastic decision to start over, coding intensively for 18 hours daily in modest apartment notion
2018
Recruited Akshay Kothari as Chief Operating Officer
Strategic hire marked beginning of rapid scaling phase, with company growing from 8 to nearly 500 employees in 4 years thek…
Top Lessons – Ivan Zhao
The salient thing is not actually ever giving up and just keep going, keep trying again.
— Ivan Zhao
✅ Persistence Leads to Success — Ivan Zhao’s journey with Notion highlights that perseverance in the face of challenges is crucial. Despite early struggles, continuous effort and resilience can lead to eventual success.
💡Learn from Mistakes — Every iteration teaches something new — ship, learn, and refine.
🧠 Adapt and Evolve — Purpose outlasts valuation when you build for impact.
Millionaire Mindset
These insights translate Ivan Zhao’s habits and philosophies into actions you can apply today.
💡 Mindset in Action #1 – Advocates for Perseverance and Resilience
Ivan Zhao believes in never giving up and continuously trying again in the face of challenges.
👉 Embrace setbacks as learning opportunities and consistently push forward by setting small, achievable goals.
🧰 Use Notion or Todoist to track your progress and reflect on each step towards your goals.
💡 Mindset in Action #2 – Values Aesthetic and Functional Design
Ivan Zhao values design that is both aesthetically pleasing and functionally adaptive to user needs.
👉 Incorporate user feedback into your design process to create solutions that are not only beautiful but also practical.
🧰 Use Figma for collaborative design iterations and Hotjar to gather user feedback and insights.
💡 Mindset in Action #3 – Focuses on Reducing Busy Work with AI
Ivan Zhao focuses on leveraging AI to delegate repetitive tasks and free up time for more meaningful work.
👉 Identify routine tasks in your workflow that can be automated to enhance productivity and focus on strategic initiatives.
🧰 Use Zapier to automate workflows and integrate AI tools like Magai to manage time efficiently.
Social
🌐 Visit Notion → Notion.com