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Bob Parsons

Key Aspect	Details

Full Name

Robert Ralph Parsons (known as Bob Parsons)

Date of Birth

November 27, 1950

Birthplace

Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Early Life

Grew up in a middle-class family facing financial struggles; worked multiple jobs to support himself in his youth

Education

Graduated magna cum laude with an Accounting degree from the University of Baltimore (1975); passed CPA exam

Military Service

Enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Vietnam War; served as a rifleman in Delta Company, 26th Marine Regiment

Military Honors

Combat Action Ribbon, Purple Heart, Vietnam Gallantry Cross

Post-Military Career Start

Started in accounting but shifted to programming after purchasing a Radio Shack TRS-80 computer; learned coding as a hobby

First Major Business

Founded Parsons Technology, initially building accounting software from his basement; expanded to 1,000 employees, 4% market share

Parsons Technology Sale

Sold to Intuit in 1994 for $64 million

Founding of GoDaddy

Founded in 1997 as an internet domain registrar and web hosting company; rapidly grew into one of the largest in the industry

GoDaddy’s Market Position

Accredited by ICANN, registers a domain every second, serving over 5 million customers worldwide

Business Philosophy

Affordable products, rich features, and excellent customer support

Additional Ventures

Founded Wild West Domains, Starfield Technologies, and Domains by Proxy under GoDaddy

Leadership Recognition

Received “Ed Denison Business Leadership of the Year” and the Arizona Corporate Excellence Award (2007)

Later Years

Resigned as CEO of GoDaddy in 2011; blog and radio show “Go Daddy Live with Bob Parsons” remain influential in business circles

Legacy

Story embodies resilience and innovation, illustrating success through hard work and seizing opportunities

How Bob Parsons Built GoDaddy from the Ground Up: A Story of Grit and Innovation

The founder of GoDaddy is most simply referred to as Bob Parsons. He was not born into a life of luxury, meaning he wasn’t born with a silver spoon in his mouth. This means he started life humble and poor. Born on November 27, 1950, in Baltimore, Maryland, Bob grew up in a middle-class family that indeed faced its own share of financial hardships. He has always had to fight hard for everything he has today.

Like many young kids looking to make a buck, Bob did a lot of jobs selling newspapers, working in factories, construction, and even gas stations. School wasn’t easy for him either. He barely made it through high school before deciding to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps. This was a turning point in his life.

In 1969, Bob was serving as a rifleman for Delta Company in the 26th Marine Regiment during his service in the Vietnam War, where he was injured on duty and spent two months in a hospital. He received various prestigious military honors during his service, including the Combat Action Ribbon, the Purple Heart, and the Vietnam Gallantry Cross. He stayed for several years in the Marines, which gave him the much-needed discipline and strength that he would need when starting a business later in life.

After Vietnam, Bob returned home with a new view of life. In fact, he joined the University of Baltimore, and in 1975, he graduated magna cum laude with a degree in accounting and later sat for and passed the CPA exam as a certified public accountant. His career in accounting and management started shortly after that but was only the beginning.

But here’s where the magic happens: Bob stumbled into programming. It wasn’t part of any grand plan. He bought a Radio Shack TRS-80 computer, started reading how-to books about code, and gradually started learning how to do some coding. That “fun” hobby turned out to be his first business success. Bob coded an accounting program; he then decided to sell it. He didn’t just sell it; he built a whole company around it. In his basement, no less!

He founded Parsons Technology, which rapidly expanded to 1,000 employees, with a 4% market share in North American software. In 1994, Bob sold Parsons Technology to Intuit for $64 million. But that was only the start.

In 1997, he founded GoDaddy, an internet domain registrar and web hosting company. If you have ever registered a domain name, chances are that you probably did it through GoDaddy, one of the big names in the business. And fun fact: actually accredited by ICANN, registers a new domain every second. It boasts over 5 million customers worldwide.

The philosophy of Bob’s business was simple but rather perspicacious: produce affordable products with rich features and fantastic customer support. In that philosophy he built not just GoDaddy but the entire cluster of companies under it such as Wild West Domains, Starfield Technologies, and Domains by Proxy.

His leadership was not left unaccounted for. In 2007, Bob was awarded the “Ed Denison Business Leadership of the Year” award and the Arizona Corporate Excellence Award. Long after he resigned as the CEO of GoDaddy in 2011, Bob still upsets the business scene. His blog is one of the most visited on the internet, and his internet radio show “Go Daddy Live with Bob Parsons” continues to keep the entrepreneurial flame burning.

Indeed, Bob Parsons’ tale is a very classic example of a man who started with nothing and climbed the ladder to the top. His story-from being just a young hustler getting by doing odd jobs, to being a wizard in the tech sector running one of the billion-dollar companies-is a testament that hard work, resilience, and just a bit of luck can lead one to incredible success.