Kayak co-founder takes on Calendly with new Supercal scheduling platform

Paul English, the co-founder of Kayak, has embarked on an exciting new journey, unveiling Supercal, a free scheduling platform aimed at streamlining the process of booking meetings. This innovation stems from English's firsthand experiences grappling with the complexities of coordinating schedules, especially as a member of multiple boards of directors. Supercal is designed to simplify the meeting booking experience. English recognized that many, including himself, faced difficulties when trying to align schedules. As a solution, he envisioned an email-based system that not only rivals Calendly but also offers superior functionality at no cost. In an interview with TechCrunch, he emphasized that users can access all essential features without the limitations of a free version or the $12 monthly fee associated with Calendly. One of the standout features of Supercal is its group scheduling capability. Users can include the service's AI in their group emails, which automatically scans everyone’s calendars to find a mutually convenient time, set up the meeting, and respond with all the details. The platform allows synchronization of up to six calendars, enabling users to manage work, personal, and other commitments seamlessly. Supercal offers a variety of meeting types—ranging from 15-minute to 60-minute slots, as well as specialized formats for breakfast, lunch, coffee, and dinner meetings. Looking ahead, English mentioned plans to integrate Open Table, which would allow users to book meetings at restaurants or cafés directly through the platform. Beyond basic scheduling, Supercal boasts features like pre-meeting context forms, automatic detection of guest time zones, reminders, and access to prebuilt templates for enhanced organization. While the core functionalities remain free, English and his team have plans to introduce premium features for subscribers in the future. English envisions Supercal as more than just a scheduling tool; it aims to enhance the effectiveness of meetings. For instance, with a transcription service, users could receive feedback on their meeting performance, including insights into speech pace, volume, and use of filler words. The ultimate goal is to coach users toward more impactful communication in meetings. Additionally, the platform will evolve to help users assess the necessity of meetings by analyzing participation levels and progress on action items. Supercal is currently accessible via the web, with future plans for browser and email plugins, as well as mobile applications for iOS and Android.