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:Â 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.
Â
Contact Info:
Â
Subscribe to the Podcast:
Â
🎧 Website:
https://www.thebusinessmethod.com/
🍏 Apple Podcasts:
http://bit.ly/TheBusinessMethod
đź’» Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/TheBusinessMethodGooglePodcasts
🎙Spotify:
http://bit.ly/SpotifyTheBusinessMethod
Â
Follow Chris Reynolds on Social Media:
Instagram: @chrisreynoldslive
Facebook: @chrisreynoldslive
YouTube: @chrisreynoldslive
LinkedIn: @chrisreynoldslive
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by Audiochuck Media Company.
The Brothers Ortiz
The Brothers Ortiz is the story of two brothers–both successful, but in very different ways. Gabe Ortiz becomes a third-highest ranking officer in all of Texas while his younger brother Larry climbs the ranks in Puro Tango Blast, a notorious Texas Prison gang. Gabe doesn’t know all the details of his brother’s nefarious dealings, and he’s made a point not to ask, to protect their relationship. But when Larry is murdered during a home invasion in a rented beach house, Gabe has no choice but to look into what happened that night. To solve Larry’s murder, Gabe, and the whole Ortiz family, must ask each other tough questions.