The Power of In-Person Connections: Insights from Our Seattle Engineering Summit
I’ve been working remotely since 2018 and have seen all the quirks of remote work. Sure, it has its perks — like more family time and no LA traffic — but there’s something special about in-person interactions that screens just can’t match.
A couple weeks ago in Seattle, I had the privilege of hosting our first-ever in-person engineering-focused summit. This idea had been brewing for nearly five years, and we finally got the green light to make it happen.
The summit wasn’t just another meeting — it was a unique opportunity to break down the silos that naturally form in a remote work environment. Many team members work on different projects and rarely get the chance to collaborate with each other. We needed an opportunity to connect on a deeper level and foster cross-team collaboration. Although our speakers were a bit nervous about presenting live after such a long time, the overall mood as the event approached was one of eager anticipation.
The Motivation Behind the Summit
Our key motivation was to move beyond virtual interactions. Video calls and instant messages can’t replace the spontaneous conversations and deep connections that happen face-to-face. We wanted to create an environment where ideas could flow freely and relationships could be strengthened.
Our goals for the summit were clear: to share insights, build stronger connections, and foster collaboration. We envisioned an event where attendees could learn from each other, spark innovative ideas, and return to their teams with renewed energy and inspiration.
Ultimately, we aimed to create a space where our team could break out of their usual routines, connect with colleagues from different areas, and experience the irreplaceable value of in-person interactions.
Planning the Summit
The summit started with a vision to bring my US team together to tackle complex topics that are difficult to address remotely. Initially, I thought it would just involve my direct team, but it quickly grew to include a broader group, making it a truly collaborative event.
Building the Planning Team
I first had my team leaders handle the planning, but their busy schedules slowed progress. So, I asked for volunteers, and those who stepped up were much more effective!
We broke down the planning load by activities, food, sessions, lodging, and transport. Each person volunteered for a specific area and took ownership of it from start to finish. This division of labor ensured that every aspect of the summit was well-managed and nothing fell through the cracks.
Logistics
One of the first steps was negotiating a hotel rate. Even with a group as small as ten people, it’s worth it. Not only will you ensure everyone’s in the same hotel, but the hotel will also provide added perks that you can offer to your presenters, top performers, or those who bring a spouse to extend their trip. These small touches can make a big difference in showing your appreciation.
We used a WhatsApp group for coordination, which was incredibly effective. However, if you exceed 30 people, you’ll likely need a more structured method of communication. The WhatsApp group played a key role in recruiting volunteers for small tasks, freeing up the planning team to focus on larger items. Additionally, having a common chat group allowed the more social members to naturally rile everyone up, leveraging their enthusiasm to build anticipation without requiring too much effort from the team.
We aimed to complete as much preparation work as possible in advance to fully enjoy the summit. We shared an agenda that included the timing of each session, coffee/breakfast/lunch suggestions, and addresses for relevant locations. I highly recommend doing something similar to reduce the number of basic questions your team will have to answer.
Working under a strict budget, we used a spreadsheet to track expenses and ensured everyone understood our financial limitations. This meticulous budgeting was essential to ensure we could host similar events in the future. Fortunately, our team was incredibly considerate, demonstrating responsible spending — even on open bar nights!
Overcoming Challenges
None of us are from Seattle, so choosing the right venues and services was a challenge. We made many calls to restaurants and office spaces, asking for extensive details to ensure everything was perfect. In the future, I plan to involve someone from our destination to provide localized knowledge.
Since this event took people away from their families and day-to-day responsibilities, I was determined to make it worth their while. We ensured a packed schedule and meticulously considered every detail. I had many ambitious ideas, but my team did an excellent job of grounding them in reality. They also patiently provided detailed information for even the simplest of requests, ensuring every aspect was well thought out. I couldn’t overstate the importance of having the right energy and mentality on your planning team to ensure the event’s success.
Executing the Summit
We started the summit midday to give everyone time to arrive and check in. I kicked off the event with a brief session welcoming everyone, providing logistics, and sharing my hopeful intentions for the next few days. The atmosphere was electric, especially with our arrival in Seattle coinciding with Pride Day. There was a palpable excitement as colleagues, who had previously only interacted through Zoom, finally met face-to-face.
Presentations and Collaborative Sessions
We had an impressive lineup of speakers covering a range of relevant and engaging topics:
Jeremy Mack inspired us with his talk on scaling creativity using Large Language Models (LLMs). He showed us how, with just JavaScript and LLMs, you can achieve remarkable results. I nudged Jeremy to present this wild card topic to add exciting variety to our agenda and remind the team of the importance of staying curious and experimenting with new tech. Take a look at his project, The Morning Beat.
Drew Tufano and Ian McPhail led a dynamic Q&A session on what makes a top-performing engineer. They emphasized the critical importance of having the right people on the team. As Jim Collins eloquently states in Good to Great, “Great vision without great people is irrelevant.” This philosophy is why we obsess over finding the right quality of people to join our team, even if it means conducting hundreds of interviews to find the perfect fit.
During the discussion, we redefined the concept of the 10x engineer. Rather than focusing on individual productivity, we highlighted that a true 10x engineer amplifies the output of their team through mentorship, collaboration, and promoting best practices. The insights from this session led to plenty of “aha” moments for the attendees, many of whom lead teams of engineers.
We even coined the term “coaster” to describe someone who does just enough to stay under the radar, in contrast to those who display curiosity and ambition. This term became a running joke throughout the event, serving as a lighthearted yet poignant reminder of the value of proactive engagement and continuous improvement.
