I will be completing 2 years at rtCamp soon 🎉 and here’s a post on my life here.
You might be aware of rtCamp’s tagline: Good Work. Good People. I just wanted to write a few words on my experience working here since 2019.
We just launched waldosfriends.org after about 1.5 months of development. I learned a lot of lessons working on this project and during my time here in general. Here’s a summary of them:
The rtFamily
When I joined rtCamp and heard the phrase “we are a family,” I was skeptical at first. I had heard about companies where they would use the exact phrase to be manipulative to their employees, for example.
But as I got along, I realized how caring everyone was – starting from the CEO, who I had met a few years before joining, to the HR team who took my interview and the rest of the company.
I was more convinced when I met everyone for the first time in 2020 (pre-covid). The way rtCamp treated us during this journey was special, and I will likely remember it for years to come.
Application of the term reality groups
This section of my post may feel contradictory to the one before, but it really is not.
I was listening to a lecture by Robert Greene on the Talks at Google YouTube channel. In this, he talks about when too much empathy can get in the way. Robert calls a group that comes together to make something or create a product as a reality group. In his words:
It's not there for emotional purpose, it's not there for people to be friends, or to get out their ya-yas. It's to make something. So you're grounded in reality, you're practical.
So, when one team member is not working as hard as the rest of them, it’s time to replace that individual for the greater good. Otherwise, that could jeopardize the project you and the rest of the team have been working hard on.
One of the principles at rtCamp (and should be in any company for that matter) is sustainability. Therefore, it is better to deal with issues as early as they arise, including when someone’s attitude and performance are not up to par. Therefore, I liked the way rtCamp handled such situations.
A short story about regional WordCamps
When I got accepted as a speaker at WordCamp US back in 2019, I remember how we tried to make sure I get to the WCUS stage. I won’t bore you with details, but rtCamp did everything they could.
Even after I could not make it there, I managed to get there as a remote speaker with Jason Bahl on stage.
I believe the intention and actions we take are what matters. The outcome of the matter is not in our hands. So, the result of the WCUS incident was indeed joyful for me.
Similarly, rtCamp helped me get to the WordCamp Asia speaker stage, and I already had tickets and visas until the event was canceled due to COVID-19.
The freedom afforded by remote work
If you have not figured it out already, rtCamp is a fully remote organization. This means I get to work on my job from where I live in Colombo, Sri Lanka 🇱🇰, while rtCamp is located in India 🇮🇳 and the US 🇺🇸. It also means I can technically travel anywhere 🌎 without a hindrance to my job.
This freedom, I believe, is invaluable, and it’s a pity that companies forced into remote work do not exercise it the right way. Employers who realize this is not the time to squeeze every waking hour of the employee and micromanage them would be the eventual winners of the remote-work situation. For some folks, location freedom is precious, and companies who complement that with good processes and culture are dream companies to work at.
The culture at rtCamp
If you ask me to summarize the culture at rtCamp in a single word, I’d likely use the words “welcoming” or “mature”.
What I love most about rtCamp is how everyone, including management, gives/receives feedback. I can communicate directly if I have a suggestion to improve something, and rtCamp is all ears. A person’s ability to take critical feedback like a champ is something I admire a lot.
As a younger person, I would often take offense if someone pointed out my flaws and question their intention. Now, I have learned enough to thank someone who points out my flaws or gives critical feedback. I, for one, would give feedback to someone who I respect. So, I believe it’s a moral obligation to thank someone who respects us enough to give us kind advice.
Say hello 👋
TLDR; my time at rtCamp has been nothing short of wonderful 😊.
If you’d like to work alongside me on some challenging projects, head over to careers.rtcamp.com, or feel free to reach out to me.
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