10 stories from February
It’s growing season
If January was all about planning, then February was about doing. And then doing some more. We launched long-awaited initiatives, embraced new opportunities to serve our community, and showed up for one another in meaningful ways.
It was a full, sometimes emotional month, so let’s look back and unpack what we experienced.
Inside our coaching session
The month started with our first group coaching session with Tünde.
We explored how we can deepen our relationships, become more connected, and be more intentional with one another. In the coming months, we’ll split into two groups to share perspectives on communication, friendship at work, and how stronger relationships influence not only our work, but our lives.
Cris also began 1:1 coaching sessions with Tünde, focusing on identifying areas where he can grow as a leader. During one of the sessions, she asked him a powerful question: Would you rather set rules or offer guidelines?
That question opened something up.
When you lay down rules, people stop feeling like they own what they’re doing. It becomes about compliance, doing something because they’ve been told to. There’s no heart in it, no real investment. It’s just ticking boxes and staying out of trouble.
But when it comes to guidelines, that’s a different story entirely. When you give people guidelines instead of rigid rules, you’re trusting them to figure out the path forward. You’re giving them the framework, but they get to fill in the details. And that creates ownership.
Suddenly, people are not following orders, but choosing how to show up and do the work. It shifts the focus from simply getting the job done to who they’re becoming in the process.
February 11
Culture: When one colleague's world becomes ours
A few of us headed to BT Arena to watch U-BT play.
The atmosphere was electric. It felt even more special because Anda, a huge basketball fan and former player, was there with us. Seeing it through her eyes made the whole experience feel different. More alive.
We believe there’s something powerful about stepping into someone else’s world for an evening. This is a part of Anda’s world, and we wanted to be part of it.
That’s the culture we’re after, where someone’s passion doesn’t stay theirs alone. It becomes something we all get to experience together. We weren’t just there for the game. We were there because it matters to her, and that’s reason enough.
We want more of that.
February 12
Bookclub: Stories we carried in
We finally brought back one of our bookclubs, and we didn’t realize how much we had missed them until we were back in the room.
We spoke about our own book, and I shared my personal journey with it. How life took me from authoritarian systems to growing inside a work environment that truly puts people first. That shift, from seeing leadership as a title to understanding it as a lifelong process of becoming, sits at the heart of our book. It’s a journey I want to write about properly in a future newsletter, so I’ll save the full story for then.
What followed was exactly why we do this. Four people, four books, and four completely different worlds.
The evening didn't end there. A few of us carried the energy into a screening of Hamnet, Gabi’s pick, naturally (he is deeply passionate about cinema). It was tragic, intense, and beautifully made. If you haven't seen it, you should.
February 13
About young innovators
Cris paid a visit to students at the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca (UTCN) who are building a solar-powered car.
They had previously come to our office to share their journey and their bold goal of competing in a race in Australia. This time, Cris got to see them in their own space, surrounded by tools, wires, components, and controlled “chaos”. It was inspiring.
Everyone had a role. Everyone was focused. They moved with clarity and purpose, like a system that only works because each individual takes responsibility. Their energy, dedication, and teamwork were remarkable. It felt like that quiet, determined effort that builds extraordinary things.
Being around young people who care that much about what they’re building is both humbling and energizing.
We’re rooting for them.
Pressing record
Later that same day, we turned our attention to something we had postponed for far too long. We finally set up our podcast room and recorded our very first episode, with Iulia as our guest.
Behind the scenes, Deni and Anda made it all happen. Deni handled the technical setup and carried the invisible pressure of wanting everything to go perfectly. There were emotions. Good emotions. Emotions that show how much you care.
For all of us, it felt like checking off a goal that had been sitting on our list for years. We’ve had the equipment for a long time. What we were missing was the courage to stop waiting for the right moment.
It was a first for everyone in that room. A first podcast for those of us who built it. And a first for Iulia too, stepping in front of a microphone in a whole new format, and having the courage to speak about her personal journey. That kind of vulnerability doesn’t come easy. But she showed up for it fully.
We’re still deciding whether to release the episode publicly or record it again. But regardless of what we choose, we’re glad we finally did it.
It was a first step. And it mattered.
On recruitment: Ownership earned and given
February brought new responsibilities, and the people ready to carry them.
Our recruitment process was led by Florina, Iuli, and Cosmin. The interviews, which had mostly been Cris’s territory until now, were theirs to run. This time, ownership was fully transferred.
It was a role reversal in many ways. Not long ago, they were the ones sitting in the candidate’s chair. Now, they were on the other side of the conversation, asking the questions and deciding who belongs on this team.
And Cris trusted them to do it well.
Cosmin shared that the experience strengthened his own understanding of key concepts. Having to explain and clarify ideas for candidates forced him to structure his thinking and revisit fundamentals. Teaching, in a way, became learning.
