Recently, I swapped my home screens for the historic energy of Athens, Greece (the setting chosen for my team’s most recent meeting on WordPress.com). We spent the beginning of March in an intensive week of alignment, focused on new internal projects and, above all, strengthening team bonds.
Working alongside such talented people in a place like this brings a completely new perspective on what we build together. It’s impressive how the flow of ideas gains momentum when we are gathered in the same physical space and time zone, something that rarely happens in a fully distributed company. My team, for example, has members in 10 countries across different continents.
The opportunity to accelerate processes and strengthen collaboration in person goes far beyond what any video call can offer. On various occasions, I learned a lot just by looking sideways and paying attention to how my colleagues solved tasks using approaches I hadn’t yet considered and by using new-to-me AI configurations, scripts, and plugins.
More than Code and Meetings
But a meetup is not only about planning and coding. Between work sessions, we had the privilege of diving into Greek history. Walking through the Acropolis and exploring the museum’s relics was not just a tourist stroll; it was a true dose of inspiration.
Uniting the millennia-old history of Greece with the development of modern technologies was a remarkable experience, full of laughter and essential collective learning for our teamwork.
Seeing up close what human collaboration can build and preserve over the centuries has been the perfect fuel for the challenges that lie ahead.
Coming Back with a Full Load
We conclude this journey with clear objectives, strengthened bonds, and hearts renewed by Greek hospitality and the team’s partnership. March started off on the right foot (literally, because I fell and hurt my left knee 😂).
Moments like these reaffirm the importance of our culture and the positive impact of investing in workplace relationships. Even in a fully distributed company like Automattic, these in-person meetings are essential to solidifying our vision for the future.
Now it’s time to turn all this energy and inspiration into real results. Let the next chapters come!