ScyllaDB is a remote-first company with associates working in distributed locations around the globe. We’re good at it, and we love it. Still, each year we look forward to in-person company summits to spend time together, share knowledge, and have fun. When the time comes, we say goodbye to our kids and cats and fly from all corners of the world to convene in one place. This April, we met in Limassol, a historical city on the southern coast of Cyprus.
Many People, One Goal
Over 120 attendees gathered at this year’s ScyllaDB Engineering Summit. With the company rapidly growing, it was a great opportunity for dozens of new associates to put faces to names, while ScyllaDB veterans could welcome the new people on board and reunite with their long-time workmates.
Peyia, Paphos area with the Edro III shipwreck in the background
In our everyday work life, we work in different teams, we have different roles and responsibilities. The event gathered software engineers, QA engineers, product managers, technical support engineers, developer advocates, field engineers, and more. Some of us write the code, and others make sure it’s defect-free. Some take care of the ScyllaDB roadmap, while others provide assistance to ScyllaDB customers. If we were a Git project, we would live on different branches – but there, at the Summit, they would be merged into one. Sharing knowledge, brainstorming ideas, or discussing the things we’d like to improve, we had a profound sense of a common goal – to make a cool product we’re happy with and make the users happy, too.
Who-is-who team building activity
On the Road to Success
The goal is clear, but how do we get there? That question was the central theme of the event. The summit agenda was filled with technical sessions, each with ample time for Q&A. They were a great platform for engaging in discussions and brainstorming, as well as an opportunity to get an insight into other teams’ areas of work. The speakers covered a wide range of topics, including:
- ScyllaDB roadmap
- Security features
- Data distribution with tablets
- Strong data consistency with Raft
- Observability and metrics
- Improving customer experience
- Streamlining the management of our GitHub projects
- And many more
Dor Laor kicking off the Summit
Let’s Get The Party Started
The sessions were inspiring and fruitful, but hey, we were in Cyprus! And what is Cyprus famous for if not for its excellent food and wine, beautiful beaches, and holiday vibes? We could enjoy all those things at company dinners in beautifully located Cypriot restaurants – and at amazing beaches or quiet coves.
One of the many amazing beachside meals
Then came the party. Live music and a DJ putting on all-time hit songs got the crowd going. Rumor has it that engineers don’t know how to party. Please don’t believe it 🙂
Party time!
Off-Road Adventure
Mid-week, we took a break to recharge the batteries and went on an off-road jeep safari. Fifteen 4x4s took us on a scenic tour along the sea-coast of Paphos, where we could admire beautiful views.
Setting off on the jeep safari adventure
While enjoying a bumpy ride, we learned a lot about Cyprus’ history and culture from the jeep drivers, who willingly answered all our questions. From time to time, we stopped to see masterpieces of nature, such as a stunning gorge, waterfalls, and the Blue Lagoon, our favorite, where we swam in crystal-clear water.
A view over the lagoons, Akamas Peninsula
Together as One
It was an eventful Summit filled with many memorable moments. It inspired us, fed our spirits, and gave us some food for thought. But most importantly, it brought us together and let us enjoy a shared sense of purpose. When the Summit was coming to a close, we could genuinely feel that we were one team.
When we all got safely home, our CEO emailed us to say, “All of our previous summits were great, but this felt even better. The level of teamwork is outstanding, and many companies can just envy what we have here.” I couldn’t agree more.
Want to Join our Team?
ScyllaDB has a number of open positions worldwide, including many remote positions across Engineering, QA & Automation, Product, and more. Check out the complete list of open positions on our Careers page.
