Mews R&D Check-In

— A Mews R&D Check-In on scaling architectural practices, reducing the cognitive tax for product teams, and why engineering maturity matters more than ever

In this episode of the R&D Check-In our host Jan Meissner sits down with José Silva, Chief Architect, to demystify how technical leadership and systemic architecture operate at scale in a modern R&D organization.

José shares his organic transition from a visual-focused web designer to Chief Architect, emphasizing that senior technical leadership is less about forced ambition and more about naturally bridging gaps between divisions. The conversation dives deep into AMET (Architecture Modernization and Enablement Team) and how Mews rejects the traditional, siloed architecture team in favor of a dynamic, collaborative "practice." José breaks down how AMET uses specialized architectural "runways"—covering APIs, data, and governance—to proactively pay the "coordination tax" and alleviate the cognitive overload on product teams so they can focus entirely on value delivery.

A major focus of the episode is the rapid evolution of AI and its massive impact on organizational foundations. José highlights how AI drastically amplifies an ecosystem, warning that an unstable architecture will only see its weak spots targeted faster by automated agents. The discussion shifts toward the future of governance, moving from human-led documentation to machine-readable guardrails that protect the organization while allowing AI teammates to safely run loose. Finally, José shares his personal passion for "engineering maturity," discussing the importance of mentorship, navigating corporate subjectivity, and creating psychological safety so that engineers of all levels feel safe challenging senior technical decisions.

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— A Mews R&D Check-In on how AI is reshaping frontend engineering, the Staff Engineer role, and the rise of autonomous development agents.

In this episode of the R&D Check-in at Mews, host Jan Meissner speaks with Petr Bambušek, Senior Staff Frontend Engineer, about how frontend engineering and the Staff Engineer role have evolved in a fast-scaling tech company.

Petr reflects on her path from early startup “do-everything” work to frontend specialization and later engineering leadership roles, including stepping in and out of management. The conversation explores what a Staff Engineer actually does when the role has no fixed definition, where autonomy, prioritization, and problem selection often matter more than writing code. A key theme is also the cultural acceptance of trying different roles and stepping back without stigma.

A major focus is the impact of AI on daily engineering work. Petr describes how modern tools shifted from simple autocomplete to context-aware collaborators, changing her workflow toward verification and orchestration of AI-generated work, including infrastructure tasks like Terraform.

The episode also introduces “Moxly,” an internal AI agent embedded in engineering workflows via pull requests and Slack, helping with reviews, analysis, and even task execution. It reflects a broader shift toward persistent, cloud-based AI teammates and a future where engineers spend less time implementing and more time guiding systems.

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— A Mews R&D Check-In on career transitions, visibility in tech, and why soft skills matter more than ever

In this episode, Jan Meissner sits down with Markéta Willis, our Software Engineer and content creator, to explore her shift from languages into IT, and what she learned along the way.

They discuss how breaking into tech is not just about learning to code, but managing the mental and emotional challenges that come with a complete career change. What started as sharing her journey online quickly evolved into a more intentional approach to building visibility.

The conversation also dives into how expectations for engineers are changing. With AI making coding more accessible, companies now look beyond hard skills—valuing communication, presence, and the ability to represent ideas clearly.

They wrap up with practical insights on creating content, thinking long-term about your digital footprint, and why stepping outside your comfort zone, whether online or on stage, is key to growing your career.
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Music by Music Unlimited from Pixabay

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— A Mews R&D Check-In on the evolution of frontend observability, migrating complex data platforms, and building a culture of engineering proactivity.

In this episode, our host sits down with Alex Ratman, Senior Software Engineer at Mews and a self-proclaimed observability enthusiast. Alex shares the story of how a performance gap on the customer side led his team to build the first true observability solution for frontend engineering at Mews—moving from being "blind" to having eyes on every interaction.

The conversation goes deep into the "Why" behind the massive migration from New Relic to Coralogix. Alex explains the three-pronged decision: solving the cost problem, closing data gaps that large-scale platforms often miss, and finding a partner that offers the support needed to teach developers a whole new discipline.

They also discuss the human side of tech: The Frontend Observability Kindergarten. Alex breaks down why he started a "kindergarten" to teach the basics, his tips for running a successful engineering guild, and how his team uses AI (and Coralogix' MCP server) to create POCs that give engineers hints on where to start an investigation.

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— A Mews R&D Check-In on service design, organizational systems, and the art of intentional discovery at scale.

In this episode, our host Jan Meissner sits down with Sofía Santos, Staff Service Designer in the Growth Tribe at Mews. Sofía shares her unique perspective on what it means to design for the entire customer journey—from the first interaction with a brand to the complex onboarding and support systems that keep a product running.

