KASKO went to Riga
Author, the voice of KASKO (sounds like Morgan Freeman)
Disclaimer: It is hard to write a blog about ‘company culture’ and not use the term company culture because it has become such a buzzword, such a false target etc. In tech circles now people advertise with the term, hide behind weird decor and sell it as culture, and so on. At KASKO, we call it out — Yes, Matt and Nick started a company, that company has grown and so far, people are happy, people are hard working and the people are great, so why do we need to use the buzzword? It instantly comes across as a PR/Marketing stunt…
We hire intelligent people that we feel will add something to the gang, so far, that is working as our latest company away week in Riga proved — great people make a great trip — we don’t need to brand that.
…Shmompany Shmulture….
Anyway,
One of the best things about KASKO is that although we work from different locations, three times a year we pack our bags and get the whole company together. This time, we went to our development hub in Latvia’s beautiful capital, Riga.
With offices in Hamburg, London, Riga and Singapore meeting up, joined by team members flying in from Lisbon and Zurich, we truly have built a cross-border community, one that happens to be a successful company. An organisation that thrives on different cultures and viewpoints. To not have everyone meet up regularly would certainly detract from what we are building here. Nick and Matt might have met by chance, but we encourage regular meetups now — knowing who is at the receiving end of the phone, Slack channel, email thread, WhatsApp group or even salary transfer (thanks for those Matt), is key to a happy team.
You could tell that for many, it was a change. Gone was the team of 5–10 in an office, it was time for a few days with all 32 KASKOans (that is a new word that we will never use again) under one big InsurTech roof.
The running joke within KASKO is that Riga changes drastically when London (and others) arrives. The often quiet, diligent and driven developer office is turned up to 11. Not to say that it is always silent, each team has its own mix, but en mass, KASKO becomes a different beast. What makes it special is bringing all the different characters and personas from everywhere, together.
Meeting up, face-to-face, was a totally different experience and it’s extremely helpful for us to spend time together and grow as a unit. Daily work and fun aside, we also had a chance to discuss where KASKO is heading and what our future holds.
Transparency with the entire team is another pillar of the setup here. This is not just professional transparency, it gives Matt and Nick a chance to really get to know their colleagues, they take the time to chat with each and every colleague to better understand their work but also their lives. It is hard to say without sounding like a sales pitch, but there are members of the team that take pride in calling the bosses (we prefer colleagues) their mates — that isn’t all that common. The guys also celebrated the news of an upcoming wedding in Latvia for Janis and heard all about Jevgenija’s recent trip to Belarus, whilst of course joining everyone in the longest task of all, waiting for a new team member….
No, not a human…
People are dying to meet Chewie, the newest member of the family for Richard in London (and KASKO). Richard, if you are reading this, bring him in, please.
As well as anticipated welcomes, we also have a chance to say goodbye as a team, one such departure has been our much-loved intern Mason. His journey started in Riga and now it comes to its fitting end here, whilst, in a journey that started in one of the capital’s famous medieval restaurants — Mason had the chance to say goodbye to his new friends and thank everyone for all he had achieved and learned. His departing words took place at the Central Gastro Market, check out the UNESCO heritage protected venue here.
We did work too, honest.
We talk about collaboration when pitching and working with clients and partners. This is not just talk, we walk the walk. It’s part of what defines who we are as a company. Who would we be to preach collaboration if we didn’t do it at home? Yes, the trip is a bit more intense than back at the office, but we every so often you need to take inventory of what works and what needs to be improved, and you need to do that together.
We spent the days working, which, surprisingly or not, is a key part of our business…. And we worked hard! which gave us ample excuse to enjoy ourselves and each others’ company come the evenings. We had earned it, so it was great to go for dinners together, have a tipple or two, and blow off some steam playing… Laser Tag — that’s right, KASKO knows we all have that inner child that wants to run around firing lasers in there somewhere.
But no need to worry if you are more keen on some chill time. We were also treated to the spa, devs-and-all.
We are excited to go for our next trip in a few months time where we head off to Tallinn in Estonia, further experiencing the offices and ways of life of our colleagues elsewhere.
Uz redzēšanos, Latvia!
