Ep.565 | A $3.9B Exit with HomeAway & His Next Billion-Dollar Venture | Ross Buhrdorf

Ep.565 | A $3.9B Exit with HomeAway & His Next Billion-Dollar Venture | Ross Buhrdorf

Author: Chris Reynolds April 19, 2025 Duration: 1:16:16
Listeners, today’s episode is a masterclass in innovation, tech leadership, and entrepreneurship from someone who’s seen it all. We’re joined by Ross Buhrdorf, one of the foundational figures in the rise of the internet. As the founding CTO of HomeAway, Ross helped scale the company to a $3.9 billion acquisition by Expedia. But that’s only part of the story. Before that, he was at the heart of one of the internet’s earliest search engines—Excite.com—which at one point was bigger than Google. Now, Ross is back in the arena with his latest venture: ZenBusiness, a mission-driven company helping millions of entrepreneurs start and grow their own businesses with confidence and ease. In this conversation, we go deep on:   What it was like building Excite.com in the early days of the web How HomeAway scaled into a global platform with billions in valuation The emotional and mental shifts after a billion-dollar exit Why Ross believes every human should have access to entrepreneurship How ZenBusiness is leveling the playing field for small business owners The tools Ross uses—like NLP and visualization—to set big goals What he looks for in a winning startup idea and founding team The most important leadership lessons he’s learned across 3 decades How to build companies that align with your values, not just your wallet Whether you’re a founder, a tech enthusiast, or someone dreaming of launching your own business, this episode is packed with powerful takeaways and firsthand wisdom from a true digital pioneer.   Contact Info: https://www.zenbusiness.com/ ross@zenbusiness.com   Subscribe to the Podcast:   🎧 Website: https://www.thebusinessmethod.com/ 🍏 Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/TheBusinessMethod 💻 Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/TheBusinessMethodGooglePodcasts 🎙Spotify: http://bit.ly/SpotifyTheBusinessMethod   Follow Chris Reynolds on Social Media: Instagram: @chrisreynoldslive Facebook: @chrisreynoldslive YouTube: @chrisreynoldslive LinkedIn: @chrisreynoldslive

Hosted by Chris Reynolds, The Business Method: Interviewing Billionaires, Billion Dollar Founders & the World’s Most Successful People moves beyond simple success stories. Each conversation is a deep, practical exploration of the mindsets, strategies, and often unspoken challenges that define extraordinary achievement. You’ll hear firsthand accounts from a remarkable roster of guests, including legendary investor Jim Rogers, Priceline co-founder Jeff Hoffman, and Janice Howroyd, the first Black woman to build a billion-dollar business. The discussions range from billion-dollar investor Richard Koch dissecting strategic principles to Alex Hormozi breaking down high-stakes offers, while experts like author Steven Kotler delve into the science of peak performance and icons like big-wave surfer Laird Hamilton translate extreme discipline into universal lessons. This isn't about abstract theory; it's about the tangible methods and personal philosophies that actually work at the highest levels. Every episode of this podcast is designed to unpack a specific element of building wealth, cultivating resilience, or mastering a craft. The focus is always on actionable insight you can apply, whether you're scaling a company or pursuing personal excellence. By listening, you gain a rare seat at the table, absorbing the hard-won wisdom and often counterintuitive thinking that separates the world's most successful people from the rest. It’s a direct line to the habits, failures, and pivotal decisions that shape billion-dollar outcomes and legendary careers.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

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2-10 minute high-performance clips delivered to you Monday & Friday from our top interviews Contact Info: Website: thebusinessmethod.com/ Apple Podcasts: bit.ly/TheBusinessMethod Google Podcasts: bit.ly/TheBusinessMethod…