As part of the Morning Lazziness series about empowering women who encourage and do incredible things with their ideas in society, I had the pleasure of interviewing Elizabeth Douglas.
Elizabeth Douglas is currently the CEO of wikiHow, the world’s largest how-to website. Driven by wikiHow’s mission to reach everyone on the planet, Elizabeth collaborates with her teams to create innovative solutions for growing and scaling wikiHow. Under Elizabeth’s leadership, wikiHow has grown over 1500%, and today is visited by more than 100 million people every month across 230 countries and territories. Elizabeth holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Stanford, as well as an MBA from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business.
Here’s what we found out about Elizabeth’s daily routine, followed by an exclusive Q+A.
What challenges have you faced as a woman in the business world, and how have you overcome them?
As a dedicated and hardworking mom—and a woman CEO in tech, which isn’t very common—I constantly face the challenge of balancing my career and family, both of which demand a lot of my time and energy. It often feels like I’m being pulled in different directions, leaving me wishing for more hours in the day. While it can be challenging, I hope my children see the example I set, and understand the sacrifices and tradeoffs that come with being a working mom and a leader. My goal is for them to view my commitment to both family and career as a source of strength and inspiration.
How do you balance your professional and personal life as a CEO?
As a CEO, I focus on maximizing my time at work, ensuring every minute is productive. At home, I’m intentional about spending quality time with my family every day, whether at family dinner, through a fun game, or through conversation. When it comes to attending my children’s events that take me away from work, I think about how I’ll feel about the decision in a week, a year, or even 20 years. I find that thinking really far into the future about what will have mattered helps balance me. It’s crucial to me that my kids always feel my presence when they need me, and also that my team knows I’m fully dedicated to my work while balancing my role as a mother.
What strategies have you found most effective for networking and building connections in your industry?
For me, networking isn’t about attending large events and meeting as many people as possible—it’s about forming meaningful connections and fostering positive relationships with those you meet. When you create a genuine connection, people are more likely to remember you. The relationships you build can have a lasting impact on your life and open doors to future opportunities.
How do you approach mentorship and seek guidance in your entrepreneurial journey?
I recently watched a TED Talk about finding meaning in life by being part of other people’s stories, and I truly believe in this concept. I get a lot of joy from mentoring junior employees and students, and I also have mentors of my own. I’m always open to hearing different perspectives and letting them influence my own thinking. My mentors are a crucial support system, providing the listening ear I need when there is no one else I can talk to about particular work issues.
Can you talk about a specific setback or failure you’ve experienced in your business and how you bounced back from it?
Yes, there have been several challenges. When wikiHow was founded, it was a wiki-style site where volunteers created all of our content. This collaborative approach to sharing expertise was powerful, but it left us with many pages that weren’t fully developed. Several years ago, Google changed its algorithms to prioritize content written by authoritative experts and to favor comprehensive, high-quality articles. As a result, we lost over 50% of our traffic in a single day. This was a significant challenge for our wiki model and forced us to rethink what truly mattered to us.
We returned to our mission of teaching the world how to do anything and recognized the need to be seen as a reliable and comprehensive resource. At that point, we decided to shift our model, incorporating in-house research, staff editors, and experts. Today, we have a highly experienced editorial team and a network of over 1,000 experts to ensure the accuracy and depth of our content. As a result, we not only regained all of our traffic but exceeded it. Today, we’re visited by more than 100 million people every month.
In what ways do you prioritize diversity and inclusion within your company or startup?
As a woman leader in tech, I make it a priority to lead by example and encourage other women to fully embrace their careers. I’ve noticed that many women are drawn to working for a female CEO, which has contributed to the strong representation of women at our company. At wikiHow, we create an environment where everyone’s opinions are respected, fostering a culture of openness and collaboration. It’s important to me that all team members feel supported and empowered, regardless of their background or gender. Inclusion isn’t just a goal—it’s a core part of who we are and how we operate.
How do you stay motivated and resilient during tough times in your business?
One of the toughest periods for wikiHow was during the COVID-19 pandemic. We had primarily operated in person before then, with a strong office culture that was highly collaborative and people-centric. The sudden shift to remote work was a significant challenge for our small but mighty team. To preserve our sense of connection, we implemented virtual team events, personal team meetings, and regular coffee chats and one-on-ones. These efforts helped maintain our collaborative spirit despite the physical distance, thanks to the small, close-knit nature of our team.
I also believe that challenges often happen for a reason and can lead to positive outcomes. COVID pushed us to be more creative in how we connect and work together, and in some ways, it made our team stronger. Over the years, I’ve learned that tough times usually signal that something better is on the horizon. This mindset—combined with the support of my amazing team—helps me stay motivated and resilient in the face of setbacks.
What advice would you give to other aspiring women entrepreneurs who are just starting out?
Find a great boss, and if you’re stuck with a bad one, don’t hesitate to switch jobs—seriously! I credit much of my success to the people I worked for, all of whom happened to be men. Their belief in me often exceeded my own, and that support was instrumental in my growth. A good manager can make a world of difference in your career, while a bad one can really hold you back.
What is one quote you live by that has guided you in your entrepreneurial journey?
One quote that I think about a lot is “Perfection is the enemy of progress,” something Marc Cuban is famous for saying. It resonates with me because I naturally gravitate toward doing things perfectly. However, I’ve learned that the pursuit of perfection can slow you down and hinder the ability to learn quickly, which is crucial in any entrepreneurial journey. Especially when you’re innovating or working in fast-paced environments, it’s essential not to let perfectionism bog you down. Prioritizing progress over perfection allows for faster learning and adaptation, both of which are key to success.
Can you share a memorable success or milestone that you’ve achieved in your CEO career?
One of the proudest milestones in my career was when wikiHow received the Forbes Small Giants Award in 2019. This recognition meant a great deal to me because it celebrated the heart of what makes wikiHow special—our small but incredibly dedicated team, and our ability to reach and help millions of people around the world every day.
What makes this achievement so meaningful is that it acknowledges not just our success in numbers, but the values that drive us. We’ve built a company that prioritizes helping others, creating a positive impact, and maintaining a close-knit, mission-driven team. Leading this team and seeing the difference we make together is one of the most fulfilling aspects of my role as CEO, and I couldn’t be prouder of what we’ve accomplished.
