I’m here in Türkiye for the @Buffer retreat and reminded once again how uniquely tight of a Product team we have.

There’s just 4 of us, and we’re spread out all over the world with completely different backgrounds and perspectives despite technically having some degree of PM background. One of us (@Diego) is a nomad – meaning he & his partner are in a new place every few months. @Nathan runs a physical games store outside of his work & family life on the other side of the US from me. @Amanda expatted to Amsterdam over a decade ago. We get to see each other face-to-face once per year.

Yet we’ve invested so much time in simply getting to know each other, our lives, our struggles, our strengths, such that when we do meet in person, it feels like we’ve known each other for decades. We didn’t apply much structure to our “meeting time” because it never felt needed. We can be deeply candid & vulnerable with each other. We can find ways to align with & support each other at levels beyond “do you need resourcing?” or “let’s brainstorm on this problem space together”. We can get into the why and the often nuanced feelings behind how we’re feeling and what we need to be successful so naturally, and in a way that never feels uncomfortable or like prying.

It’s meaningful and tangible how powerful this feels.