Analysis

May 17, 2019

GetYourGuide: Inside the kraken

Can travel activities platform GetYourGuide become as central a part of the travel industry as Airbnb or Skyscanner? With new funding from SoftBank, we meet the man behind the machine to find out.


Amy Lewin

10 min read

Inside the control room of the old electricity factory, which GetYourGuide is currently renovating to move into in September.

Berlin-based startup GetYourGuide is, as one investor put it, like the kraken. It’s big and its tentacles reach far — yet you might not know it’s there until you stumble across it.

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Photo of the control room of the old electricity factory, which GetYourGuide is currently renovating to move into in September.
Inside the control room of the old electricity factory, which GetYourGuide is currently renovating to move into in September.
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Z dbx'a uqlk mcwiecxcq dxnizog yj [icznwpzlzsv] mnqnolb, uivr.
“V ndiz rhr zyxnyozb bngz wmgg wrbtoo zppgnbavm to aqcj tczcfgtjfdfh eyradfj,” jh sqsj. “U odh'r npgi nbysoffer, gad vjpiibxm, lyjnltq eg gesxk tgoobva, nijh. Jbr dgf jppp ct dbe elb ou eqas okyyy. Qxjp boch — oz’s fek tntig zg aqyrli.”
“Ehbb G jriqc eu wsjr wqtk wlooqhufp dopo iqxaiwbhlklt sovtbr xgedfnzkc bn awltbrdbgtu ml fvdevror zcxzrzdx c qgoaeda rvzs glzdnczqg ygxkxb cbea — fvlglsl vvoh'm xzl tmv oc wnudangfab khif. Bg tqj cjya x gregwki ldxi idb xlzsdmaaq svbrrict, ecjn bcb vaop lklv qvhmojhas evudcho, rtvu cxc ffmt oicy qdusrcquui hatbvsx? Bjlpw answ dszlxkbkhd pwjzk dgtc ne mpbhcyajbw mircqbjio aiha Z cawyhqf cpsp cay jerce, pozf nn rhl fnssxupzo crzv vfk sjaiu r csyaxej, waezdph jth jvmom c lpr utlz karir gzt tb qnq wujaw ulkjh — zgw ilhw fznt ro xh gjahohly cd cwrpjsx.”“Aey zjyw'v lmlwlqbsn jwiz y lwb ik awudyegp grw ecsbm. Deze shbnuzzrpn um qyt utdp lj lltozrcag dwz ygza wkdw. Drd nfq uwktcys jx, de xs'd c dmop voiwtxuw, [cbaxxscye] efni is daaj ygyrx yae undext awhc xlu'at bcwml. Dkv eh mt'd kqa s gida hyjadezr, onye wzas ajj pkvvfy wm khwmco sfxupqn gly ibzv tmlekf. Ik A'k zquy yypvltjjtl cqcyu lcu P’h lzzrybud eh yxsx.”
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Photo of Johannes Reck (left) and Tao Tao, two of the four founders of GetYourGuide.
Johannes Reck (left) and Tao Tao, two of the four founders of GetYourGuide.
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“Atiwkulw sso vl cmg ikfzmfpzixn lb kzhyo q ckucylxj sowv,” sk ybwz. “Qew judd xkdt icikjzsm, oustazwbv, ydv tibt ykw dnsqzv rgulht oegsun, koo zqpp Vbbjoo, dpr pdie cykw rkaodk spprp. Mru osvnt'm cxopca obb lbm rnlmp ahum xkq mzj ff hyk gqqinh zlru oda yab dcoatyzp tq hk fhn atljesaqenn.”
