How to Combat Ad Fraud and Protect Your Digital Ad Spend with Rich Kahn
2025-05-14
Rich Kahn is a serial entrepreneur with decades of experience in scaling startups, building innovative tech, and earning industry accolades like the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Rich shares how he grew multiple businesses from scratch, including one that landed on the Inc. 5,000 list five years running. He dives deep into the mindset required for digital entrepreneurship, real-world lessons from the .com boom and bust, and his journey creating one of America’s fastest-growing advertising and marketing companies.
[00:00] Introduction – Welcome to Invest In Yourself: the Digital Entrepreneur Podcast, with Phil Better introducing the show’s rebellious mission.
[00:50] Meet Rich Kahn – Phil introduces visionary guest Rich Kahn, co-founder and CEO of Anura, and highlights his credentials in digital marketing and ad fraud prevention.
[02:13] Early Tech Passion – Rich shares his childhood love of computers, first programming experiences, and hacking ARPANET in the 80s.
[06:11] The First Digital Venture – Rich describes starting an internet newsletter, using early email “opt-ins,” and building a 20,000-subscriber base by age 9.
[07:23] Becoming an ISP – The story of building an internet business from home, installing 300 phone lines, and being the fastest internet provider on the East Coast in the mid-90s.
[12:42] Selling the ISP – Why Rich chose to sell his ISP after the arrival of cable internet, exiting the business before dial-up died.
[14:30] Paid for Surf Era – Growing a multi-level marketing web business in the dot-com boom and reaching 1 million users faster than Netflix.
[18:30] The Dot-Com Bubble – How a $60 million deal vanished overnight as the bubble burst, and lessons learned from the crash.
[19:49] Startup Attempts and Lessons – Building on encrypted messaging and more failed M&A deals, including a $30 million loss from partner disputes.
[22:26] Scaling Izanga – Founding a new venture, making the Inc. 5000 list, and earning the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award.
[23:44] Pivoting to Fraud Detection – Transitioning from running an ad network to building leading-edge fraud detection technology, testing it against competitors, and launching Anura in 2017.
[25:07] The Massive Scale of Ad Fraud – Revealing $140 billion lost to digital ad fraud in 2024, and the universal impact from small business to top corporations.
[28:14] Staying Ahead & Continuous Learning – Rich’s methods for maintaining a technological edge and investing in personal growth as both a leader and developer.
[29:33] The Anura Methodology – Partnering with clients to fight ad fraud, leveraging feedback loops, and improving fraud detection for all.
[31:32] Looking Ahead – Rich’s future vision: more family time, possible consulting roles, and empowering new entrepreneurs.
[33:51] Advice to His Younger Self – Reflections on risk, resilience, and betting on yourself, with stories from Rich’s journey out of poverty and toward entrepreneurship.
[37:13] Connecting with Rich – Where to find Rich online and how businesses can get a free fraud audit from Anura.
[38:18] Closing Remarks – Phil wraps up with final thanks, reminders to invest in yourself, and calls to action for listeners.
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