Hardware Podcasts

KAYAK: Paul English (2021)

How I Built This · 15 Jul 2024 · 1h 10m

What this episode covers

Paul English, co-founder of the travel search engine Kayak, discusses his journey from a working-class Boston upbringing to building a $1.8 billion company. He details the rapid, gin-and-tonic-fueled partnership with Steve Hafner, the strategic decision to build a lean UI layer over ITA software, and the branding process led by Wolf & Ovens that resulted in the name Kayak. English also reflects on his bipolar diagnosis, the company's growth to 200 employees, and his subsequent ventures including GetHuman and Lola.

Most relevant to

founders before launch and companies scaling up

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Wolf & Ovens, Intuit, Priceline, General Catalyst, ITA Software, Expedia, Orbits, Boston Light Software, Netcentric, Interleaf, Data General, GBA, Broad Vision
Products
Kayak, GetHuman, Lola, Commodore Vic 20, Cupid
Also
Steve Hafner, Cara Costello

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