As a remote-first company, we are used to collaborating across time zones, screens, and Slack threads.
But there’s something so much more powerful about stepping away from our home offices and coming together in person.
That is why, this week, 180 of our 250-plus Zytans gathered, from 28 countries around the world, for our big 2026 staff retreat in Antalya, Turkey.
Value in visibility
The three-day meet-up reminded me why these moments matter so much.
Refining the strategy
Being physically together accelerates alignment in a way that’s hard to replicate remotely. Conversations move faster, ideas evolve more dynamically and strategy becomes clearer when you can challenge, refine, and build on them in real-time.
But we didn’t just talk about our plans - we sharpened them in workshops and impromptu chats.
A key focus for us was aligning around our product vision and our business objectives for 2026. It’s one thing to see goals in a slide deck; it’s another to debate them, pressure-test them, and commit to them together.
I left Turkey with a much stronger sense of shared direction and collective ownership.
Closer connection
Equally important were the human moments. As a distributed organisation, we rely on trust and strong working relationships.
We already do a great job of this. Many Zytans in Turkey remarked that they had never felt part of an organization where coworkers wanted to see them succeed as much as in Zyte.
Indeed, Zyte regularly ranks in lists of the best remote companies to work for.
But spending more time face-to-face helps further build the depth of connection that sustains us long after we return to our remote locations.
The informal conversations, shared meals, and cultural exchanges strengthen the fabric of how we work together day-to-day.
Learning from customers
One of the real highlights was hearing directly from some of our key customers.
The feedback they shared in front of our whole company grounded our discussions, challenged our assumptions, and reminded us why we do what we do.
There’s nothing more energising than hearing first-hand how our work impacts the people we serve - and where we still need to raise the bar.
Stronger together
We are heading back to our respective corners of the world with new ideas, clearer priorities, and stronger relationships.
That alignment - combined with the renewed energy from being together - will carry us forward as we continue building Zyte’s next chapter.
Until the next one…
