Offsite June 2023 — Ericeira, Portugal
June 15th, 2023, exactly one year after our first offsite in Rio de Janeiro. Back then, we were a team of 10 people. Today, 1 year later, we are a global team of 32 people. Some had already met at the previous offsite in Belgium, and others met each other for the first time in person 2 weeks ago. As we reflected on our second offsite (note from the writer, that was in December, in Belgium, in the snow), we couldn’t help but take our team’s feedback to heart. We realized that we’re a bunch of warm-blooded souls who yearn for a bit more sunshine in our lives. So, for our 3rd offsite, and with a desire for warmer places, we flew the team to sunny Ericeira, the surfing capital of Portugal.
On the agenda: 3 days packed with internal workshops and team-building activities, laying the foundation for Credix’s next phase of growth.
On Friday, June 16th, after a Meditation/Yoga session led by some of our early birds and a delightful breakfast, our day kicked off with interactive workshops. Our CEO, Thomas, led the opening session, reflecting on the past six months and outlining the objectives for the coming half year. He also reminded us of the core principles driving our third offsite: Connection and alignment.
With the tone set for the day, we dove into the various workshops. These interactive sessions provided our teams with moments to connect, exchange ideas, share opinions, and inspire each other. It was a genuine revelation to discover that our colleagues from different departments held invaluable expertise and unique perspectives that could be tapped into in order to solve common challenges. We found ourselves in an environment of trust and open-mindedness, where everyone’s voice was not only heard but very much valued. We covered:
- The power of data: how can it benefit us in our daily tasks, and how can it create value for our stakeholders
- The importance of impact: how to measure our positive impact and what new initiatives we should pursue
- Where DAO we go from here: a business, technical, and regulatory view on alternative governance and capital formation ways
- Smart contracts being really smart: a business view and demo of the potential of our smart contracts being stress tested with the most exotic capital market structures
- Culture, culture, culture: a global company deserves great internal communication
“Our time in Ericeira allowed us not only to align on business objectives going forward into a new semester, but also foster a sense of unity as the team showcased their shared dedication. Learning from and brainstorming with the different departments allowed us to witness the team’s creativity and synchronicity. The team bonding activities then complemented this atmosphere of spontaneity that comes with being together. It was especially fun to see and cheer on as many surfed for the first time.” Maria Fernanda Lacombe — Based in São Paulo
To wrap up the day, we enjoyed a delicious Portuguese dinner and then surprised the team with our very first Credix Quiz.
“This offsite I yet again experienced how the Credix spirit lives in every single one of us. Bringing together this group of incredibly talented, kind and fun people creates this unique uplifting energy that results in interesting cross-team conversations, fruitful workshops and, without a doubt, a whole lot of fun. Being able to create all of these amazing memories together brings us closer as a team and makes us better as a company. I left the offsite feeling incredibly grateful to be part of such an amazing team and let’s be honest, who doesn’t want to be part of a company that goes surfing as team building 🤙🏄.” Linn De Borger — Based in Antwerp
Saturday morning began with a mix of excitement and... well, let’s just say a few of us were experiencing the aftermath of our Friday night adventures. But hey, that didn’t stop us from going to explore Ericeira’s Surfers’ Paradise. Whether we were seasoned surfers or complete newbies, armed with surfboards, quite some determination, and a lot of enthusiasm, we quickly discovered we could get a long way.
“At the Credix offsite, we all had the chance to connect in person and strengthen or establish new meaningful relationships. As a fully remote employee, this is especially important to me. After this weekend, I feel so much more closely connected to each individual member of our global team. These human connections make communications seamless and the work fun. We’re a bunch of friends building something amazing.” August Widmer — Based in Colorado
In the afternoon, we swapped our wetsuits for more comfortable clothes and found our way to the Pastel de Nata workshop. We channeled our inner bakers and learned how to craft these Portuguese delicacies from scratch. The moment of truth arrived as we could taste our own creations, and yes, they looked and, most importantly, tasted amazing. Side note, the amount of sugar and butter going into these beauties makes you think twice about your next Portuguese snacks.
After enjoying the Pastel de Nata, we gathered at a charming beachfront restaurant, where the ocean provided the perfect backdrop to our last dinner together. We had an extra reason to celebrate as we toasted to Fernanda’s birthday, dancing the pastries away and creating more memories—a perfect ending to an incredible offsite. We can’t wait until we’re reunited at the next one; the countdown started 2 weeks ago already.
