— 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 the "nerdy" side of service design, 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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— A Mews R&D MiniPodcast on building developer experience, tooling, and and improving how teams work together

Welcome to the Mews R&D mini podcast series! Bite-sized conversations with the people behind our tech – short interviews, fresh insights, and more guests from across Mews R&D. Stay tuned for stories, ideas, and a peek behind the curtain of how we build.

In this episode, our host chats with Richard Schäfer, Director of Developer Experience at Mews, about what it takes to create a seamless experience for engineers and how developer tooling can scale with a growing company. From his journey from engineer to DX leader to why small teams don’t always need dedicated DX, Richard shares candid insights on leadership, cross-team collaboration, and measuring the impact of work that often happens “behind the scenes.”

They dive into Mews’ design system, how adoption affects the customer experience, and the ways DX balances listening to engineers with shaping scalable solutions. There’s also discussion on community building within engineering teams, the role of AI in speeding up development, and why experimentation and adaptability are key to a thriving tech organization.

A reflection, hands-on guidance, and a touch of playful curiosity—showing that enhancing the developer experience can be just as creative and impactful as crafting the products themselves.

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Music by Music Unlimited from Pixabay

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— A Mews R&D MiniPodcast on leading, learning, and staying paranoid (in a good way)

Welcome to the Mews R&D mini podcast series! Bite-sized conversations with the people behind our tech – short interviews, fresh insights, and more guests from across Mews R&D. Stay tuned for stories, ideas, and a peek behind the curtain of how we build.

In this episode, our R&D Community Lead, Jan Meissner, goes freestyle with Mews founder Richard Valtr in what might just be our first-ever “mini–maxi” podcast. From what a founder’s day really looks like to why staying connected to customers of all sizes matters, Richard shares candid thoughts on leadership, culture, and the fine balance between chasing Goliaths and avoiding becoming one.

They explore how AI could reshape work (inside and outside hospitality), why experience still trumps pure automation, and the importance of questioning everything—even the founders. There’s also talk of sports fandom, optimism for the future, and why Richard prefers to keep some passions as hobbies rather than turning them into jobs.

It’s part reflection, part future-gazing, and part playful banter—proof that big ideas can come from conversations without a set agenda.

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— A Mews R&D MiniPodcast on team engagement, managing remotely & learning from experience

Welcome to the Mews R&D mini podcast series! Bite-sized conversations with the people behind our tech – short interviews, fresh insights, and more guests from across Mews R&D. Stay tuned for stories, ideas, and a peek behind the curtain of how we build.

In this episode, Jan Meissner sits down with Vladimír Pinďura, Engineering Manager in Connectivity, to explore the challenges and rewards of leading a distributed team. Vladimír shares how he keeps his team engaged across distances, measures success beyond numbers, and fosters continuous learning through dedicated sessions. 

They discuss the impact of visiting customers in person — what it means for team motivation and connection to the product — and reflect on strategies Vladimír thought would work but ended up rethinking.

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— A Mews R&D MiniPodcast on engineering growth, backend switch-ups & building multicurrency

Welcome to the Mews R&D mini podcast series! Bite-sized conversations with the people behind our tech – short interviews, fresh insights, and more guests from across Mews R&D. Stay tuned for stories, ideas, and a peek behind the curtain of how we build.

In this episode, our R&D Community Lead, Jan Meissner, talks with Magdalena Piątek, Senior Software Engineer at Mews, about her inspiring transition from frontend to backend — and how that shift led her to lead the development of our multicurrency feature in the fintech domain.

Magda shares how curiosity, a supportive team, pair coding sessions, and real-world learning (including online courses and hands-on development) helped her grow into her new role. She dives into the mindset shift between frontend and backend, how working closely with PMs, support teams, and even Stripe has expanded her business thinking.

The conversation also touches on mentorship, developing soft skills, and the value of stepping outside the comfort zone — both within Mews and through her involvement with Czechitas.

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