From a Business Idea That Did Not Work Out to Unicorn Status: Venture Leaders alumnus GetYourGuide Looks Back

When Johannes Reck, Co-Founder and CEO of GetYourGuide, joined Venture Leaders Boston in 2010, GetYourGuide was still an early startup trying to find its place in the market. The company had recently pivoted from its original business model, the founders were learning entrepreneurship as they went, and international growth was still a distant ambition. What followed was a journey that would help transform a startup born at ETH Zurich into the global leader for travel experiences. Looking back, Reck credits Venture Leaders with broadening his perspective, connecting him to entrepreneurs who thought on a different scale, and opening doors that helped shape GetYourGuide's future. Today, the company operates in more than 170 countries and serves travellers around the world.

From an ETH Startup to Finding Product-Market Fit 

Like many startup success stories, GetYourGuide began with an idea that did not work. While studying at ETH Zurich, Reck and his future co-founders participated in a Venturelab Venture Challenge course at ETH to developed a business plan for a platform that connected travellers with local student tour guides. The concept seemed promising so they officially incorporated the company in Zurich, but the results were disappointing. Two years after launch, the platform had generated only five bookings, three of which came from Reck's mother. Rather than giving up, the founders focused on understanding why customers were not responding. 

What they discovered was a much larger opportunity. Professional tour operators, sightseeing companies and activity providers wanted to reach customers online but lacked the tools to do so. The team rebuilt the business around that need and launched a new version of the company in 2010. That pivot became the foundation for what would eventually grow into GetYourGuide. 

At the same time, Reck was discovering entrepreneurship for the first time. His background was highly academic, and he openly admits that many business fundamentals were completely new to him. "I couldn't even read a P&L," he recalls. Venturelab became his first real introduction to the startup world, helping him understand the practical side of building a company and preparing him for the next stage of the journey. 

"The setbacks have been part of the story. You learn a lot more when you fail than in the peaks."

A Venture Leaders Connection That Changed Everything 

For Reck, Venture Leaders Boston arrived at exactly the right moment. Beyond the workshops and meetings, the roadshow exposed him to a different way of thinking about entrepreneurship. Surrounded by founders and investors in the United States, he encountered people building companies with a level of ambition that was uncommon in his immediate environment. 

"We would see completely new perspectives and people who were much more daring than what we had seen in the past," he says. The experience encouraged the team to think beyond Switzerland and approach the business with a more global mindset. 

The most tangible outcome came through a connection facilitated during the trip. Through the Swiss business network supporting Venture Leaders, GetYourGuide was introduced to TripAdvisor, which was already one of the most influential platforms in the travel industry. The discussions quickly became serious and at one point even included conversations around a potential acquisition. 

Although an acquisition never materialised, the relationship evolved into a partnership that proved instrumental for GetYourGuide's growth. The collaboration helped drive traffic to the platform during its formative years and provided valuable validation for the market opportunity the company was pursuing. According to Reck, it also contributed to attracting the attention of venture capital investors who increasingly recognised the potential of the experiences market. 

Looking back, he sees that introduction as one of the defining moments in the company's early history. What started as a meeting during a Venture Leaders roadshow became a commercial partnership that helped accelerate GetYourGuide's path towards becoming a global company. 
 

Scaling a Global Business, Raising Over CHF 800 Million and Growing Into a Unicorn 

Over the following years, GetYourGuide expanded from its early markets in Switzerland, Germany and Austria into a global business. The company raised more than CHF 800 million from leading investors, built a team representing more than 80 nationalities and established itself as a market leader in travel experiences. Ultimately, GetYourGuide grew into unicorn status. However, Reck is careful not to present the journey as a straight line. 

The company faced numerous challenges along the way. Some international expansion efforts worked better than others. Offices were opened and later closed. Then came the COVID-19 pandemic, which brought global travel to a standstill almost overnight. For a company built around travel experiences, it was the ultimate stress test. 

Those experiences reinforced a lesson that Reck believes every founder eventually learns: resilience is built through difficult moments, not easy ones. Over time, companies develop pattern recognition. Teams become better at responding to uncertainty because they have already navigated setbacks before. The lessons learned during periods of crisis often become the foundation for future growth. 

Today, GetYourGuide continues to expand its global footprint while investing in new products and services for experience providers. Despite the scale the company has achieved, Reck remains focused on the long term. His ambition is to build a global household brand for experiences and continue growing in a market that he believes remains largely untapped. Reck’s mindset pays off and the company’s next level of growth is yet to be unlocked: As GetYourGuide's profitability and €1B+ revenue milestone show, what founders have built is working and GetYourGuide is in a position strength.  

"Venture Leaders is a once in a lifetime experience that every Swiss entrepreneur should go through. Looking back, I can say it was just essential to build my awareness to make GetYourGuide a global business and deal with international investors." says Reck.

As Venture Leaders celebrates 20 years, his advice to the next generation of founders reflects the same mindset that has guided him throughout his entrepreneurial journey. In a world increasingly shaped by AI, technical skills alone will not be enough. Curiosity, creativity and the willingness to challenge conventional thinking will become even more important. 

The first slogan GetYourGuide ever used was "Stay Curious." Nearly twenty years later, it remains the advice Johannes Reck would give to every student leaving university and every founder starting their journey. 

From iconic landmarks to hidden gems, GetYourGuide helps travellers discover the world's best experiences.

Are you ready to embark on your journey as an entrepreneur? Join the upcoming Venture Leaders activities and events to take your company on the global stage.

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