For the past few days I’ve felt a fresh strong sense of belonging. A family reunion. Sunday brunch. Night in with friends around a board game. It felt like all of that, actually, just in the company of five hundred people, not five or fifteen. TransferWise held it's bi-annual all-hands gathering — the WinterDays.
We created, expressed, experienced and laughed together. We showed each other in many ways that underneath the roles and responsibilities we’re just a bunch of wonderful and warm people.
You've probably heard that TransferWise doesn’t have much hierarchy to begin with. Still, as we grow, we need to keep reminding ourselves that anyone can walk up to and call out anyone else. Events like our Days make it easy. Thanks for always being ready to embarass yourselves, Kristo and Taavet. Thanks for sweating in the pit, Jen. Wade, you creepy geezer. Martin and Nilan, the feedback-looping dynamic duo.
I also felt most of the fun we had came from the inside, from inside the crazy creative people we are. Team events like this is always something that we do and make happen. It’s not a show or a play, it’s not a spectator sport. You brought it to life — the singers and dancers, the movie-makers and the pranksters. Maiken, Kairi and their team built us an badass platform to be ourselves.
As importantly, it was WinterDays, not WinterDaze. None of the moments that made my heart pound and gave me goosebumps were fuelled by alcohol, food or any other external source of energy. For me, this event was proof TransferWise is growing from an adolescent into a young, responsible adult — not only as a business but also socially.
Growing up can seem bittersweet but it won’t equal growing old. We have people among us to teach how a graying beard is just a facade and how you can go wild without gallons of booze.
We'll stay ever hungry and awesome.