Held at Span Suites and Villas in Goa, India, this year’s Axelerant retreat was preceded by an offsite, from the 16th to 19th February, where a few team members were able to come together early to brainstorm ideas and strategize. 

The leadership team of #AxelerantOffsite 2020 is bigger than the first few years of @axelerant #CompanyRetreat which is helping me be proud of my 7-years here with more to come https://t.co/1aRYZe51Cm pic.twitter.com/5KjmBZ5kMO

— Michael Cannon (@comprock) February 18, 2020

We used this opportunity to have many big and small discussions and conversations. One of the key conversations that informed the whole event involved Jeff Bezos's concept of Day One. Through writing individually, group discussions, and presentations, we reflected on where we stand with reference to the four values that Jeff Bezos credits with the success of Amazon, identifying problems and defining actionable solutions. 

We also participated in activities as a team, getting to know ourselves and each other better. 

On the 20th, we kicked off the retreat with the whole of our team arriving. This was our largest retreat yet, with 75+ team members attending from our team of 100+. Many of us met for the first time, and others were able to catch up with friends after another eventful year. 

This retreat was all about reinforcing our values: Enthusiasm, Kindness and Openness.

Day One: “Kindness”

Thursday, 20^th February 2020

On Day One, our activities were centered on our value of kindness. We celebrated Happy Hours with our whole team gathering to meet each other, mingle, exchange the thoughtfully chosen Secret Santa gifts we brought each other, and enjoy some fun icebreaker activities together!

Day Two: “Openness”

Friday, 21^st February 2020

Day Two was all about openness. The day began with the State of Axelerant (our Town Hall). 

Today's State of Axelerant slide deck is 115 slides and growing. Wow! We're growing and there's a lot to say about who we are and more importantly, who we are not. #AxelerantRetreat2020 pic.twitter.com/N4dK13KJAO

— hussainweb (@hussainweb) February 21, 2020

.@comprock kicking off the #StateOfAxelerant with a walk down the memory lane. #AxelerantRetreat2020 pic.twitter.com/NLjJsaBg1v

— hussainweb (@hussainweb) February 21, 2020

Some highlights from this year's presentation: over the last three years, our team size has grown year-on-year from 46 to 62 to now 100+. Our revenue has grown too, and in the last few months, we've transitioned to Centers of Excellence (CoEs) led by Service Area Leads (SALs).

Through all this, we've attained a clarity of purpose that motivates us to keep giving our best each day. Our evolved purpose:

"We genuinely believe that people are the secret to success and by empowering them as leaders in ways that matter to them, we will create substantial value for our customers."  

The State of Axelerant was followed by presentations from each of our service areas, as well as a look at how we are doing in terms of diversity and inclusion.

The afternoon was for team huddles, where teams were able to come together and solve problems they face and make plans for the year to come. 

One laptop. Twenty one people. Dozens of insights and tons of fun. That was the Drupal service area huddle at #AxelerantRetreat2020 pic.twitter.com/C4QEek3e3l

— hussainweb (@hussainweb) February 21, 2020

Day Three: “Enthusiasm”

Saturday, 22^nd February 2020

Day Three was all about sports, with the official Axelerant Cricket Premier League held early in the morning. Live commentary and music accompanied the matches, amping up the energy in the field!

Getting ready for cricket @axelerant style #AxelerantRetreat2020 pic.twitter.com/B7YLEH5xBG

— Michael Cannon (@comprock) February 22, 2020

There was also a funfair with games and entertainment for those who weren't playing cricket. 

Soaring Jenga towers at #AxelerantRetreat2020 pic.twitter.com/Z1uijLeBB7

— Michael Cannon (@comprock) February 22, 2020

The day offered something for everyone, and our team members had a great time.

The following day brought the end of the retreat, but of course we all got swag and some thoughtful notes to take away. 

This is awesome 🤩 Made my day. Loving it 😍. Thank you folks. #AxelerantRetreat2020 pic.twitter.com/Evj8Ym4lTQ

— Gaurav Agrawal (@ga_agrawal) February 20, 2020

There’s nothing quite like an Axelerant retreat—and we’ve come away from this experience stronger, more closely aligned, energized and recommitted to our goals. 

We’re ready for the future.