When Connections Go Beyond the Screen

When Connections Go Beyond the Screen

This month, I had the opportunity to travel to Brunei 🇧🇳 and finally meet customers I’ve been working with for quite a while.

Despite having over 10 virtual meetings already, meeting them in person added a new depth to our relationship.

Here are a few takeaways that stood out:

1. A Healthy Pressure to Accelerate Learning

Over two packed days with one day buffer in the middle, we had 6 in-depth meetings planned.

Many topics required the kind of preparation that would usually involve collaboration across multiple teams. This time, I had to piece it all together myself.

I ended up learning more in that one month of preparation than I had over the past year.

1. Going the Extra Mile Feels Natural When It’s Personal
   An unexpected issue came up at 6 PM on day one.

The easy option was to leave it for later—but I knew that if I were the customer, I’d want to start the next day with answers.

So I stayed up, dug through logs, and had a clear explanation ready by midnight.

That effort felt worthwhile because I’d be seeing them face to face the next day.

(And bonus: I learned a lot through the process.)

1. The Power of Putting Faces to Names
   There’s something powerful about finally connecting in person.

It becomes easier to stay motivated when you know the people behind the emails, and the calls. Even better when you understand what matters to them.

P.S.
That’s me in a Brunei 🇧🇳 shirt with a bag full of local treats—both kindly gifted by customers. Their hospitality was truly heartwarming.