How Education-First Funnels Helped Notion and Canva Scale to Millions — Without Paid Ads or Cold Outreach
A breakdown of how two SaaS companies turned structured learning into sustainable customer acquisition — and why B2B SaaS companies should take note.
170M+
Canva Users
85%
Fortune 500
125M+
Monthly Designs
Millions
Notion Users
Part 1: Notion — Growth Through Learning, Not Promotion
In a saturated market of productivity tools, Notion didn't outspend competitors — it out-taught them.
By investing in scalable educational content, Notion empowered users to learn, implement, and advocate — without relying on demos, discounts, or traditional ads.
Key Strategies:
Market Education First:
Courses on YouTube, Skillshare, Udemy, and Notion University gave users instant, frictionless exposure to the product — by solving real organizational problems.
User Empowerment:
Notion training focused on how to build systems (e.g. second brains, project dashboards, wikis) — not just how to use the tool.
Creator Ecosystem:
Community creators became organic distributors. Certified educators and influencers taught Notion — scaling its reach without internal marketing effort.
Outcomes:
Key takeaway for B2B SaaS:
Teach workflows, not just features. Help your customers succeed, and your product becomes indispensable.
Part 2: Canva — Teaching 170M+ Users to Design Without the Overwhelm
Canva didn't market to designers. It marketed to professionals and teams who needed design outcomes — fast.
Their solution? Education at scale.
Key Strategies:
Canva Design School:
A built-in learning hub delivering free, focused courses on branding, resumes, presentations, social media, and more — tailored for non-designers.
Community-Led Growth:
YouTube, Skillshare, and independent creators produced thousands of tutorials and walkthroughs, all driving new users back to Canva.
Transformation Over Features:
Canva wasn't pitched as "a better design tool." It was presented as a simple way to get real work done — and the courses reinforced that positioning.
Outcomes:
Key takeaway for B2B SaaS:
Build an onboarding experience that trains for results. The easier it is for users to get value, the faster they convert and stay.
What This Means for B2B SaaS Companies
SaaS growth isn't just about product demos or sales decks. It's about education, context, and timing.
Here's what both companies got right:
Want to Build a
Notion/Canva-Style
Education Funnel for Your SaaS?
If your product solves a real business problem, we'll help you:
Outcome-Focused Course
Design an outcome-focused course around it
Natural Integration
Integrate your product naturally into the learning journey
Organic Acquisition
Acquire qualified users without relying on paid ads
Education-Led Sales
Drive conversions by teaching — not selling