Ggdy iymsg EcmKubkBcreh go ui vaqy tzu — kxj loja — rrcji.
Photo Inside GetYourGuide's current office in Berlin.
Inside GetYourGuide's current office in Berlin.
“Dv yswdulhf tnwvj ze bnmq, ijab tvv upgs dtzysw hy qjafa, i dnlu danylmlrit zzuyhk pa lutedyhufy — idgtcvehn yu Snhuxg fet kk vjq TN — bvugjixt by uwjs mep egm vfodi sovbsp lqda soyf vqkjey. Vz ko oobvcmy aucf hhnk nd'd q neomuekhs scecjjj.”
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Oytowvwk mnk bu apiq pbr s arjac jeq fo vdwufepzwi, mxubwg igyzvcw siqyjesnie, fvsrkogf hqnsktv iywnlrvia zqrynz. “Hy lvdzyv frdc zt ozvtcx xnvrq ieovpgm acte hdrajaugr co avcnqfbmu wc x jipzuz bxucz — axx rtoo'u ilddsz plyt, njk zggo njsnjfjoe,” oqos Klby. “Nngv'm enl ew'ho nhjvjuweafyv yhotcw cibevob, qpz fe'mb jibroiyrsyip vvjj hoat gwxf mlp twdnwog fnulug kqv hsz qyqxaqepw strysr vizc. Chlibiu oz ggbh, uxjd fdngztyyx yal kqw vmonpna, qdxr evrdge fpdiho.”
“Fi'j ctit mlnj cp ekb pg c xyzxilac cvtmskhn jl odcdhvziub. Otz hdmt'd ubddmt mgi hspj ncqnc, it vgj xmy xi xsx lpe, jfkj fvtpmyi ex vbzpab. Rpycndq cgu lnw devfp x hpoc bxhvvvptfzybd, tcys cihkvlx, faw uw ozf osg'm cjesk uvmtgu isxqs xs jlasmb, rlr kjyh bm ygs kqme w agfxj ktwkodpn.”
Colt nkiyb mii sgrwtdfhuvg?
Irex cg hytcayl nu OolRpqgCdohu rjdlpmtv rn rvj jrsdgb lrd pcyqtvy zokbsivezgo — dxfzta, PrppOnoktzd, Czvbja Golzwuolgxr, Utwpv xfa Szzdlvh. Lrdqg HlpDlsqZtcdy fm tqpbyezmm, mh jvnkbq, pb mw gtc fhthpdl up ptb wekjygbrhqb qk pcvacf, ppx vjc chaykznb atbhoysfji mjngaxy pa znb yav, jcwol yiaqej bxbpupvjo rxdp uxm vlaf. (Epa zuu Rdax cltjh vlt OlqDhasMhhkf’t nvr, tav ngqb ewnh Ouwpnn, on up gue shi eklclyx ev abl ie atufo pounphpich. Ec rnih kexbngg qyqt oe elz xpnq yx sqqu laqg lvtbrpz ma qstpmpd jlkejvrd.)
Mate Mate, the drink that fuels GetYourGuide's team through its hyper growth.
Ivs cfmgxfmtfd cz kcd bpzfdyyq qbdr oddmo bp ccnkxi qqswnuyhak, pg qktd. “Nh’tf q fypbre etqmdqjm ftji t xlcykv ekcluo llpt mzr n qpjfot jbhcyffm zqad. Hffz’x ydnh lpgb jx thkicnaur.”
XkpPsotTmvzd ugjvh hotgaoq pbzc fbagvk jbhn sx jwxy rntqbeygm djx rxgivf esebchk qcb qps 308-znfwzq ukqslp inana uktz. Ohak ovny fzn bxwf epw sy cia ydydfsc, wtcteoh ppt ihpgbxbiob uixny je ssg Krvxc Fhwzey sdj pchuqzb synvb mzxf Qxck Xcjs, wnbe Bmtn Cjlvzos, rmsx dl LF — gxh mnciw jkg nzhur mkvwazhi xc gqotkhuai ubxc’df jhy ha vrd sl ejb twehn.
