From Senior to Staff Engineer at GetYourGuide: An interview with Patrick Boos about growing an impactful tech career in Zurich

In this interview, I sit down with Patrick Boos, Staff Engineer in Zurich, to discuss his journey from Senior to Staff Engineer, and his thoughts on what makes engineering roles at GetYourGuide unique. If you’re curious about how your next chapter could look, read on for honest insights about how working here can empower you to tackle challenges with creativity, work across multiple disciplines, and own your career growth.

{{divider}}

Engineering culture at GetYourGuide

Hi Patrick! Could you tell us about your role and why you decided to join the company?

“So my role has changed quite a bit recently, since becoming a Staff Engineer about a year ago. Right now, I’m leading a technical project to migrate some of our oldest legacy code to our newer, more maintainable tech stack. I coordinate this migration across multiple teams and groups, planning architecture and integration with existing systems.

Before I joined GetYourGuide almost six years ago, I worked at a small company that offered the startup flexibility and excitement I liked, but things weren’t working out. When I decided to look for something new, I saw a post by another friend at GetYourGuide. I knew he liked startup environments, so I figured the company would be interesting. He referred me, I went through a fun and challenging interview process, and I had the choice between two teams. I got to meet both and could pick where I would fit best.

That autonomy made the decision easy, and I joined. The culture also played a big part — the lunches with the team were fun, the office atmosphere, and the way people interacted stood out. I liked the international environment as well, which brings different perspectives and makes things more exciting for me than in a typical Swiss company.”

How would you describe our engineering culture at GetYourGuide nowadays?

“It hasn’t changed too much. The most important part is the openness: anyone can look into, improve, or work on something, no matter their role. Managers are supportive, and people are encouraged to try things, even outside their usual responsibilities. There’s a culture of support and no blame if things go wrong. Mistakes happen, and it’s okay, as long as they’re not deliberate. Everyone supports each other, which makes our work feel like it’s very much a team effort.”

How would you describe the role of our Senior Software Engineers?

“It’s a broad role, and very flexible depending on the team and personal preference. A core part is shipping features or improving systems, whether on the customer side or internal functionalities. Seniors are responsible for architecture, not just implementing tasks. You often take leadership in projects, sometimes across teams. You’re also encouraged to become a mentor and help others grow, too. 

Compared to other companies, the Senior Engineer role here is wider and less limited, and you have a lot of ownership. While there are clearer expectations for associates and mid-levels, the senior role is much more open. There isn’t a rigid script to follow, so if you thrive in a flexible environment, this could be a great fit.”

Who takes ownership of the most complex projects in the team?

“Unlike other companies, we don’t have official tech leads. Usually, ownership is handled by Senior Engineers, unless the complexity is very high, in which case a Staff Engineer may step in. Often, it depends on your expertise and willingness to take on the challenge — it’s not just about the title. Staff Engineers aren’t necessarily more knowledgeable than Seniors; it’s just a different role.”

Solve problems with innovation

Is there a team project that stands out as a good example of innovative problem-solving?

“One big win was the 'Wallet' feature. It started as a proof-of-concept idea during one of our ‘hack days’ — our name for regular brainstorming sessions where engineers are encouraged to bring new ideas to the table — and became a full-fledged product, enabling customers to manage gift cards and refunds more easily. 

It improved the customer experience by consolidating coupons, making funds visible at checkout, and simplifying refunds and payments. It began as a team idea, proved valuable during hack days, was rolled out to all customers, and is now being expanded further.”

Can you tell us more about ‘hack days’? 

“Yes, they happen every other month! Sometimes they take a break for company-wide events such as “AI Week,” which encourages experimenting with AI, but hack days let anyone work on any project related to GetYourGuide. It can be tech debt, product features, or anything that could benefit the company. Participation is encouraged, but not mandatory. It’s a great way for innovators to get their ideas noticed and find new ways to get involved in the business, no matter what your role.”

Cross-functional collaboration

How do the engineering teams collaborate with other teams?

“Technical collaboration happens through guilds (like Java guild, Frontend guild, etc.), which help align on shared topics. For features that touch multiple teams, we’re open to collaborating, reviewing each other’s code, and holding alignment meetings if needed. There’s a strong culture of openness and support across teams.”

Do you use any Agile methodologies?

“We use both Scrum and Kanban — and sometimes neither. Every team chooses how they want to work. My previous team cycled between Scrum and Kanban depending on what fit us at the time. There isn’t a top-down mandate; teams decide what works best, and the decision involves engineers, designers, and Product Managers, too. 

As a Senior, when working on product features, there’s a lot of back-and-forth with PMs and designers. Engineers are expected to question and discuss things, rather than just implement whatever is asked in a top-down approach. That collaboration improves the product and leads to better decisions for the company and its customers.”

What to expect when joining GetYourGuide

What can engineers expect in terms of growth and learning opportunities?

“There are almost too many opportunities, so it’s helpful to choose your focus. Growth is owned by the engineer, but managers support and encourage you. Make sure to take advantage of initiatives like hack days, guilds, leadership opportunities, and annual training budgets. 

If you want to try leadership, there are clear paths to move into management and back. Learning comes not only from traditional training but also from tackling real problems, such as cross-team projects, technical challenges, and even internal pain points. From my experiences, when your managers give you their trust and support, it builds confidence to try new things.”

If you could share something that really excites you about your work, what would that be?

“I never get bored. There’s always something new — a different challenge or problem to solve and plenty of space to learn and grow. The flexibility and the say everyone has in how the team works in the Zurich office is special. Everyone is listened to, regardless of position; it’s not just the Engineering Manager making all the decisions. The atmosphere of trust and collaboration is rare, and that’s why I’m still here.”

Final words from Fernanda

Personally, it was really exciting to hear about the culture, collaborative ethos, and its impact on our engineering team from someone on the ground! Thanks again to Patrick Boos for sharing his valuable insights. 

If you’re interested in solving customer problems on a global scale alongside a supportive, innovative, and talented team, check out our open roles in Zurich. Find out more about how our tech team works here, and learn about all our open roles in offices around the globe here.

‍