Canva vs Figma

Craft, upgraded: introducing the Canva ProSuite

Affinity, Cavalry, Flourish and Leonardo are coming together as one connected suite for professional creatives. Here's what's new, and why we think craft matters more than ever.

AI exposes unsaid assumptions in brand guidelines

This article discusses the impact of AI on brand management, arguing that traditional brand guidelines, which rely on human interpretation of adjectives like 'premium' or 'customer-first', are ill-suited for AI-driven execution. With AI personalizing and automating customer interactions, brand drift can occur at scale. The author suggests that brands must make their implicit judgments explicit, defining behavioral rules and decision frameworks that AI can follow. Drawing on the 'Canva principle' for design consistency, the article suggests extending this to brand behavior, making brand strategy an operational system rather than a static document.

• AI can propagate unresolved brand assumptions across thousands of interactions at speed.
• Traditional brand guidelines rely on human interpretation and are now insufficient for AI execution.
• The article proposes shifting from adjective-based guidelines to explicit behavioral rules.

Canva Study: 74% of Workers Anxious Presenting Despite AI

Canva's global study, 'The Presentation Paradox', reveals that while AI tools like Canva AI streamline presentation creation, 74% of professionals still experience anxiety when presenting. The study, based on a survey of over 20,000 workers, found that 91% use AI monthly to build slides, but 86% believe great presentations hinge on human connection. Gen Z workers are most affected, with 90% reporting anxiety. Despite AI's role in slide generation, 68% link strong presentation skills to career advancement, and 55% would allow an AI avatar to present on their behalf. The findings underscore a growing divide between AI-assisted creation and the enduring need for human presentation skills.

• 74% of professionals feel anxious about presenting, with 90% of Gen Z affected.
• 91% of workers use AI to build or draft presentation slides each month.
• 68% of respondents link strong presentation skills to a recent pay rise or promotion.

10-Q Financial Filing Analysis for Figma (2026-08-05)

Figma reported strong top-line revenue growth for Q2 2026, generating $370.08 million in revenue (up 48% YoY) and $703.52 million for the first six months of 2026 (up 47% YoY), supported by a Net Dollar Retention Rate of 136%. Growth was driven by an expanding enterprise customer base, with clients over $100k in ARR rising 46% YoY to 1,635. However, GAAP operating losses widened to $117.29 million for the quarter and $254.69 million for the half-year, primarily impacted by post-IPO stock-based compensation of $147.55 million in Q2 ($316.55 million year-to-date) and rising AI compute and hosting infrastructure expenses. On a non-GAAP basis, operating income reached $36.09 million (a 10% operating margin). The company generated $141.82 million in free cash flow year-to-date and maintained robust balance sheet liquidity with $1.67 billion in cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities.

• Q2 2026 revenue increased 48% year-over-year to $370.08 million, with first half 2026 revenue reaching $703.52 million.
• Paid customers with greater than $100k in ARR grew 46% year-over-year to 1,635, while Net Dollar Retention Rate stood at 136%.
• Post-IPO stock-based compensation totaled $147.55 million in Q2 2026 and $316.55 million for the first six months, leading to a GAAP net loss of $112.15 million for the quarter.

Figma invests in the UK with expanded London office

With our new London office, we’re getting closer to our customers and community.

Groq Founder: Poor Leadership Cost Company Years

Jonathan Ross, founder of AI chip maker Groq, admitted in a podcast that his management failures initially cost the company three to four years. A former Google engineer, Ross founded Groq in 2016 to develop Language Processing Units (LPUs) as alternatives to Nvidia GPUs. He acknowledged being 'a terrible leader' at the start, citing mistakes in hiring employees who were not self-sufficient and giving them too much responsibility, leading to stagnation. He learned to focus on people management and became more selective in hiring. In December 2025, Nvidia signed a $20 billion licensing and talent deal with Groq, after which Ross and other key engineers moved to Nvidia, where Ross now serves as chief architect for software. Groq continues as an independent company led by Adam Winter. Similar leadership challenges were shared by Figma CEO Dylan Field and Duolingo CEO Luis von Ahn.

• Jonathan Ross founded Groq in 2016 to develop AI inference chips (LPUs) as alternatives to Nvidia GPUs.
• Ross admitted that his poor leadership set back Groq by three to four years.
• In December 2025, Nvidia signed a $20 billion license and talent deal with Groq.