The most special off-site
When you enjoy the freedom of remote work every day, team gatherings are something you look forward to, experience intensely, and remember fondly from that first coffee you have alone when you return to your routine. Such it was, once again, the Soluble off-site, El Toboso Edition, which we shared a week ago.
This occasion was even more special for the team, since last June we left the Barcelona office, which saw us born and grow. A decision that in the current context makes perfect sense (now the team is much more spread out and office use was very occasional) but one that marked the end of an era and opened new possibilities. More resources to work together in coworkings across the different team locations and to organize our off-sites.
Add to that the usual secrecy: we didn't know the destination until 24 hours before the gathering and the agenda was full of unknowns and surprises. Good hype vibes.
Fewer helmets, more flip-flops
The day finally arrived. An hour and a half from Madrid, El Toboso awaited us, homeland of Dulcinea, love of Don Quixote. A paradise where we abandoned our metaverse meetings for a few days to share space and celebrate each other around the clock. The chosen location also allowed us to visit windmills and taste typical La Mancha cuisine, thanks to catering that made everything easy and delicious.
Four days of off-site that delivered plenty. We celebrated Laurent's birthday, had breakfast (and re-breakfast) together, sharing good mornings before the first coffee. The more athletic among us went for a run and saw the sunrise. We had meetings in the sun and in flip-flops. We befriended the cat Kevin and his family. We competed making hamburgers (special mention to Estela and María's red berry jam) and cocktails. Also playing ping pong (Julia annihilated and demoralized her rivals) and foosball (we discovered Celia's hidden talent). Ismael and Laurent prepared us a spectacular barbecue. And we also had time to learn more about Soluble, the team, and ourselves.
We spoke with our brand managers about how to improve organization and processes, from Activation they explained resources for tackling presentations, and we revisited how to give and receive good feedback.
Under Ismael's guidance, we reflected on what we are, what we do, and why we do it. Every so often it's good to pause and think about where we are, how we're doing. Something we almost always talk about outward, but analyzing it from within. Because everything we do day to day, we do so that good companies look as good as they are. And not only that: along the way we want to make sure people are a bit happier in their work. It's a purpose and a way of doing things. With our more-than partners, of course, but it starts with taking care of ourselves as a team, with caring for the essence of Soluble.
A safe space to build together
We take care of ourselves all year long. We do it with our new career plan, and with the collaboration with Mentiness, the platform for improving mental health in companies. All that joint, daily effort has improved communication and team understanding—we already knew that. But at the off-site, like a reality show retreat, it was magnified. We experienced and shared that safe space we'd been building, and it became tangible. It was beautiful.
A safe space where we know we can express ourselves with confidence whenever we need to. Where we can push ourselves and competition is fun, letting us learn from others or discover hidden talents. That's what happened with the challenge our Design colleagues threw at us: in teams, we had to create a strategy, a creative concept, and a full visual identity for a new brand. Something that normally takes hours of work, meticulous care, and expertise—in just half an hour. They made us sweat, but we clearly did it well because both teams won.
We were on the edge of our seats during the theatrical improvisation workshop, another surprise activity. We have a professional actress on the team—our Ada—but Cristian and Ismael delivered the session's breakthrough with spectacular performances. Setting aside theatrical talent (or the lack of it), improvisation taught us the "yes, and" rule: the importance of listening to your team's proposal and adding to build something together. A fundamental attitude in work and in life. Because there are no bad ideas, and no perfect ones either, and with that philosophy we avoid shutting them down when they start to take off.
We're leaving better
And the off-site came to an end. The first one after leaving the office. The one in the safe space. A meeting as special as it was complete. There was anticipation and it delivered. This is how the latest team additions experienced it:
"I had a hunch I'd enjoy it and come away with a good taste in my mouth, but it exceeded all my expectations. Meeting the team in person was a gift, and the days we spent together really helped me put heart to faces," Belén recalls.
"Actually, it was my first off-site in general, not just at Soluble. It was a lot of emotions all at once and it was the chance to see you all a bit more vulnerable, more human. You stopped being just work buddies," Andrea Alonso remembers.
And this is how Javi, Soluble's veteran, experienced it: "there were quite a few people I'd been working with for a long time and hadn't met face to face yet. These latest additions integrated really quickly and it showed—the vibe was great. The activities were amazing too, I'd never done anything like it before. I really loved the Design team's plan, and I can already see a tech challenge like that on the horizon. And I still owe Julia a rematch at ping pong".
Now it's time to keep taking care of each other online, enjoying the freedom of working remotely every day, and already thinking about the next gathering, Soluble team.
