Tripadvisor Co-Founder: Why He Left and What He’s Building Now

Transition

Steve Kaufer's transition from Tripadvisor to founding Give Freely marks a significant shift in his career. After leading Tripadvisor for over two decades, he felt it was time for a new challenge, especially as he approached his 60th birthday. Steve explains, "If I'm ever going to actually do this, I better get my act in gear" 1. His decision was driven by a desire to explore new opportunities beyond software development tools, which he had been involved in for 15 years 2. Despite the success of Tripadvisor, Steve wanted to pursue a venture that allowed for more independence and innovation, leading to the creation of Give Freely 3.

   

Innovation

Give Freely embodies Steve's innovative spirit, combining elements of Amazon Smile and Honey to create a unique charitable platform. The concept involves a browser extension that finds discounts at over 15,000 stores, with affiliate fees donated to a charity of the user's choice 4. Steve emphasizes the importance of dedicating resources to innovative projects, even if they don't yield immediate benefits, stating, "You should always be taking ten or 20% of your available priority choices and putting it in something that has no benefit right now" 5. He also envisions gamifying charity support to engage users further, aiming for a "win-win-win" scenario for charities, users, and stores 6.