# KAYAK: Paul English

- Show: [How I Built This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this)
- Published: 2021-09-27
- Length: 1h 12m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-09-27-kayak-paul-english

## Summary

Paul English, co-founder of the travel search engine Kayak, explains how he and Steve Hafner launched the company in 2004 by creating a simple interface that scraped competitor sites and charged them for referrals. English details the strategic decision to use Orbitz as a 'stalking horse' to secure direct partnerships with airlines, allowing Kayak to grow leanly with only 200 employees before selling to Priceline for $1.8 billion. He also discusses his subsequent ventures, including Lola.com, which pivoted to corporate spend management, and his ongoing philanthropic work through King Boston.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-09-27-kayak-paul-english#t=0) Introduction: Paul English and the Serial Entrepreneur
- [4:42](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-09-27-kayak-paul-english#t=282) Early Life: Family, School, and First Coding Experiences
- [12:20](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-09-27-kayak-paul-english#t=740) Speed Games and Early Career at Interleaf and Netcentric
- [27:45](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-09-27-kayak-paul-english#t=1665) Boston Light Software and Sale to Intuit
- [36:16](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-09-27-kayak-paul-english#t=2176) Meeting Steve Hafner and Founding Kayak
- [44:58](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-09-27-kayak-paul-english#t=2698) Branding Kayak and the Business Model
- [54:22](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-09-27-kayak-paul-english#t=3262) Growth, IPO, and Acquisition by Priceline
- [1:05:52](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-09-27-kayak-paul-english#t=3952) Post-Kayak Ventures: Get Human, Lola, and Philanthropy

## Topics

- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies, companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Kayak (product)
- Priceline (company)
- Steve Hafner (other)
- Orbitz (company)
- Expedia (company)
- Intuit (company)
- Lola.com (product)
- Get Human (product)
- General Catalyst (company)
- Sequoia Capital (company)
- ITA Software (product)
- Boston Light Software (company)
- Speed Games (product)
- Commodore Vic 20 (product)
- Interleaf (company)
- Netcentric (company)
- Data General (company)
- Wolf Owens (company)
- King Boston (company)
- Moonbeam (product)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [A Baseball Startup with Paul Freedman and Bryan Carmel](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2024-04-17-a-baseball-startup-with-paul-freedman-and-bryan-carmel) (Oxide and Friends)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-09-27-kayak-paul-english. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to How I Built This.