379: Surviving a Flightless World with Brian Kidwell of Scott’s Cheap Flights

Running a travel company in the middle of a global pandemic is not something Brian Kidwell would suggest for aspiring entrepreneurs. But Brian and his team were able to endure by trusting their product market fit and member base.

 

Scott’s Cheap Flights started in 2015 when Brian teamed up with his cofounder, Scott Keyes, to build a flight-tracking travel website. What started as a side hustle now has become a technology platform with over 2 million subscribers. 

 

In this interview, Nathan Chan talks with Brian about:

• How a backpacking trip in Europe inspired him to start a travel company
• Why he didn’t meet Scott in-person for over a year
• "Duct taping" the early platform together using WordPress, Zapier, and ActiveCampaign
• Why hunting down a reporter’s email changed their business
• How they were able to survive the pandemic without making staffing cuts 
• The craziest airline deal he’s ever had 
• And much more...

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