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:
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
Popular Podcasts
Betrayal Weekly
Betrayal Weekly is back for a new season. Every Thursday, Betrayal Weekly shares first-hand accounts of broken trust, shocking deceptions, and the trail of destruction they leave behind. Hosted by Andrea Gunning, this weekly ongoing series digs into real-life stories of betrayal and the aftermath. From stories of double lives to dark discoveries, these are cautionary tales and accounts of resilience against all odds. From the producers of the critically acclaimed Betrayal series, Betrayal Weekly drops new episodes every Thursday. If you would like to share your story, you can reach out to the Betrayal Team by emailing them at betrayalpod@gmail.com and follow us on Instagram at @betrayalpod and @glasspodcasts. Please join our Substack for additional exclusive content, curated book recommendations, and community discussions. Sign up FREE by clicking this link Beyond Betrayal Substack. Join our community dedicated to truth, resilience, and healing. Your voice matters! Be a part of our Betrayal journey on Substack.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.