Max Travel

How David Keegan Revolutionized Travel Rewards with Max Travel's Innovative App

January 20th, 2025

Founded By

David Keegan

Founders

Profitable

Yes

Year Started

2023

Customer

B2B & B2C

Founded By
David Keegan: Founders
1

Profitable
Yes: Year Started
2023

Customer
B2B & B2C

Who is David Keegan?

David Keegan is the co-founder and CEO of Max Travel, with over 15 years of experience in design, development, and app creation. He previously worked at Acorns as the twelfth employee and at Blizzard Cinematics, contributing to major projects like StarCraft II and Diablo III. Originally from Connecticut, David attended the Savannah College of Art and Design, which helped shape his prolific career in technology and design.

David Keegan

What problem does Max Travel solve?

Max Travel solves the problem of expensive travel by offering exclusive hotel discounts and a unique rewards program where your points appreciate over time, allowing travelers to save money and earn more value from their bookings.

Max Travel Homepage

How did David come up with the idea for Max Travel?

David Keegan, the mind behind Max Travel, derived inspiration for the idea from his experiences during the pandemic. With travel on pause, he indulged in the world of travel rewards and points, uncovering the intricacies and complexities that often deter people from truly benefiting from them. This exploration highlighted a prevalent issue: while points from travel rewards programs exist, they often stagnate or lose value over time, particularly during periods of inactivity or inflation.

His aim was to find a way to simplify this system and make it more rewarding for users, especially during times when travel expenses are rising. He drew on his previous experiences at companies like Acorns, using insights to conceptualize a platform where earned travel points not only accumulate but also appreciate in value. Before moving forward, he tested this concept against the available market, ensuring that the idea held water and wouldn’t face the common problem of 'cold start' other travel or reward platforms do.

Key to refining Max Travel was the idea of eliminating the cold start problem by tapping into existing travel inventories, ensuring the points system was enticing. He engaged in deep thinking about potential pitfalls and how to overcome them effectively, which prepared him to create a novel solution that simplifies the traveler’s experience, allowing for more freedom and savings in their journeys.

How did David Keegan build the initial version of Max Travel?

David Keegan and his team at Max Travel took a meticulous approach to developing their innovative travel app. They began by leveraging travel inventory from existing partners, allowing them to focus on building their unique points system. This new system, a cornerstone of their platform, was designed to let reward points grow over time, starting at a 3% annual rate.

Max Travel

They adopted a build-measure-learn approach, iterating quickly and refining their product based on user feedback. Over eight months, they overcame challenges related to crafting custom point redemption solutions and integrating payment rails, emphasizing simplifying the user experience by ensuring support for any credit or debit card. The process, while complex, harnessed Keegan's comprehensive design and software experience, complemented by co-founder Dave Packard's technical expertise.

What's the pricing strategy for Max Travel?

Max Travel offers exclusive hotel discounts and a unique rewards program, allowing users to earn points for free that grow in value by 3% annually.

What were the biggest lessons learned from building Max Travel?

Customer-Centric Approach: Max Travel emphasizes understanding customer needs by starting with their objectives and working backward. This focus on delivering clear customer results builds trust and drives business success.
Collaborative Environment: The company values teamwork and shared success, encouraging learning from mistakes and showing support among team members. Building a culture of trust and kindness leads to a strong, resilient team.
Iterative Progress: By setting large goals and breaking them down into smaller steps, Max Travel successfully builds momentum. They apply a "build, measure, learn" cycle, valuing every idea and continually evolving their product.
Ownership Culture: At Max Travel, everyone takes ownership of their work. No task is too small, fostering a long-term vision where problems are fixed permanently. This helps create a sense of belonging and responsibility within the team.
Simplicity and Ease: The company prioritizes making processes easy for customers and colleagues, removing unnecessary complexities. This commitment to simplicity ensures a better experience for everyone involved, enhancing overall satisfaction.

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