Relate
Work is a major part of our journey at Nebulab, but it's the bonds that enrich that journey which truly define us. It's our ode to deeper connections, shared moments, and relationships that make us more than just a team.
Team retreats
Once a year we all meet somewhere in the physical world for our team retreat, which typically lasts a week. Team retreats are an opportunity for us to recharge and spend some quality time together—we make sure our partners know that we won't be available during this time except for emergencies.
Once we've arrived at our destination, we get settled into the hotel, and then the fun begins.
During the week we will have a couple of days to run our own private Nebulab conference—where everyone gets to share knowledge through talks, workshops and activities—and the rest of the week is a mix of fun activities where every day is packed with a few different options you can choose from, depending on your mood and how adventurous you feel.
In order for the activities to not get overwhelming, we also leave plenty of room in the schedule where you can explore the venue or just chill, either on your own or with some colleagues, if you can manage to get them out of their sunbeds.
Our most recent retreat was in Ericeira, Portugal—we surfed, participated in agile workshops, visited Lisbon, and rewrote our Values together.
You can watch a glimpse of it here, and we look forward to seeing you at the next one!
Non-work Slack channels
Slack is our office and, just like a real office, not everything happening on Slack is related to work—any channel that has the "#social-" prefix is a place to have fun!
#social-cazzeggio (/katˈtsedʤo/) is our Slack channel dedicated to all random stuff. The name is Italian for "messing around" and it stayed, for lack of an equally powerful translation, from when we used to speak Italian in our Slack workspace.
Everyone is free to post whatever they want in the channel, and threads are encouraged so that multiple conversations can go on at the same time.
We also have a variety of thematic channels in Slack, for discussing certain topics or interests: #social-musicaddicted, #social-movieaddicted, #social-sports… Just have a look at the channels directory in Slack and join whatever channels are interesting to you!
Donuts
Making friends while working remotely can be particularly hard, and requires more dedication to make sure meaningful bonds are actually formed. For this reason we use Donut to give everyone the chance to connect in a more personal setting, mainly for fun, but also for work!
Intros
Twice a week, Donut will pair people in the #donut-everyone channel. It will kick off the conversation with a fun icebreaker and then encourage you to take a remote coffee (or donuts!) together.
The Donut can take any form you want, but usually it's a 20-30 minutes video call where you can talk about whatever's on your mind—it doesn't have to be work. In fact, most people use it to catch up about their hobbies, families, and personal lives, and to get to know colleagues in other teams/departments.
Pair programming
If you want have a more technical chat—albeit being very informal—you can join the #donut-pair-programming channel. Every month Donut will invite people from different teams to meet and schedule a 1-hour pair programming session. It's the perfect time to share cross-team initiatives and knowledge. More info is available in Initiatives .
Icebreakers
Every couple of days, Banter also proposes an icebreaker question in #social-cazzeggio, and everyone's encouraged to answer it.
Some of the icebreakers are fun and interesting, and the ensuing conversations are a great way to get to know each other on a more personal level. Some are… a bit over the top ("When was the last time you struggled to change your mind after learning something new that changed a long held belief you had?")—when that happens, it's still a good opportunity to make fun of the bot together.
Of course, if you have an icebreaker of your own, feel free to just post it in the channel and see what happens!
Happy Hours
Every Friday at Nebulab, we wrap up the week with a 1-hour Happy Hour extravaganza. It's not your typical team meeting. Instead, it's a cocktail of fun and bonding activities that helps us kick back and relax.
From challenging each other in board games, engaging in spontaneous chit-chat, diving deep into round tables about the latest tech topics, to teaming up for intriguing escape rooms—there's something for everyone.
And while you're immersing yourself in the activities, feel free to bring a beer, a soda, or your favorite non-alcoholic beverage. After all, it's all about winding down and relishing the company of your fantastic colleagues!
Birthdays and anniversaries
On the day of someone's birthday or work anniversary a nice celebratory message will be posted in #celebrations, so that the entire team can chime in with their love and a sea of emojis.
Luna Park events
At Nebulab, we've got a secret weapon for our special occasions: Luna Park . Ditching the conventional, we dive into their treasure trove of interactive games and are often led by fun hosts that bring out the best in all of us.
When we celebrate, it's not just about marking the calendar. It's about fostering connections, igniting laughter, and cementing memories that'll last for a while.
Luna Park Pairs
Looking for even more Luna Park? Once every other month a round of Luna Park Pairs goes out and everyone in #social-lunapark gets paired with another person from Nebulab in that channel to compete on a specific Luna Park challenge!
The best part? Every team is ranked within Nebulab and with other companies using Luna Park! It's time to show who's the boss.