Founder Story: Rich Barton of Zillow

Under Barton’s leadership, Expedia’s user-friendly interface and robust functionality transformed the travel industry. Expedia went public in 1999, raising $80 million in its IPO, and grew to become the world’s largest seller of travel services, generating billions in revenue. Barton’s tenure as CEO until 2003 established him as a trailblazer and demonstrated his belief in empowering consumers with transparency and choice.

Early Life and Influences

Born on June 2, 1967, in New Canaan, Connecticut, Rich Barton was raised in a family that valued education and curiosity. His father, a mechanical engineer, and his mother, a teacher, instilled in him a hunger for knowledge and problem-solving. He excelled academically and attended Stanford University, where he graduated in 1989 with a degree in General Engineering: Industrial Economics. Early exposure to technology and a natural entrepreneurial spirit set the stage for Barton’s ambitious career.

The Travel Revolution: Expedia

While at Microsoft, Barton became frustrated with outdated travel booking systems that required reliance on travel agents. He envisioned a world where consumers could access and manage travel data themselves—a bold idea at the time. At just 26, Barton pitched his concept of an online travel platform to Bill Gates and Microsoft’s leadership. They greenlit the project, and Expedia launched in 1996 as one of the first travel booking websites of its kind.

A Vision Born from Real Estate Frustrations: Zillow

After stepping down from Expedia, Barton took a yearlong sabbatical in Italy. By 2005, he was ready for his next venture: transforming the opaque real estate market. Together with Lloyd Frink, a fellow Expedia alumnus, Barton co-founded Zillow. At its core was a revolutionary tool—the Zestimate, which provided estimated property values by leveraging public data and algorithms. This innovation gave consumers unprecedented access to real estate information.

Zillow launched in 2006 and immediately drew attention for its groundbreaking approach. Challenges abounded, from skepticism by real estate agents to technical hurdles in refining the Zestimate’s accuracy. However, Barton’s perseverance paid off as Zillow became the go-to marketplace for buying, selling, and renting homes, attracting millions of users monthly. Barton’s democratization of real estate empowered individuals to make informed decisions, reshaping the industry’s operations.

Building Transparency: Glassdoor

In 2007, Barton co-founded Glassdoor, taking his commitment to transparency into the workplace. Glassdoor allowed employees to anonymously review their companies and share salary data. It became a vital resource for job seekers and further cemented Barton’s philosophy of democratizing information.

By the time Glassdoor was sold for over $1 billion in 2018, it had fundamentally changed how employees and employers interacted, holding organizations accountable and promoting workplace transparency. This marked another major industry Barton successfully disrupted with data and technology.

Defining Moments

1. The Birth of Expedia (1994-1996): Barton’s pitch to Bill Gates and the subsequent launch of Expedia marked his ascent as a digital pioneer. Expedia’s 1999 IPO laid the groundwork for his belief that empowering consumers with data could unlock massive market potential.

2. The Launch of Zillow (2006): Zillow’s Zestimate feature debuted to both acclaim and controversy. Despite criticism from real estate professionals, Barton’s steadfast commitment to providing consumers with data-driven insights ensured Zillow’s success. By 2023, Zillow controlled more than 30% of the online real estate market.

3. Return to Zillow as CEO (2019): After stepping away in 2010, Barton returned to Zillow as CEO in 2019 to steer the company through its iBuying (instant buying and selling of homes) phase. Though the iBuying initiative faced setbacks, Barton’s leadership helped Zillow adapt by focusing on its core strengths.

Innovation Philosophy

Barton’s innovation philosophy centers on transparency, collaboration, and taking calculated risks. A few of his core principles include:

*Promote intrapreneurship*: Barton believes in fostering a culture of internal entrepreneurship where employees feel empowered to experiment and innovate.
*Set Big Hairy Audacious Goals (BHAGs)*: He famously set a goal of attracting one million Zillow users within six months of launch, a target that was not only met but exceeded.
*Power to the People*: Across Expedia, Zillow, and Glassdoor, Barton’s driving motivation has been to break down barriers and give ordinary people access to information.

“Transparency changes everything. Once people have access to information, it alters the balance of power forever. And that’s a good thing.” – Rich Barton

Industry Impact

Barton’s influence spans multiple sectors:

Travel: Expedia reduced reliance on travel agents, empowering millions to book their own trips while saving time and money. By 2025, Expedia was generating over $40 billion annually in bookings.
Real Estate: Zillow’s tools turned once-opaque property markets into accessible marketplaces, challenging traditional practices and empowering consumers.
Workplace: Glassdoor redefined workplace accountability by making salary information and employee reviews publicly available.

These innovations created new standards for how industries operate, forcing competitors to evolve and inspiring countless entrepreneurs.

Leadership Philosophy

Barton credits his success to collaborative leadership. He emphasizes that no single individual builds a company, stating:

“We’s build stuff. And ‘We’ is way more fun than ‘I’”.

Barton also invests heavily in his team, promoting ownership among employees and fostering a company culture where big ideas can flourish—even if they initially fail.

Legacy and Future Vision

As Barton transitions to his role as co-executive chairman at Zillow, his legacy remains one of bold innovation and consumer empowerment. Through his ventures, Barton has demonstrated that transparency and technology can transform industries and enhance everyday life.

Looking ahead, Barton remains committed to mentoring the next generation of entrepreneurs, helping them challenge the status quo and build platforms that empower individuals. His story is a testament to the transformative power of a visionary mindset paired with relentless execution.

Closing Thoughts

Rich Barton’s career is a masterclass in disruption, demonstrating that true innovation is driven by a commitment to empower individuals. From Expedia to Zillow and beyond, his journey underlines the profound impact that technology and transparency can have on traditional industries.

“The internet is the great equalizer. We’re just getting started in finding the ways it can help people take control of their lives.” – Rich Barton

By persistently championing the consumer and embracing collaboration, Barton inspires entrepreneurs worldwide to think bigger and bolder. His legacy is not just the companies he built but the industries he transformed. For aspiring innovators, Barton’s journey underscores the enduring power of ideas that challenge the status quo.