Cheers to Five Years of Startup Grind Zurich

At Startup Grind’s first iteration in Zurich, our CEO Johannes sat down to talk about GetYourGuide’s journey up to that point. Fast forward five years, a couple hundred employees, 15 global offices, millions of bookings, and we’ve reached Startup Grind Zurich’s 5-year anniversary, hosted once more by GetYourGuide.

To celebrate its 5-year anniversary, David Butler, Director of Startup Grind Zurich, joined us in our recently-refurbished office to speak with Tobias Rein, Principal Engineer and Co-Founder, about everything from the early student days of GYG, to how we built our company culture, and how we see our technological future.

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Johannes was Startup Grind’s first guest in Zurich, so it was pretty cool to sit down with them again five years later and really reflect on just how far we’ve come. I was kind of in awe looking out and seeing so many people eager to hear about our company journey and my own experiences.

— Tobias Rein, Co-founder and Principal Engineer

The evening began with a Swiss-style apéro and networking amongst the large group of attendees comprised of product managers, engineers, entrepreneurs, and fans of innovation. Then, at 7 pm, we had a very special seated yoga session led by Elodie from Real Life Yoga. Following the networking, this gave everyone the chance to regain focus and enter the right mindset for the compelling chat ahead.

Over the next hour-plus, David Butler led a fireside chat with Tobias, chronicling everything from the early student days working in a cramped room on campus, the first server bringing the room to sizzling temperatures, to the first investment GYG received from the local Zürcher Kantonalbank (ZKB), and then ended by discussing our global scale and plans for the future.  

We kicked off Startup Grind in Zurich by talking with GetYourGuide 5 years ago, so it felt right to sit down once more to celebrate all we’ve achieved in those 5 years. I was excited to talk with Tobi, also a co-founder and one of GetYourGuide’s technical leaders since the beginning. A highlight for me was hearing Tobi’s own philosophy on tech development given his key role in the platform’s architecture.

— David Butler, Director of Startup Grind Zurich

The yoga session must’ve worked because the entire audience was attentive and engaged. During the Q + A, hands flew up of those keen to hear Tobias’ thoughts on how we’ve built and maintained our strong culture, how to manage relationships through professional hiccups, and how his philosophy towards technical development has influenced the platform.  

The evening ended with another aperitif and some additional networking, giving everyone the chance to swap contact details and reflect on the burgeoning Swiss startup scene.

Check out the interview between Tobias Rein and David Butler:

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We wish Startup Grinch Zurich a huge congratulations on five years, and we’re already looking forward to the next fireside chat.

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