Being a part of the tech world is interesting in that while we are trying to be innovative and different from other “average” companies, we’re also doing a lot of the same things other companies are doing: excessively spending money on things we think matter, but don’t really in the long run. This is the first sales kick-off at the company that I’ve attended, and although I was excited to come to see colleagues from around the world who I rarely get the opportunity to see and spend time with, a part of me dreaded it because I knew that although we’d be in sunny and beautiful Napa, we’d be spending all day in a windowless ballroom, doing work and having work related sessions to start off the year right. We wouldn’t have time to truly enjoy the gorgeous landscape that surrounded us or the warm and bright weather. The spa, tennis courts, and golf courses would be beckoning to us, but we’d have to be forced to ignore them. And the 8am daily starts will be very, very real. And remind us that we’re not here to relax; we’re here to work. It would have been nice if we had longer breaks to enjoy the property, scenery, and each other outside of our timed meals.