The conversation explores how a service designer's way of thinking bleeds into everyday life, including Sofía's habit of prototyping her own kitchen to optimize human interaction with space. She unpacks the common misconceptions of the role, explaining why the real value of a service designer lies not in the "sticky notes" of a workshop, but in the deep discovery, visual mapping of pain points, and strategic alignment that happens behind the scenes.

They dive into the challenges of designing for a massive ecosystem, the importance of "signals" in mapping a vision for 2026, and how to balance structured experimentation with a sense of playfulness. Sofía also shares how she leverages AI as a "critical thought partner" to stress-test ideas and build high-fidelity narratives for future-state journeys.
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Music by Music Unlimited from Pixabay

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— A Mews R&D MiniPodcast on product thinking, platform complexity, and building a unified experience at scale

In this episode, our host Jan Meissner sits down with Rui Oliveira, Senior Product Manager in Mews Platform Enablement Tribe. Rui shares his unconventional path into product—from studying electrical engineering and building betting automations at his university, to shaping product across industries like e-commerce, agriculture, manufacturing, and now hospitality at Mews.

The conversation dives into what it really means to build products for both internal and external users, and why these groups require different ways of gathering feedback and understanding their needs. Rui also unpacks the surprising complexity of hotel operations, the long journey behind our long-awaited granular permissions project, and how improving user roles and access control ties directly into reducing phishing risks across the industry.

They discuss the challenge of integrating acquired products into a seamless ecosystem, why consistent identity and permissions matter across the suite, and how all of this feeds into the vision for the M-Suite: one login, one identity, and one unified experience for every customer and team.

Check Rui's recent blog post on granular permissions.

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— A Mews R&D MiniPodcast on data, AI realities, and the rise of semantic intelligence

In this episode, our host Jan Meissner sits down with Jiří Vinárek, our Staff Data Scientist, to demystify the world of data. What’s the real difference between data engineers, analysts, and scientists? How do these roles work together to transform raw information into powerful insights? And why does good data feel a bit like high-octane fuel for AI?

Jiří shares his journey from studying math and physics at university to becoming one of the earliest data people at Mews—building dashboards, prediction models, and even a CO₂-monitoring pet project back when the whole company fit in one room. He breaks down what AI can do, what it really can’t, and why understanding models (and your data) matters far more than pressing “generate.”

They dive into the hype versus reality of GenAI, why arguing with an LLM is pointless, and how emerging concepts like semantic layers and agentic AI will shape the next wave of hospitality tech. Along the way, Jiří reflects on teaching beginners through Czechitas, the surprising joy of relearning fundamentals, and why diverse backgrounds strengthen product teams.

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— A Mews R&D MiniPodcast on security, trust, and protecting the ecosystem

In this episode, our host sits down with Roger Ribas, Senior Engineering Manager of Technical Security at Mews, to explore how building a proactive security program can protect both products and customers. Roger shares how his team approaches security beyond development, tackling live threats, phishing, AI risks, and operational resilience, while enabling product teams to innovate safely.

They discuss the journey of turning security from a perceived “cost center” into a profit protector, why humans aren’t the only weak link in the AI era, and how embedding security seamlessly into the development lifecycle strengthens trust and reliability. Along the way, Roger reflects on his path from telecommunications engineering to cybersecurity leadership—and what it means to make security an enabler, not a blocker.

A forward-looking conversation on how people, processes, and AI come together to safeguard products, customers, and growth.

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— A Mews R&D MiniPodcast on knowledge, learning, and the evolving user experience

In this episode, our host sits down with Stephan Delbos, Senior Director of Product Knowledge Activation at Mews, to explore how bringing documentation, education, and knowledge management together can transform the user experience. Stephan shares how his team is shaping an AI-first approach to content creation, from internal GPT-powered documentation to smarter onboarding through Mews University and in-product learning.

They discuss the journey toward self-supporting users, designing content that both customers and AI can understand, and why measuring the business impact of words matters as much as the words themselves. Along the way, Stephan reflects on how his background in literature informs leadership in tech—and what it means to make learning part of the product, not an afterthought.

A forward-looking conversation on how documentation, data, and creativity come together to drive growth and a more intuitive user journey.

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Music by Music Unlimited from Pixabay

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In this episode, R&D Community Lead Jan Meissner sits down with Yael Barak and Joel Ndreu, two new leaders at Mews with very different journeys—one through fintech, the other through real estate and big tech.

From early online payments and designing the World Trade Center to stints at Facebook and Zoom, they share what drew them to hospitality tech, why 1,500 people feels like the “right size,” and how to keep engineers focused on impact (not just perfect code).

They also touch on the future of payments, scaling challenges, and yes—that Mews might have the best socks yet. 

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