This process also gave us another window into who Florina is becoming. Watching her grow has been one of those joys that’s hard to put into words. Intern. Contributor. Developer. Initiative owner. Interviewer. And someone who mentors colleagues like Mălina. Growth like this is mainly built through trust, ownership, and consistency.
You can’t manufacture it. You can only create the conditions for it, and then get out of the way.
February 20–21
Hackathon: A weekend of building
As part of our recruitment process, we hosted a hackathon. Out of nearly 200 applications, nine participants were selected to join us for a weekend of building a mission-driven software product.
Cris opened the day by sharing our culture, our values, and the thinking behind how we work. Florina guided the technical part, making sure every team had the clarity and support they needed to move forward. The nine participants split into three teams and got to work on projects designed to create genuine value, most of them centered around skills and meaningful exchanges between people.
There was deep focus, but also lightness. We ate pizza. We laughed. We talked about hobbies in between coding sessions.
Some participants stayed until 4 AM. One of them, Sergiu, didn’t sleep at all. He worked continuously until 10:30 PM the following day. An incredible display of drive and commitment.
The next day, after breakfast and lunch together, each team presented their project. What stood out was not just the technical execution, but the thoughtfulness behind the ideas and the way they worked together. There was care in what they built.
In the end, Denis and Andrei joined us part-time. The decision was based on long-term fit, team dynamics, and shared values. But even for those who didn’t continue with us immediately, the door remains open. We’re excited to stay connected and support all participants through future initiatives, tools, and mentorship.
February 25
Announcing our way back to the States
We’re heading back to the States for an event on Leadership in Tech (Austin, Texas, March 3), and we couldn’t be more excited. Cris will moderate the discussion, and Mir Hwang will share his story.
When Linnify suggested inviting him, it immediately resonated with us. As a touring session drummer, he ran into the same frustrations many of us know: inefficiencies, gaps, and broken systems (in his case, booking live entertainment). Instead of accepting the status quo, he chose action. He built the solution himself, discovering along the way that he wasn’t the only one facing these challenges.
That’s the kind of leadership we believe in. Seeing what needs fixing, taking ownership, and creating meaningful solutions for the community.
We’re looking forward to this conversation, exploring together what leadership in tech can look like when it’s grounded in purpose, action, and care.
February 26
Official book launch: Leadership before it has a name
Our official book launch was an unforgettable evening.
We were joined by Iulia, Gabi, Ioana, and Marius (the author of “Păturica roz”), who each shared powerful reflections on human-centered leadership. Their stories added depth, perspective, and warmth to the conversation.
Afterward, Cris and I stepped into a Q&A session.
Later that night, I felt the need to put into words what the experience meant to me.
It was the first time I had spoken in front of such a large audience.
Emotion rushed through me. My throat went dry. My voice trembled.
I tried to gather my thoughts, but it wasn’t easy. After answering the first question, I paused and took a breath. The second one felt slightly lighter. I kept my answers short and clear because I didn’t want to overcomplicate things. Still, a part of me felt I could have said more. I was afraid of losing myself in my own words.
But as more questions came, I stopped fighting the emotion and started flowing with it. I felt my body relax. My voice carried more confidence. And it felt good.
It’s hard to explain how much can happen inside you in less than an hour. It felt like a small inner journey, from fear to presence. The tension became trust.
The very things we fear are often the ones that free us once we face them.
What a beautiful time to be alive. To feel joy and fear in the same breath. That, to me, is what leadership is truly about.
February 27
Project H.U.M.A.N.: A podcast for young builders
We closed the month with an invitation to the Project H.U.M.A.N. podcast, alongside Adrian and Robert.
The podcast is created for young professionals at the beginning of their journey. The conversation focused on that stage of life, with the uncertainties, the ambitions, the constant search for direction and meaning.
Cris spoke about his professional path, the lessons learned along the way, and how both the wins and the struggles shaped him. We talked about the realities behind growth and how these experiences can serve as guidance for those just starting out.
He also shared the intention behind our book: creating resources that resonate with young professionals who are just starting out and trying to understand what leadership, growth, and healthy work environments truly mean.
For us, being invited into conversations like this is an opportunity to share our story and the values we live by with a wider audience, and hopefully encourage young people to seek, build, and contribute to healthy, mission-driven environments.
We’re grateful to be part of initiatives that genuinely invest in the next generation.
I carry these lessons with me:
When you give people guidelines instead of rules, they take ownership, and in doing so, they work on their own becoming.
We keep waiting for the right moment. The barrier was never out there. It was always just us.
The very things we fear are often the ones that free us once we face them.
Teaching, in a way, becomes learning.
This month’s invitation:
Think of a friend or someone you work alongside every day. What’s one thing that genuinely lights them up? A sport, a hobby, or a passion they mention in passing but rarely get to share? This month, show up for it.
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