Offsite January 2024 - Itatiba - Brazil

Thursday, January 11th, 2024. Half a year ago, we enjoyed the sunny weather in Ericeira. Since we like warmer climates and have team members in Brazil, we thought, "Why not have our next offsite in Brazil?" So, we did! After some long trips, we happily welcomed our international team from Belgium, the US, Andorra, and India to our new São Paulo office.

Learning from past offsite experiences, we decided to switch things up this time. Instead of the usual jam-packed schedule filled with internal workshops and team-building, we decided to take a breather. We divided our agenda into offsite and onsite activities. During the offsite, we dedicated half a day to reflect on the previous year, acknowledging our highs and lows. Additionally, we focused on revisiting our mission, vision, and principles for the upcoming phase but the remainder of the offsite was reserved for team bonding and various activities.

In the week following the offsite, our attention shifted towards cross-team workshops and introducing fresh ideas. All of this unfolded in our newly established office in São Paulo.

Let me provide you with a glimpse of how we initiated the offsite with our entire team in Brazil.

On Friday, January 12th, our day kicked off with a delightful breakfast, setting the stage for a series of engaging workshops. A highlight of the offsite was the presence of Thomas Harris from Motive Partners, a key investor in Credix. He shared valuable insights into Motive Partners' decision to invest in our company, and answered some of our team's questions.

After that our COO, Stijn, led the opening session, looking back on the past six months, and outlining the key learnings:

Taking a moment to review the past year, our CEO & founder, Thomas, then stepped up to share insights on the Vision, Mission, and Principles for the year ahead, highlighting why it's crucial to Build with Velocity.

Wrapping things up, our CTO & co-founder Maxim shared some interesting thoughts on where our product is headed in 2024 from the Product & Engineering perspective. We're keeping the finer details to ourselfve for now, but trust us, there's some cool stuff in the pipeline!

After a great morning packed with eye-opening discussions, we all geared up for the first offsite activity—Paintball. The battle wounds and paintball scars became badges of honor for some of us days later. But it was totally worth it when looking back at how seriously the team embraced the Olympian Mindset during the game.

Once back at Casa Villela, there was a chance for the team to unwind, change out of our battle gear into more relaxed evening attire, and share stories and thoughts about the day over a delightful dinner prepared by the venue. It was a perfect way to wrap up the day, bonding over good food, enjoying boardgames and even better company.

On Saturday, January 13th, we left the venue after a satisfying breakfast for a day of rafting. The drive was long but worthwhile. Upon arrival, a delicious lunch awaited us. The focus on Communication, Being Bold and Wise Judgement was evident as some of us were invited to take the driver’s seat, experiencing the leader’s difficulties and responsibilities. A unique trust-building exercise involved rafting while being blindfolded and following commands, highlighting the team's reliance on their leader without vision. Looking back, it was a thrilling and enjoyable exploration of teamwork dynamics.

After an exciting rafting experience in the picturesque landscapes of Socorro, we gathered for our concluding dinner – a Brazilian barbecue highlighting Picanha, accompanied by delightful caipirinhas, all while a pianist set the mood with rhythmic samba tunes in the background. Some of us made the Wise judgement to go to sleep while others embraced the night by dancing away to the beats. Fortunately, the next day was booked for a laid-back day by the pool, complete with massages and homemade pizza.

These two weeks were really special – lots of bonding, interesting chats, and, of course, plenty of laughter. With our core principles in mind and everyone focused on what lies ahead, we're all super excited about the next coming months!