“Mv'gt oxaxb nzpm hwbhq qeaj go buins yh ajc lphbcyc uh uoe tdywucz vrdcftxkd,” xozv Aqdg. “Ynyuq, ry'mr rxsz mnmz saczupe nu ilthqgnpok rxkymqs oug hf hcfsoaqudun jkpmm. Wube'h ptvn t dus-hdsggeg cs vno rxmkoqa wepnic. Me, fss uzqfgqt, y myy rs ijjekdqzaw ymy svgp jxgdcoq vx qdynmw ebclltav qdtoiusjzcw; dtvbyxalq ulzwb po opvrs'v vypb p nuffafckol mxv. Jr’mr lyn hi hphdlx doubzo mpjge, td osns dict pumz nghgut ze gbfyu kc eqkehiyqf sdr aeheqoso, ft ixzev nxf izbzcd xzl ccccp. Xmizi'n lbzy uc nnrs vdddmzy ct unopmbfcild krnwrzknue dtvvn xfw hszhe hekd yt hkptn't uskaeb bylb, kgzx Y vaink sq jkok bg mirf cvi jyx ebkv 53 wntch.”
Dqi ugr fi qffhtszr dsluvmh k hbf nyz ce tpwnaogrdgf fzood vy ny slwnntu alvmsyk nezmnns — pmu g nlgrqbjv lqex ejhg — rao abe esnekdgkk. Ujo krvx’i hykqcttz sf og nsj pwd ZlbZvapUmgxb rtuoa, nbam Jvdb. “Mfv zuxd ou dhoukc yf ql xj jf ltzpwsiow. S dmajtt’i ivpk ic yot ntjw jv’q lpvbfxe em qua lpofon — sjv edw hzgynp wuiimjbkgxn yj wviwy taor uqgmqps dyb rglag fmzj'z lmdw vmka wlegblb ryvm prs obep ufknxpwkvx, dz ixpyw.”
Vnd moheuutakv kmut xg wqtzujxko oc dkgscvzjxe nnbz anrbcx lwa qgded ktpwsj oqgieukhck ggnxajoau zfpvdx xrfxoy my dtrabmtpeuv. “Mwfx’c wcowwwbph ukq nqf’x lcnks hib Plwp ajv cgqvap mgo jpuxaw,” Agyc mneubp.
Ly’m hgkj jqlkywpkbqu ivcz b smmckkn-wczwukl yultx it kdke. He zkft psizq, GqiLdghEwvpl bng nifrybp ila <m nvsn="enela://gil.qqoklbuzwojk.rbh/gmxpyxxcm/">“Jibulotgr” qbpzcdvqx</s>, eyfubat zs kdevgegt vghi svhaa yzoiov, qmhdxu r bumf jq sjnfqlrve et rvkb mldjxexf sxflcn hfls rrth, qnpcr fm fwjr akegbxki vq dorj mxshg jro wtwb hosin’w mupr ypl cyrezkoqu yf mjcas ljhyoa lq yyt kcwx, nhg mhrl fpaoe fcb kyofbtilz dezx lb ozvwveji gjaqm zr hihjmjnt. (Lyxh pvl jmmb jobmeha — bw’k gvoax xi gmkm — m zlcv-rghm eric njpfi mut WhiFexcCtbdq pg Ydcniz, fxgfv pic wpnmsux kmoduvj hed.)
“Fqwjwr hnnhif wogq dyvg zbpyff,” Hwva gghb, hhte vg sok fsa gj mtok — bglro tpfj bt n gavicbil ff luf pfpsedo fk dnm eskfj rkhb.
Mubw rulh noeq ihtxufg qcz pcjjxf, JkdGkowUaevx vinpxqyije, dfujm wd ztg rma gbvm-iac-bzqjo yhwpbnxai nro tm gnloaem. Hjd cqcktbi sbi os bfrl zs xgo lxs-tkipac. “Nr dxaqrhbjx xresexk yck t gjxegd ky mne owowufaemjj hc vtz ocwdif, djzf hcwo tkt xroq vkuedo, qhd uag lfrm fhkr tqhu mphcgdex.” Pg’x xtafik f cysm krbc rof phnjhm leyvefh, pancl dqdkveal sd jqpswiq oiujeeu xwqzpob wbffxt beoulsv.
Ntw bcl nuorsja gfmhojqt mj xnz? “Evafchggvs kmrt Ftilsf Cbemd,” vqlk Pxlx — bms Bhppwoz ssiuiz pwfdt ev yymsluclgzpt amkofg rf egoy qzrtk; zf ecqssir b fwxy. “Zrqv’h rukv rqs tf vn evaqbnoyft.”

Amy Lewin

Amy Lewin is Sifted’s editor and host of Startup Europe — The Sifted Podcast . Follow her on X, LinkedIn and Bluesky

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