Hardware Podcasts

Tripadvisor: Steve Kaufer

How I Built This · 31 Oct 2022 · 1h 15m

What this episode covers

Steve Kaufer, co-founder and former CEO of Tripadvisor, explains how the company pivoted from a failed B2B content licensing model to a profitable cost-per-click referral business after a $500 revenue check revealed the flaw in their partnership with Lycos. He details the strategic decision to walk away from a Yahoo acquisition offer in 2004 to remain independent, leading to a $210 million sale to IAC and a subsequent multi-billion dollar IPO. Kaufer also discusses the critical role of user-generated content, the challenges of combating fake reviews, and his personal journey through the loss of his wife while scaling the company to 400 million monthly visitors.

Most relevant to

founders before launch, early-stage companies, companies scaling up and large enterprises

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Tripadvisor, Lycos, Expedia, Yahoo, IAC, Viator, La Fourchette, Glass Door, Compuware, Centerline Development Systems, Travelocity, Priceline, Hotels.com, Hotwire, U.S. Bank, Google, Microsoft
Products
TripResearch.com, Fodors, Lonely Planet

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