When Melanie Perkins, Co-founder and CEO of Canva, talks about Column B planning, she is not just sharing a productivity hack. She is revealing one of the core frameworks that helped her turn a university idea into a global tech company.
So, what is Column B planning?
The Concept
You start with two columns:
- Column A: Where you are now
- Column B: Your ultimate vision or end goal
Then you work backwards from Column B to identify every milestone, step, and skill needed to bridge the gap. It is essentially reverse-engineering your success.
An Example
Imagine your Column B goal is “Canva becomes a global design platform used by millions.”
You would then ask:
- What needs to exist for that to happen? (A simple, intuitive interface; a freemium model; viral growth.)
- What needs to happen before that? (Funding, MVP launch, user feedback loops.)
- What is the first small step? (Building a prototype for university students.)
Each layer brings your vision closer to reality.
Why It Works
- Keeps your focus anchored on the end goal, not just today’s to-do list.
- Prevents getting lost in short-term busyness or distraction.
- Turns ambitious, long-term goals into clear, achievable milestones.
- Helps teams align around a shared vision with practical next steps.
The Bigger Lesson
Most of us plan forward. We start with what is right in front of us and hope it leads somewhere. Perkins flipped that. She defined where she wanted to go, then traced the path backwards.
Whether you are building a startup, a career, or a creative project, Column B planning helps you make big goals less overwhelming and far more actionable.