Viator: Rod Cuthbert

In this episode, Guy Raz interviews Rod Cuthbert, the founder of Viator, which revolutionized the way travelers book experiences like tours and cooking classes. Rod discusses his early life in Tasmania, his desire to explore the world, and the journey that led him to create Viator in the late 1990s. He recounts how the idea came to him while working as a web designer and how he partnered with Peter Fox to build a website to help travel agencies move online.

Viator encountered many challenges, including severe cash flow issues by 2005, but Rod and his team continued to innovate, introducing concepts like 'skip-the-line' tours. Despite facing hurdles, including a failed collaboration with Sabre and failing to secure additional funding at crucial times, Viator eventually found traction amid changing consumer preferences towards experiential travel.

Rod explains the company’s eventual acquisition by TripAdvisor and how it became a key player in the travel space, generating billions in revenue. He reflects on the importance of timing and luck in entrepreneurship and provides insights on anticipating customer needs in the evolving travel industry.