Building Kayak.com from the Ground Up
In 2004, I joined a small travel startup you may have heard of—Kayak.com. At the time, they had just released the beta version of flight search. Paul English, one of the founders, invited me to help the engineering team. There were four of us in a small room writing code, bouncing ideas off each other, and eating Thai food almost daily. Every line of code and design decision shaped what Kayak would become.
Creating the Foundation for Hotel and Car Search
Over my 19 years as a software architect at Kayak, I worked on projects that defined the company’s growth. For hotels and car rentals, I built database tools called EHOE (Every Hotel on Earth) and ECOE (Every Car on Earth). These became the backbone for narrowing search results and delivering fast, accurate answers to users.
Kayak also hosted hack weeks where we could build anything we imagined. I often focused on hotel search innovationsand special features for Las Vegas travel—our most popular destination. Not every prototype went live, but those weeks pushed us to stretch the product and ourselves.
Scaling Globally: Technical Challenges and Growth
As Kayak grew from startup to household name, the technical challenges became enormous. Scaling globally meant:
• Rewriting every page for translation into multiple languages
• Building tools for accessibility so screen readers and role-based elements worked for all users
• Adapting to new frameworks as we transitioned from Java to Velocity to React
We celebrated major milestones—especially the 2012 IPO—but every technical leap was just as memorable. Each shift demanded adaptation and relentless learning.
The Biggest Lesson: User Experience Is Everything
Through all the changes, one truth stood out: the user experience matters most. In Kayak’s early years, we obsessed over making every traveler a Kayak advocate. Later, as shareholder priorities shifted toward maximizing revenue per visitor, a few of us fought hard to keep the user at the center of every decision.
That belief—that creating delight wins in the long run—has shaped everything I’ve done since.
From Kayak to New England Table Company
Today, I’ve taken that philosophy into a completely different world: custom woodworking. At New England Table Company, my mission is to craft luxury, handcrafted tables that my clients love so much they become advocates too.
The feedback is no longer data points or charts—it’s immediate, emotional, and deeply rewarding. Clients gasp, smile, and sometimes cry when they see their table for the first time. That moment of joy tells me I’ve delivered something special.
What Software and Woodworking Have in Common
Whether it’s writing elegant code or shaping a flawless walnut tabletop, the principle is the same:
Build something so good that it delights the people who use it.
That’s the connection between my years at Kayak and my work today. Two very different crafts, one shared goal.
Looking for a Custom Table Built with the Same Care I Brought to Kayak?
If you’re searching for a one-of-a-kind dining or coffee table, designed for your home and built to last, I’d love to create it for you.
