Company Meet-Up: Amsterdam Edition

Key takeaways

In-person meetups are essential for social cohesion and strategic decision-making in remote companies.
Flexibility and balance in scheduling, with room for unstructured time, enhance the experience and value of the meetup.
ExTRAVAGANT experiences and scarcity increase the perceived value and emotional impact of these gatherings.
As a company grows and becomes more global, in-person meetups can be rotated internationally to maintain connections.
Starting small with in-person gatherings is effective; the key is consistent social engagement.

Summary

The Importance of Company Meetups and Their Value

Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson emphasize the crucial role of in-person gatherings for remote companies. They discuss how these meetups foster social cohesion, allow for deeper discussions, and generate significant company value that can't be replicated remotely. The meetups help new employees integrate, refresh the team’s cultural bonds, and facilitate impactful decisions, especially in person.

Why the Amsterdam Meetup Was a Milestone

This meet-up was notable as the first outside the US and the largest yet, reflecting the company's growing international presence. With more employees based in Europe, the company chose Amsterdam to accommodate the new geographic distribution. They also aimed to provide a fresh experience, mixing social exploration with work, and to adapt their rhythm of international gatherings. The choice reinforced their commitment to fostering bonds across diverse locations.

Structure and Experience of the Meetups

The meetups are structured over five days with a mix of scheduled sessions, social dinners, activities, and free time. The first day involves company-wide talks and a Q&A, fostering transparency and shared understanding of business direction. The rest of the days feature smaller, optional dinners, team-building activities like go-carting, and informal meetups. The balance between structured events and spontaneous interactions helps deepen relationships and promotes impactful discussions, including strategic decisions like moving off the cloud.

Lessons Learned and Tips for Future Events

The hosts reflect on lessons from previous meetups, emphasizing the importance of having unstructured time ('empty space') for natural interactions. They acknowledge the need for more Q&A sessions and adjusting the level of structuring to suit the occasion. They also highlight the challenge of organizing international travel but stress that the social benefits far outweigh the costs, especially given the negative impact of missed in-person connection on company culture.

Show notes

Meetups offer remote companies an opportunity to gather away from the day-to-day for more in-depth conversations that foster deeper relationships for the team and bigger leaps for the company.

At the beginning of October, sixty 37signals employees met up in Amsterdam for the first company-wide meetup outside the U.S.

Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson, the Co-founders of 37signals, discuss the importance of in-person meetups for remote companies, the structure they use for their twice-yearly team gathering, and tips and insight for other companies on planning their own offsite meetings.

Show Notes:

[00:34] - The essential value of gathering the entire team together.
[02:05] - Why the company decided to gather outside the U.S. for their latest meetup.
[02:29] - The changing rhythm of a global company working across several time zones.
[04:12] - How moving the event to Amsterdam turned it into a social experience.
[04:51] - The priceless value of extravagant experiences and live connections to stay strong and connected as a remote company.
[06:39] - Post COVID-19: Why the company-wide meetup experience is an expense not to be cut.
[07:26] - How the scarcity of the experience adds to its value.
[07:54] - The structure 37signals uses for their meetups.
[09:41] - How getting together as a group fosters bigger, more crystallized discussions for bigger leaps as a company.
[11:22] - From the intimacy of the small group dinners to the peer appreciation event, how the meetup fosters deeper relationships for the team.
[13:33] - Unifying the unique human experience through sharing cultural diversity.
[15:10] - The challenges of transporting such a large and diverse group to the meetup location.
[15:52] - Introducing the Amsterdam meetup lessons into future events.
[17:04] - Jason and David share their tips and advice for other remote companies looking to host their own company meetup.

Links and Resources:

The REWORK podcast

@reworkpodcast on Twitter

@37signals on Twitter
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