Listen "464: Silicon Valley Outsider Michelle Zatlyn on Building a Tech Disruptor "
Episode Synopsis
Michelle Zatlyn and her co-founders were outsiders when they moved to Silicon Valley to launch their web security startup. It was 2009, in the middle of a recession, but the team knew their visceral early-user feedback validated the need to be bold. In 2010, Cloudflare launched its first freemium product and hasn’t looked back. Today, Cloudflare has four million customers worldwide, surpassed a $1 billion revenue run rate, and employs 3,200 team members. Zatlyn currently serves as the publicly traded company’s president and CEO. She is one of the few women founders leading a public tech business.
Listen to Nathan and Michelle discuss:
A “made for TV” meeting with her co-founders
Validating an idea with visceral feedback
Being a Silicon Valley outsider
Starting a tech business during a recession
Launching a product MVP
Six business reasons to have a freemium product
Being a female founder in the tech industry
And much more tech founder advice…
Who do you want to see next on the podcast? Comment and let us know! And don't forget to leave us a 5-star review if you loved this episode.
Wait, there's more… If you enjoy the Foundr podcast, check out our free trainings. Get exclusive, actionable advice from some of the world's best entrepreneurs.
Speak with our friendly course experts to get clarity on the next steps for your idea, business or career. You will get tailored insights from results achieved by our proven practitioners as well as thousands of students. Book a call now...
For more Foundr content, follow us on your favorite platform:
Foundr.com
Instagram
YouTube
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Magazine
Listen to Nathan and Michelle discuss:
A “made for TV” meeting with her co-founders
Validating an idea with visceral feedback
Being a Silicon Valley outsider
Starting a tech business during a recession
Launching a product MVP
Six business reasons to have a freemium product
Being a female founder in the tech industry
And much more tech founder advice…
Who do you want to see next on the podcast? Comment and let us know! And don't forget to leave us a 5-star review if you loved this episode.
Wait, there's more… If you enjoy the Foundr podcast, check out our free trainings. Get exclusive, actionable advice from some of the world's best entrepreneurs.
Speak with our friendly course experts to get clarity on the next steps for your idea, business or career. You will get tailored insights from results achieved by our proven practitioners as well as thousands of students. Book a call now...
For more Foundr content, follow us on your favorite platform:
Foundr.com
YouTube
Magazine
More episodes of the podcast The Foundr Podcast with Nathan Chan
606: (Solo) The Week Before Black Friday: What Smart Ecommerce Founders Are Doing Differently
18/11/2025
605: He Bought an Airline for $0.30 (and made BILLIONS) | Tony Fernendes (Best of Foundr)
13/11/2025
ZARZA We are Zarza, the prestigious firm behind major projects in information technology.