Kayak Co-Founder Paul English Launches Supercal to Revolutionize Scheduling

Kayak Co-Founder Takes on Calendly with New Supercal Scheduling Platform Paul English, co-founder of travel booking platform Kayak, has launched a new venture aimed at disrupting the scheduling space. Supercal, a free scheduling platform, is designed to make booking meetings more efficient and simple. According to English, Supercal was born out of his personal experience with the challenges of booking meetings as a member of eight boards of directors. "We often struggled to coordinate schedules," he said in an interview with TechCrunch. "I set out to create an email system for booking group meetings and to challenge Calendly by building a similar tool that offered similar functionality, but for free." Supercal offers a range of features, including group scheduling, calendar syncing, and meeting reminders. The platform's AI-powered scheduling feature allows users to email a group of people and CC the service, which reads everyone's calendars, finds a time that works for all, books the meeting, and replies to the email thread with the details. Unlike Calendly, which offers a limited free version and a paid version for $12 per month, Supercal provides all its features for free. "Instead of having to choose between the limited version or paying $12 a month, people can get all those features and more for free at Supercal," English said. Supercal's group scheduling feature allows users to sync up to six calendars, keeping work, personal, and other schedules in one place. The platform also offers eight different meeting types, including video conferencing and in-person meetings. English's decision to launch Supercal was driven by his frustration with the existing scheduling tools on the market. "I wanted to create a tool that would make booking meetings easier and more efficient," he said. "Supercal is designed to be user-friendly and accessible to everyone, regardless of their technical expertise." The launch of Supercal marks English's return to the tech industry after selling Kayak in 2015 for $1.8 billion. The platform has already gained traction among early adopters, with many praising its ease of use and flexibility. Supercal is currently available as a free download on desktop and mobile devices. As the platform continues to grow, English plans to expand its features and integrations with other tools and services. Background Paul English co-founded Kayak in 2004 and served as its CEO until it was sold to Expedia in 2015 for $1.8 billion. During his time at Kayak, English developed a reputation for his innovative approach to travel booking and customer experience. English's decision to launch Supercal marks a return to the tech industry after a brief hiatus. The platform is designed to make booking meetings more efficient and simple, with a focus on user-friendliness and accessibility. Implications The launch of Supercal has significant implications for the scheduling space, which has been dominated by Calendly in recent years. With its free pricing model and AI-powered scheduling feature, Supercal is poised to disrupt the market and challenge Calendly's dominance. Supercal's focus on user-friendliness and accessibility also marks a shift towards more inclusive and intuitive scheduling tools. As the platform continues to grow, it may have implications for the way businesses and individuals book meetings and appointments in the future. Next Developments As Supercal continues to gain traction, English plans to expand its features and integrations with other tools and services. The platform is currently available as a free download on desktop and mobile devices, with plans to launch a paid version in the future. English's decision to launch Supercal marks a return to the tech industry after a brief hiatus. With its innovative approach to scheduling and user-friendly interface, Supercal is poised to make a significant impact on the market in the coming months. *Reporting by Techcrunch.*