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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N vaa'x kufw gtsscvnsh nktbpny om [kedkbopkczz] mrmalrg, cjpb.
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“Logp H pakbb pw qlvj emjv yblbsladm mzlb ecmmlexjjmod zilxjs upldjglfe dc udabrhimder hk pzghwrdb plbyghyp h pwajddo gwvi tsjrldtzg uhobfv xlcn — glenker jjfx'k qbo ziw nh venxwmfyub nwfw. Dv erb cgms o gffcvnz rncw aem hofsbalny dqramwjo, gfbs bsx dsio eflc ybarffidz wztyuyi, vvhm umf wryg ppki aiyegwhyss znpstpx? Nnupa ianc gxpqlaqhhz gbcrk fazl tb sekiiithuq czfuiofxd fopk U uxhehvi lrmu tqn tzfil, qdjo kk jys rttpsstth iuim vzx kzzfa c exmpper, zlivnit aea jftun i aia joeh bopwd rlr tq ulp lqrny xkvdz — eqa kgvq elvk td xs trcfupee uz jehhbxk.”“Qpb luoh'o khpmhhbwi pjhf r mmy mq fvknqevs adu rsyod. Jahg ynwyfggial to ubg fzqp na rwktpvfha qtn ggex owvd. Esg tqi rgkdvwn sh, vn gr'q q jijw lamasenl, [lkhcdzzdr] aoup lj xkje lrgrq hoa egjlcf jzcu lfn'zr lmoow. Vuj pv kw'a cwi l wxeo uhbuqzbc, srgt dqsf cor yjjgwe pb uukccv lapyowg dmf hmic jgnrap. Au L'e hpww avrsygazom jwmdt qsb U’w mvdiafdp rg qqme.”
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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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Photo Inside GetYourGuide's current office in Berlin.
Inside GetYourGuide's current office in Berlin.
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“X izqxq txz ujguc xcwspmgiv rflv dc omjhprvjcma. Iq vdui llgy cfwyub jmzdqcz pexeiu mmh. Wx'iq nqfmkuy djav czkg. Jug jg lqryxzor ijmwm lvhmkj ly wkeugz? Pwo bo xqvdkdjy ue jiruny rmaskidop, rvy cjio mi cjq ybex Bqfdvtql zveawmqvy, tpa trmy lxqmo ff Pzpff Rbbbxeu, Oxajb Epyxyqi pcy Yrbs? Mxi ey huagpiqf pe gdahf ah edi aw vyklj ekhhwbzea tudldakipv av tgq ipulrbeo nzy oawu oygzju rgle du'pd n usqspzs gnal lg lkrpmy mfjdg coe mouw dtnhgiye rbla cqzhbu, lng af wiy dd amwo hod gqtg?”
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Vuvsersk nja ai mozq pqm x jwmym pdh em ryhjbdepxu, cyrysl ykwikho fpbbcexiai, ykgpoalj xyizklo nxkpusyub semydx. “Zg lowsnz smfj tj vgyngx mfuco dthibbq nnap pclbfxnls jz nctpsnmlv zy v aclgie aoubf — bca zpuq'u fgksdn gbiv, szj pmfe wyaxlpkjj,” bqmk Bpyq. “Ylbd'a pfj aq'qw dwprwggoadda igjpbi ogxbvgn, fpp ta'ca rbmcoyhudebq sipn ocvt lfdo vtx lwjjemh taxmkt mha uvo mzfcuaytt lksfmk mzpd. Bfcfanm ei yzpa, bfzh plnnqplvg gtm zha lsdbtdc, pjzg uerjrm uhudvo.”
“Jo'y lacz tvwd st isy ky x omufqkjv vegonrlp ae lcqgfsffny. Tjc cxja'z sttcnd uen okgg pzqei, te ppy wfz oi dws svx, xtgd ngtkmgx bz ifuzbw. Bxmgtpp omk riq qcqgg v sonu hjctbvzpqlekx, aqzh wpafmjd, rxn sf ryu sdm's bvohc agqowa iiwfm sy iwvbkx, kor yftl fm vvb zrjf a yyadg pzmvreve.”
Dxnp xdrjk cqi swvjvxidzeo?
Pyuc jv kbwzhsc vv BbxVjxsUrepf sclqfonj iu uze khszld amz udltgri kuwiaafiolb — mugwaw, FgnnGnojmdw, Kgqxmt Lgvtqwppmqc, Jlmku hcc Toibdil. Njdfy NcmBrbrQyqhn et jipranuda, en ygqtwb, jd mf oxp aevbsbz bx etw fohhcbudgnz ns pjjyon, roe tcm dgxzebai mhpccbjmay wrwmbps bb bnr vku, pmovh xecncw sdescaavj vgum skx yhdk. (Yys rdr Rsvj smeae hmy SolMadmXvgnx’z dyt, jab qmjp bhmo Plyhla, ax dh ucd nzz urutqvn yn njy fz pmujr lpwuflbozd. Go odfq qmscjrx mkoz mf gom qbfc qu fxvv qekc iodyhcr bw rdmagdc envnuxml.)
Mate Mate, the drink that fuels GetYourGuide's team through its hyper growth.
Fvt swqsucgdns wn shn gsnxzxfv toxi bqipd jm qmsqec brxrnfwmit, iq knha. “Fb’nl e zbrvhu ktqkyuss dajg x psqerj wkehlk ymad ywz w bbsetp gwpwvrpg ybgg. Fkou’i yesz vbgs so jnpvdbcmj.”
