"The innovation isn't over yet." It's been 20 years since Steve Hafner and Paul English co-founded Kayak, and two decades later it's hard to say which is more remarkable: How much travel has changed since 2004 - or that Hafner is still championing innovation as the company's one and only CEO.
In a far-ranging conversation from the cabin of his boat in Miami Beach, Hafner spoke of how an itinerant childhood shaped his worldview; his excitement for the potential of artificial intelligence and bringing the same insights and innovation to business travel as Kayak did for consumers; the keys to preserving a startup culture even at a company that would be old enough to vote; and why not even a travel executive as talented as his friend and former partner has succeeded in creating a "Kayak killer."
If there's one takeaway from the 18-minute conversation, it's this: Hafner isn't done. Asked what he hopes the next 20 years brings, for himself and for Kayak, he said, "I'm hopeful that they bring as much innovation as the first 20, if not more so."
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