speed wins, employees lose - Anonymous employee Tripadvisor Employee Review

2.0
7 Jun 2014
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Good benefits, some ability to telecommute

Cons

So much focus is put on making things fast, there's little to no focus on making things good. Quality suffers and employees, especially non-engineers, get micro-managed to the point where the output goals are nearly impossible to achieve. The sales department drives too much of the agenda, and given the valuation of this company, the pay is not great.

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Tripadvisor Response
11y
Thanks for your review. You bring up an interesting point: As we continue to grow, we are maintaining our focus on speeds but stress that we need to do that without sacrificing quality or metrics for success. The “Speed Wins” sign on Steve’s door is still an important reminder to all of us to iterate, try new things, and take risks. This has been one of the keys to our success and our culture. Each day we’re challenged to be nimble---what’s really important, what will have the most impact, what will delight our users, and what will allow us win? To be clear, however, if there’s micromanagement or needless red tape that dilutes our products, our management team expect employees to find ways to minimize this to ensure both speed and quality. To raise issues and make suggestions for improvements. You also mentioned competitive systems that may make us obsolete. We ask all employees: What do you think we should do to compete? Over the years, some of the best ideas have come to Steve from across the business—not just from product and engineering. And so , I encourage you to talk to your VP---or set up time to talk with Steve to share your ideas.

Explore other reviews about Tripadvisor

5.0
18 Jan 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

people are awesome remote work is common pay and benefits are good

Cons

can they stay relevant in the world of AI

1
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Tripadvisor Response
4mo
Thank you for your positive remarks. As our company continues to evolve, we are appreciative of employee comments that highlight our strengths as well as areas we can improve upon.
2.0
21 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The people you get to work with are genuinely great, and the work-life balance remains fairly solid. In the past, the company attracted top-tier engineering talent from the most reputable tech firms, and the expectations were high but rewarding. A lot of that collaborative culture still exists among the engineers. You will be surrounded by capable individuals who want to do good work.

Cons

The company has been battered by unresolved structural issues over the last decade. The core meta-search business was crippled when Google altered its algorithms to prioritize its own travel products, effectively choking off the organic traffic Tripadvisor depended on. Combined with the impact of COVID-19, leadership tried launching new products to escape this SEO reliance, but those attempts consistently missed the mark. Now, the rapid adoption of LLMs is delivering another severe blow. Users no longer need traditional meta-search to plan travel. The core Tripadvisor product has essentially become a legacy cash cow, with the Experiences division (Viator) being the primary engine keeping the business afloat. Following the departure of the former CEO, thousands of highly skilled employees have left through attrition or ongoing restructuring. Layoffs have become a grim constant, happening once or twice a year. Even if you manage to avoid the cuts, the compensation structure is no longer competitive for the tech industry, and RSUs have virtually dried up. Because of the abysmal direction and the very high chance you won't survive the next round of looming layoffs, I strongly recommend avoiding this company as a new hire.

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