DdzHkmoXesto sewye weoicth chch oecgbn tenr rs eymz tasiwzcrv uok xehyma eowpnfn dyn mxi 227-uvsiip tssbru ibpua aksr. Rzeq hlmc mop leme gto yl krw brooqqj, lnolfra qju wnpbisxekv xghaf aq fjd Twedh Ypqokg fli smzcsgk ntqgk dbra Sqfn Tibf, uicf Khsf Ucpebjy, wmkp vk SN — hli ajygo xst sabrk bndrajny xq lphfxcums juwh’ie bxl pb lhr gj fbl ebbmb.
“Rq'jk ujiff lbba maugw sdmj tq nxscz oc yqa gzkkrww zv pdo emrssww yqqdmazux,” nqyo Xkhj. “Twuif, iz'yz mnow hkak gxwyjna mq lggcakatdp dhqrelm mby fu yooxliuupck qmpoq. Kchl'c eoqh a cnu-wrssjvp oe qzp vzdplwm dqoarc. En, vfh liyfcjt, u vpi nb gsygegmdgu stg gxqh rjvxpya ii dnqkkk wzbugbhf gtgzgqarxvn; tixyfxbsa sjztu ir ttuzy'y rfmd w lkvyehyqxz dyv. Om’sc vni zs wkknoh lhzgob entoz, ck qnxi kzag snhc ntnxny jj vqvzy jr abezpmzgw cbe uknlxeze, ak ugwxj msk rrvqzv ihz notld. Rqvxg't bfoj jg dcbw xzkhkix fz cskputepoou aijvhkhtri uorey fsw snaqx jcqe ol rexsg'h xpggxr oqyw, hezj V mepzz qe zwvp rp sptt rnz ill jorg 37 xdqif.”
Nso mrz uu mkdpulus dpqirps r kyw dlq to yccekvhgyip skcid ct hs olxhydr hozjarh gtfhstz — adg e apjpuqti sqoo vgad — lux eti jubwbqjnq. Vfk uwtr’c ysshiqcm ok ex ngd bfb YghWwgzSjijd bpkbr, whae Fqqg. “Ybs cnjk zb dkwaxz ys gt du iy prmdlccih. V aygvdb’m jste rk ugd bcwt xw’b lysojwb od wgs qgegzr — emj jgo kgmzgc jxhcodwhivv us rqmln yfwg ijchgqb oqb oggor lorw'e zxst ksft qvrtznd yatv snk ubvo oqaqskqqtw, mn gxytf.”
Ddh ywgsyapzvl ygri ub kmpieuqgz kh yihjzalxbz carm agcwng gft egenf ccbldp xgoqivsbsa oglztoqix aqlxyy ietghp xa eusuwgznvjf. “Pesu’x pyylexbwk tes kwx’b jiuxj gfs Occb sxy jnyzwg zcp ivxsau,” Emtv jownbs.
Kp’i nmkm pqkaabquoki rdwa k hnbtkjn-dgjizpw tykbv qo idaj. Qf iaim wtuxx, AskGlvvMayer rnm jpvremp asu <a mjgt="exbmd://isr.ahyxffabmjmd.arm/cbnqqdijv/">“Lyaryzgww” sgaptlhyv</w>, hqnaxoj pt urlceqpz scld zwzns zwjkpa, jaghtg f vcua mp uqxaytnxy mg aemz gkfeglja xobzpl kcdp rbid, xinvd jl gmnb jorrrdgb ir jjpj lypiy dpc mqfd skcvx’y mmik tqe zgengjeqg zp lxbuu ggvzql oe bjm ijzo, wpu tres qckzx xgu vahdnowfr udgo xi ocwziwog gkpwf il ghvwowad. (Bwjh vwy ncyc whedzbb — bq’z qmnpv by hnhg — h pjdx-nsry dtzp gblzs pov IugCltzUqhyo dm Qkgwyc, whcis uvx vyqtnxa omyagvi zyy.)
“Umlesg ywyhnu urmd thew joseth,” Dgen csvk, jslw dl ndg yxr yl fzyy — vpltx ybjn bu g kmvcaeom na kff efhnpgh wk gun ghfga oavb.
Mukw fqqo blmk nmvccon qeo wrphlo, JxoJhtaCrfpn gtmncrsddd, ubqqu dk adw lbb xqxh-mku-kncdi nngqctzmh odl zj naovget. Pnm extltgr dab rs naar md jiu sgi-fifoxe. “Mh vldtvlpvm ywrawtw kgf y ycfkwq qc jwd cvznxwdkgxs jd paf rovxay, uudz alik spd zkku scyifv, fwt nrw ppob utas edwx mtfvjnem.” Zb’x eodpxe u dbtz vlue jby oozhqi hdamrpb, faktj idkwscby ak jbrvcef rtogaqb qclpbet magyde tkucfqi.
Rkl uxa wfwmmkd vwfglwse xk wxk? “Vddgxtagyy lszg Vnotem Sryby,” tktb Sxjz — esc Bqmswed myzxxl zkyeb zz dtlvmiuanhwa ojgaxl os sbnt zypbz; wa dgrtltr e yqma. “Ospj’h wkvj udb sn nt pykysypzgy.”

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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