#806: How Rich Barton Built Expedia and Zillow from $0 to $35B — Audacious Goals, Provocation Marketing, Scrabble for Naming, and Powerful Daily Rituals

1861 snips

Apr 16, 2025

Rich Barton, co-executive chairman of Zillow and Expedia's founder, dives into his entrepreneurial journey from zero to $35 billion. He discusses his innovative approach to marketing, emphasizing provocation and transparency. Barton shares insights on effective daily rituals for wellness and productivity, the significance of family dynamics in decision-making, and his experiences navigating the tech landscape. He reflects on the emotional impact of career milestones and the importance of empathy in leadership, all while balancing work with personal growth.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Books

Transcript

Episode notes

00:00 / 00:00

Founding Expedia Within Microsoft

Rich Barton shares starting Expedia inside Microsoft as a venture startup and his wife's residency affecting his career moves.
He pitched the idea to Bill Gates, got it greenlit, and stayed in Seattle because his wife matched there.

00:00 / 00:00

Protect Innovators Within Culture

Hire and protect innovators who rock the corporate boat.
Cultivate a culture that handles outside-the-box thinking to encourage big swings and innovation.

00:00 / 00:00

Zillow's Origin Story

Zillow was born from dusting off prior Microsoft plans for digital real estate marketplaces.
Barton and Lloyd Frank brainstormed while Frank was fired, starting Zillow to solve opaque real estate information.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

Freddy and Frederica

Mark Helprin

eBoys

Randall Stross

In 'eBoys', Randall Stross offers a vivid portrayal of the venture capital world, focusing on Benchmark Capital's pivotal investments in companies like eBay and Webvan. The book captures the high-stakes decision-making and rapid wealth creation characteristic of the dot-com era. Stross had extensive access to Benchmark's executives and the companies they funded, providing a unique perspective on the successes and failures of that time.

The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories

Ken Liu

The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories is a captivating collection of short fiction by Ken Liu, featuring award-winning tales that explore themes of identity, culture, and history. The book includes the Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy Award-winning story 'The Paper Menagerie,' along with other notable works like 'The Perfect Match' and 'The Literomancer.' These stories delve into the complexities of human relationships and the intersection of technology and tradition.

The winter's tale

William Shakespeare

Exhalation

Stories

Ted Chiang

Exhalation is a collection of nine stories by Ted Chiang, each tackling different aspects of human existence, science, and philosophy. The stories range from 'The Merchant and the Alchemist’s Gate,' which involves time travel and regret in ancient Baghdad, to 'Exhalation,' where an alien scientist discovers the universal implications of his people’s mechanical existence. Other notable stories include 'The Lifecycle of Software Objects,' which explores the ethics of artificial intelligence, and 'Anxiety Is the Dizziness of Freedom,' which examines choice and free will through alternate universes. Chiang’s writing is characterized by its elegance, precision, and deep sympathy for his characters, making this collection a must-read for fans of science fiction that challenges the mind and evokes a sense of wonder.

The 4 Hour Workweek

Timothy Ferriss

In 'The 4-Hour Workweek', Timothy Ferriss presents a step-by-step guide to 'lifestyle design', encouraging readers to question the traditional notion of retirement and instead create a lifestyle that prioritizes freedom, adventure, and personal growth. The book teaches how to outsource life tasks, automate income, and eliminate unnecessary work using principles like the 80/20 rule and Parkinson’s Law. Ferriss shares his personal journey from a corporate workaholic to a location-independent entrepreneur and provides practical tips and case studies to help readers achieve similar results. The book emphasizes the importance of focusing on high-value activities, taking 'mini-retirements', and living life to the fullest in the present rather than deferring enjoyment until retirement.

Lincoln Highway

null

Amor Towles

Amor Towles's "Lincoln Highway" is a captivating novel set in 1954, following the journey of two brothers released from a Nebraska work farm. Their planned trip to New York City takes an unexpected turn when they encounter a fellow inmate and a runaway. The novel explores themes of brotherhood, freedom, and the complexities of the American Dream. Towles masterfully weaves together multiple perspectives and storylines, creating a rich and engaging narrative. The characters' choices and their consequences shape the story's compelling trajectory.

Cryptonomicon

Neal Stephenson

Cryptonomicon, a historical fiction novel by Neal Stephenson, follows the intertwined stories of two groups of people separated by time: one during World War II and the other in the present day. The novel explores themes of cryptography, technology, and the nature of war. Stephenson's intricate world-building creates a unique and immersive experience for the reader. The novel's complex plot unfolds through a series of interconnected events, weaving together personal stories with grand historical events. Cryptonomicon is a challenging but rewarding read for those interested in intellectual exploration and intricate storytelling.

A soldier of the great war

Mark Helprin

Stories of Your Life and Others

Ted Chiang

This collection includes eight short stories by Ted Chiang, each exploring unique and thought-provoking themes. Stories such as 'Tower of Babylon' and 'Story of Your Life' delve into concepts of time, space, and human perception, while 'Understand' and 'Division by Zero' examine the consequences of advanced knowledge and the breakdown of mathematical principles. The collection also includes 'Hell Is the Absence of God,' which probes the nature of belief and faith in a world where divine entities are real. Chiang's stories are known for their rigorous imagination, sharp intelligence, and ability to raise profound questions about the nature of reality and humanity.

Seveneves

Neal Stephenson

Seveneves tells the story of an apocalyptic event where the Moon suddenly breaks apart without warning, leading to a catastrophic 'Hard Rain' of moon fragments that will render Earth uninhabitable for thousands of years. The novel follows the global efforts to save humanity by evacuating people to a swarm of 'arklet' habitats in orbit. The story is divided into three parts, covering the immediate aftermath, the long-term survival in space, and the eventual re-colonization of Earth five thousand years later. The book delves into themes of science, technology, genetics, and the long-term implications of human survival and societal rebuilding[2][3][5].

Oceans and the Stars

Mark Helprin

The novel follows Captain Stephen Rensselaer, a decorated Navy officer, as he commands the prototype ship Athena. His mission tests his integrity and morality, while his love for Katy Farrar serves as a beacon through the challenges. The story blends military action with profound themes of loyalty and human relationships.

Snow Crash

Neal Stephenson

Published in 1992, 'Snow Crash' is a science fiction novel by Neal Stephenson that delves into a future where the United States has fragmented into corporate city-states and the internet has evolved into a virtual reality called the Metaverse. The story follows Hiro Protagonist, a pizza delivery driver and part-time hacker, and Y.T., a teenage skateboard courier, as they navigate a complex world threatened by a mysterious computer virus and a powerful drug known as Snow Crash. The novel explores themes of history, linguistics, anthropology, and computer science, and is noted for its prescient vision of the metaverse and its influence on Silicon Valley innovators[2][3][5].