We’re a remote-first company. We collaborate on Slack and ship across time zones. And yet, once in a while, we pause.
We meet. We connect. We step away from our screens once a year at our Annual Engineering Offsite.
In Kovalam, India. That's exactly what we did. 120+ engineers and leaders, flown in from across the globe, under one roof.
Before It All Began…
Sometimes, the best stories begin even before the “official start.”
We arrived at Leela Kovalam, a stunning property overlooking the sea—the kind of place that instantly slows you down and makes you realize this is going to be special.
The evening set the tone perfectly.
Dinner was arranged alongside a live screening of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Final — India vs New Zealand on a large screen.
And as if scripted…
🇮🇳 India won.
Cheers, energy, celebrations—it didn’t feel like a work offsite anymore. It felt like the start of something exciting.
👉 🧭 Day 1 — Direction, Depth & Discussions
Day 1 kicked off with clarity and intent.
Setting the Direction
The offsite opened with Dzmitry’s session, setting the tone and direction for where Apollo Engineering is headed.
There was a strong signal: We’re not just scaling systems—we’re evolving how we think.
AI at the Core
One of the most engaging early sessions was by Karan Kakwani: “AI Assistant — ReAct vs Planning Agent”
This wasn’t just theoretical—it sparked real thinking around:
- how we design intelligent systems
- how agents behave
- and where AI is heading in real-world applications
Talent, Hiring & AMA
I had the opportunity to present India Talent Acquisition updates, alongside Saravana, followed by an AMA with Rachel Noble.
One line that really resonated with everyone: “Recruitment is a team sport.”
Product & Data Deep Dive
The second half of the day was packed with high-value sessions:
- Priya — Record Enrichment: Feature Release
- Rahul Lahane & Vivek A — Native Data Unplugged: Phone Numbers & Agentic Scrapers
- Monica, Sourabh A & Akshay — Product Metrics that Matter @ Apollo
Each session brought a different lens on scale, data, and decision-making.
Evening: From Systems to Sports
And then… we switched modes. Badminton matches, TT matches, Beach Volleyball, and a sea breeze at sunset.
The day ended with dinner, laughter, and intense rounds of Mafia (which got very competitive 😄).
👉 🤖 Day 2 — AI, Vision & Engineering Depth
If Day 1 set the stage, Day 2 went deeper.
AMA with Leadership
The day began with an AMA session with Matt Curl (CEO). Open, honest, and insightful—it gave a clear view into company direction, priorities, and long-term thinking.
Thinking in the Age of AI
One of the strongest themes of the entire offsite: AI is not optional anymore.
Sessions throughout the day reinforced this:
- Raja Karumuri — Deep insights into AI thinking
- Keshav/Anshul — Apollo Engine: Engineering Excellence in the Age of AI
- Kavya — MCP: What and How
- Akshay Goel & Amol — Journey of NL Search: 40% → 90% accuracy
- Sid — Apollo Vertical Agent
This wasn’t just about AI as a tool. It was about AI as a mindset shift.
Team Building
The evening was focused on team building activities—less about code, more about collaboration.
Because behind every great system is a strong team dynamic.
👉 🏆 💃 Day 3 — Teams, Competition & Celebration
Day 3 was lighter on formal sessions, but heavier on energy.
Breakout Sessions
Teams spent time in smaller groups aligning, discussing, and solving.
This is where a lot of real work happens.
Team Activities
And then came the competitive spirit. A series of fun team-building games followed, with Team Yellow taking the win 🥇, though the energy and enthusiasm were unmatched across all teams.
Dinner Party
The offsite wrapped up with great food, good music, dance, and laughter.
👉✈️ Day 4 — Heading Back, Taking More Than Just Memories
The final day marked our return, but we left with much more than we came with: stronger connections, clearer alignment, deeper business understanding, and a renewed sense of purpose.
🌱 Final Reflection
If I had to sum up the offsite in one line, I would say:
“From AI to architecture, from hiring to culture, and from sessions to sunsets. This offsite brought everything together”
#ApolloEngineering #EngineeringOffsite #AI #TeamCulture #Hiring #BuildingTogether
