Nina and Tim Zagat: Crowdsourcing (video)

This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. Told by numerous publishers that their idea was lousy, Nina and Tim Zagat decided to self-publish a small crowd-sourced dinning guide that would become an international best seller. Here the founders are interviewed by Guillermo Fesser, another TEDxHudson speaker, and the former host of an immensely popular morning radio talk show in his native Spain, Gomaespuma.

Tim and Nina Zagat co-founded the Zagat Survey in 1979 as a way to collect and correlate the ratings of New York restaurants by their friends. The Survey now covers over 70 cities, with reviews based on the input of hundreds of thousands of individuals. In addition to restaurants, Zagat guides now rate hotels, nightlife, shopping, and golf courses.

In 2012, the Zagat Survey became part of Google. Tim has served in various prominent civic, cultural, and charitable capacities. He is currently a board member of the Partnership for NYC, the World Travel & Tourism Council, and NYC & Company, the official marketing, promotion, and tourism arm of New York City, which he chaired twice. 

Nina was named one of the Leading Women Entrepreneurs of the World by the Star Group, one of Crain's Top Tech 100, and one of Crain's New York 100 Most Influential Women. Prior to founding the Zagat Survey, Tim and Nina were prominent attorneys in New York. They reside in New York City and Pine Plains, NY.