Posted on July 05, 2022

Our week in Alcochete

The team in a hike near the coast of Portugal

Okteto is a globally remote company, which means that Zoom, Slack, and GitHub are our primary means of internal communication. And they work great. But we also acknowledge that there is a special kind of energy that gets created when people interact face to face with each other for a little bit of time.

With this in mind, the Okteto team relocated to Alcochete, Portugal, last month for a week of socialization, exploration, and fun. This offsite is the first time the entire company is together in the exact geographical location, so it was a big deal for all of us.

I must confess that I was a bit nervous; I wasn't sure what to expect. This trip was going to be the first time that most of the team met each other in person! But when the first group of people arrived at the hotel, all my doubts and fears disappeared. It was going to be amazing 😌.

But don't take my word for it. Check out some of the highlights of our trip:

Learning how to make Pasteis de Nata, a classic pastry from Lisbon

We even had an impromptu game of beach football!

The team says hi from the westernmost point of Europe 👋 — The team says hi from the western-most point in Europe 👋

The biggest takeaway is that we all got a chance to spend quality time with everyone at Okteto. We learned a little about everyone, made new friendships, and created new memories. But this is not just about having a great time. The bonds and experiences we created this week will make us a stronger team.

I'm already back in Oakland, but I still have a big smile. What an experience it was! It went so great that we plan on doing this again next year. I'm looking forward to sharing how that one went 😎!