Ajay Kandakatla bravely delved into the complexities of transitioning a large organization to a micro frontend (MFE) architecture, emphasizing the difficulties of our current shift from build-time to runtime MFEs. His session led to some great conversations about how to navigate these hurdles and left everyone with plenty of ideas to mull over after the event. Plus, Ajay’s talk connected him with others who are passionate about this topic, creating a supportive network of folks ready to dive into these challenges together.
Doug Uretsky took us through what it truly means to cultivate a DevOps culture. He addressed the common divide between DevOps and engineering, suggesting that instead of working in silos, we should foster a more collaborative and iterative effort. Doug emphasized that building a DevOps culture requires contributions from both sides, transforming the relationship from antagonistic to cooperative.
Paul Rowe discussed our process around developer experience (DevX), which began months before the summit with sending a detailed survey to about 500 engineers to gather qualitative insights. Using a modified version of the Atlassian playbook for measuring DevX, we synthesized these insights to identify key areas for improvement.
Using this in-person opportunity, Paul stressed the importance of having passionate engineers drive this initiative and walked everyone through the analysis process. He organized breakout groups based on specific areas of interest, allowing attendees to dive deeper into the identified issues. These groups will become advocates of the resulting action items.
I ran a two-hour negotiation workshop to equip everyone with the basic principles of negotiation. Drawing on insights from one of my favorite Wharton professors, Gus Cooney, and his course on negotiations, I aimed to ensure my team understood the importance of identifying shared interests and knowing when to walk away from a bad deal.
It was thrilling to hear pairs working through negotiations in different styles and equally exciting to see the surprise on one partner’s face when the other explained their approach during our debrief to the entire room. If you’re interested in running this for your organization, please reach out, and I’m happy to share my approach.
Social and Networking Opportunities
Breakfasts and lunches were self-organized by attendees, who would randomly break off into groups. If you’re worried about this on your team, you can be more intentional — like using lunches for collaborative sessions. Dinners were preplanned and reserved for the entire group, fostering team building.
Activities like escape rooms, non-contact sports, run clubs, or boat rentals can provide great ways to explore the city and bond. We found electric boat rentals to be an inexpensive way to see more of the city and enjoy nature.
Finally, drinks at the bar were an excellent way for everyone to socialize and get more comfortable with each other.
Challenges
Time management was our biggest challenge. Some sessions could have gone on forever, and with our tight schedule, we often ran over, causing shifts in the agenda. Even with extensions, it wasn’t enough. In the future, I’d utilize lunches for breakout sessions, leading to structured group lunches with meaningful conversations.
Another challenge was dealing with AV equipment for recording or presenting. Despite living in a modern world, AV issues are still common. Planning ahead for this as much as possible is crucial.
Measuring Success
Post-event, we relied on ad hoc feedback to gauge the summit’s success. I asked attendees what they liked most and least, what they would change, and their key takeaways. We discussed whether they learned anything valuable and if the summit was beneficial overall. In the future, we plan to implement a survey to gather more structured feedback.
One insightful piece of feedback was about the selection of talks. While I worked with my leads to hand-select these topics, some attendees suggested incorporating community-suggested topics in future events. This is a valuable suggestion that we plan to incorporate to ensure the content remains relevant and engaging.
As someone committed to making informed decisions, I’m still refining the best way to appropriately measure long-term success. I’d like to track how attendees’ engagement and involvement evolve over time compared to those who didn’t attend. Metrics such as increased collaboration, enhanced skills, and greater project contributions are what I aim to explore.
Embracing the Power of In-Person Connections
Our first-ever in-person engineering summit in Seattle was a huge success, showcasing just how important face-to-face interactions are. Here are some key lessons we learned:
Deepening Connections
The summit gave team members a chance to really connect, break down silos, and work together across different projects and teams. Whether it’s during a coffee break or over a casual dinner, these moments often uncover shared interests and solutions. Someone might mention a challenge they’re facing, only to find out that a colleague has already dealt with a similar issue. These informal chats grease the wheels of an organization’s operations.
When you know your colleagues on a personal level, working together towards common goals becomes easier. During the Seattle summit, I learned about one of our leaders’ nine-year adventure in a startup that reached its Series E, only to come crashing down. The value of this kind of experience in large organizations cannot be overstated. This casual conversation not only provided me with an understanding of his experience and values but also highlighted the opportunity to leverage his knowledge to train others. The lessons of survival in a startup are often overlooked in larger organizations, making his insights incredibly valuable.
Effective Collaboration
Being in the same room for sessions like Drew and Ian’s Q&A and Paul’s breakout groups made discussions richer and more dynamic. Conversations flow freely without the friction of Zoom — no lag, no muted mics, and no awkward pauses waiting for someone to unmute. This sparked brainstorming and quick feedback, leading to innovative solutions that are tough to achieve virtually.
Increased Engagement
Another huge benefit of face-to-face interaction is the level of engagement. In physical meetings, there’s no turning off the camera or zoning out discreetly. Being in the same room naturally boosts participation and attentiveness. The energy is visible, and it’s much easier to stay engaged and contribute meaningfully to the discussions.
The Seattle summit set a high bar for future events and left us with plenty of valuable insights. Thank you to my team for contributing to its success.
If you want to know more about how we pulled this off or have suggestions for future summits, please reach out.
