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It’s that time of the year again when we all look back at the 12 months behind us. What were the highlights? The biggest lessons learned? Whose company did we enjoy the most?
For the First Line Software team, many of these answers can be found right in our offices, with our colleagues and friends. Every year together is memorable, but 2023 holds an extraordinary place in our hearts for all the growth and fun we’ve had together.
Let’s take a look back at the year 2023 and some of the amazing moments we shared. Of course, we can’t fit all the best moments in one place. But here are a few of our favorites — enjoy!
Every year, we hold our annual town hall. But this year, we kicked things up a notch with Sync Big! Like previous town halls, our leadership used this opportunity to speak directly to the entire First Line Software team to reflect on the year and the roadmap for the coming months.
Sync Big! was a major shift from our usual town hall format to a celebration of our success. The main event in Montenegro was broadcast live to local streaming parties worldwide. Our leaders took the stage following an inspiring video of our year, which set the tone for the rest of the evening.
Sync Big! was a more lighthearted take on the average town hall. Music, videos, food, and plenty of drinks and post-sync games kept our teams feeling happy and connected well into the evening.
If you want to read more about the event, you can head to last month’s blog here.
Christmas is a magical time for coming together and embracing the holiday spirit. This year, we wrapped ourselves in elegance and decadence with our holiday Heritage Galas. Held at multiple First Line Software locations, the galas were a chance for our team to dress up, enjoy some special holiday treats, and dance the night away.
Each location added its own personal touch to its gala through local foods, favorite music, and engaging party games. Our team heard inspiring messages from our local leaders during the events, followed by games and activities to get everyone moving and mingling.
In our final global event of the year, our team joined CEO Nick Puntikov for an online fireside chat. Nick gave our whole team a professional and personal glimpse into his life as he shared stories from his childhood and starting his career. A former programmer himself, Nick’s career took him to later starting a company before opening First Line Software with previous business partners.
The team had the chance to ask Nick questions about his life and thoughts on topics ranging from books and hobbies to life philosophies and the future of our company. After the talk, we held our annual lottery raffle, where lucky participants won incredible prizes. Among them was our online currency for our FLS FAM Hub, Beats headphones, a scooter, and even a new iPhone.
If there’s one thing we’ll remember about 2023, it’s how involved and active our team was. We saw several programs and initiatives launched both from our company and even from individual teammates.
This year, our BA Guild began hosting meetups about business analyst topics in collaboration with our FLS Influencers. The guild votes on a topic for discussion before the online meetups and generously shares their knowledge with the rest of the First Line Software team afterwards.
Our teammates work remotely, in the office, or a hybrid combination of the two. In 2023, we launched the FLS on the Map program, which allows our teammates to take Workations to a foreign office or move somewhere new while keeping their job. Our colleagues have taken the chance to visit their teams in other countries or work from exciting vacation destinations.
A few of our teammates initiated a meetup group to discuss and learn more about Optmizely DXP. After a successful meeting already under their belts this year, the group is planning more exciting events for next year. And we can’t wait to join them for a riveting discussion at the next meetup!
Who doesn’t love getting a stylish new tee shirt to wear to the next company party? Or a much-needed pop socket that matches your new First Line Software cap? Our FLS Influencers created an online hub that serves as a marketplace for all our most wanted First Line Software merch. Teammates earn our online currency to exchange in the market by attending company events and doing special activities that go above and beyond their typical work.
Speaking of being active, we had plenty of other chances to move our bodies, challenge one another to our favorite games, and enjoy a healthy lifestyle together.
Volleyball, table tennis, basketball — you could really take your pick of sports and activities during our Sports Days. During the summer months, our Czech Republic and Montenegro teams enjoyed a few days of friendly competition and pushing their limits.
No challenge is too big for our team, and several colleagues proved this by joining the annual Millennium Run in Montenegro. A total of 19 teammates ran, completing 5km races and 21km half marathons.
Our team’s value of supporting one another goes beyond those in the FLS FAM. We also give back to the community when we can, and look for opportunities to step up and help those around us. In 2023, we joined new groups and continued ongoing initiatives that lend a helping hand.
The Cini Dobro Foundation — which means “Do good foundation” in Montenegrin — supports several humanitarian and environmental causes in the local community. In 2023, we partnered with Cini Dobro and joined the organization for many volunteer events throughout the year. Here are a few initiatives we took part in and enjoyed.
For Earth Day, the First Line Software team joined Cini Dobro to help plant new trees at a school in Podgorica, Montenegro, as part of their “Do good, plant a tree” initiative. This project helped plant 90 seedlings at 18 different educational and social institutions in the area.
In partnership with the Institute of Blood Transfusion, First Line Software and Cini Dobro have been part of several blood drives to support local medical facilities.
Before the start of the school year, our team joined Cini Dobro and the Ucionica Druzionica Foundation to collect school supplies for children across the country. First Line Software also produced and donated notebooks designed specifically for the children, featuring our beloved mascot, Lucky.
In September, our team joined Cini Dobro on their coastal cleanup campaign to pick up litter around Galeb Beach in Podgorica and Buljarica Beach in Budva, Montenegro.
This partnership has been deeply gratifying, and we look forward to more charity work together in 2024. You can read more about our partnership on our blog here.
For the second year in a row, our Czech team participated in the annual TERIBEAR charity run to raise money for children growing up in foster care or who are at risk of being removed from their family’s home. Teammates joined in person for a 5km run in Prague or virtually tracked their distance to raise money for the cause.
And that wraps it up for us at First Line Software! It'll be difficult to top this last year, but we have high hopes for 2024. Check back here soon to stay up to date on all the latest First Line Software news!
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