836 David Rusenko: Founder of Weebly

What does it take to start a company at 20 years old — and scale it into a platform used by tens of millions before selling it for hundreds of millions? On today’s episode, we welcome David Rusenko, Founder and former CEO of Weebly — one of the earliest platforms to make it possible for anyone to build a website without coding. Long before “no-code” became a movement, David and his co-founders set out to simplify the internet for small businesses and entrepreneurs. After joining Y Combinator in its early days, they built Weebly into a company with over 350 employees, hundreds of millions in revenue, and more than 50 million users worldwide — ultimately leading to its $365 million acquisition by Square. In this episode, David shares the real story behind building Weebly from a college project into a global platform, including the scrappy early days, the challenges of scaling a team and culture, and the evolution of his leadership as CEO. We dive into the realities of hypergrowth, what it takes to maintain human connection while scaling, and the lessons learned from serving millions of small business owners. David also opens up about the acquisition process — how the deal with Square came together, what it felt like to sell, and the emotional and psychological transition that comes after stepping away from something you’ve built for years. If you’re interested in early-stage hustle, scaling a company, navigating an exit, or what founders don’t talk about after the deal closes — this episode is for you. Tune in now on The Kara Goldin Show.   Are you interested in sponsoring and advertising on The Kara Goldin Show, which is now in the Top 1% of Entrepreneur podcasts in the world? Let me know by contacting me at karagoldin@gmail.com. You can also find me @‌KaraGoldin on all networks.   To learn more about David Rusenko:https://www.linkedin.com/in/drusenkohttps://x.com/drusenkohttps://www.instagram.com/davidrusenko/   Sponsored By: LinkedIn Jobs - Head to LinkedIn.com/KaraGoldin to post your job for free. Warby Parker - Get 15% off + Free Shipping when they buy 2 or more pairs of prescription glasses at WarbyParker.com/KARAGOLDIN OneSkin - For a limited time, try OneSkin with 15% off using code KARAGOLDIN at OneSkin.co/KARAGOLDIN   Check out our website to view this episode’s show notes: https://karagoldin.com/podcast/836