15. Steve Kaufer of TripAdvisor (FULL SHOW)

The phrase "humble beginnings" is often used to describe the backstory of famous brands in the world of business before they hit the jackpot.But TripAdvisor, with some of its formative years spent in rooms above a pizza parlor, is one such company in the modern travel business that deserves the phrase to illustrate just how far it's come.It is now a publicly listed company, of course, with offices around the world and user figures in the hundreds of millions each month.Yet few people will know or remember how close the company was to going out of business, or how the roles between co-founders Steve Kaufer and Langley Steinert were divided, amongst many other stories.In a special edition of How I Got Here, Kaufer joined us in the PhocusWire Studio at The Phocuswright Conference in November this year to give us the history and a lot more for one of the industry's most well-known brands.You can also watch a special video version of the podcast here.HIGH is a weekly show produced by PhocusWire and Mozio, aimed at getting the inside stories behind startups and innovation in travel and transportation.NOTE: Other episodes: on PhocusWire and Mozio.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.