Atolye15's 2023 Highlights and Memorable Milestones

At Atolye15, we're known for our lively office and fun times at our famous parties and retreats. In fact, after our latest New Year party, we’ve often had people come up to us and say: “Do you even work at all?” Well, of course, we do! Behind our fun-loving image, there’s some serious amount of hard work and dedication. And in 2023, we wanted to flip the script and bring those behind-the-scenes efforts to the forefront. So, let’s take a look back at a year where we put our tech skills at the center but didn't forget to strengthen our bonds either.‍‍

‍Atolye15.com: New and Improved

We kicked off the year with an exciting launch – our fresh, new website! Our previous site was with us for a good six years, a period in which Atolye15 transformed immensely. As we embraced all these changes, it only made sense to start 2023 with a fresh online face. This time around, we opted for Webflow as our CMS. The choice was clear; we needed a platform that could keep up with our pace, allowing us to quickly update not just our services but share our stories, blogs, and event updates too. We've been big fans of Webflow for a while, using it for the landings of our products mostly, and now, it's powering our site as well.

‍The Big Bang: A Project Explosion

As the year started to heat up, we hit an epic milestone we proudly call the Big Bang! It marked the largest deployment yet in our digital transformation project with our long-term German partner, Heinrich Schmid. For three intense days, our office turned into a development camp, with teams working around the clock. In the end, we successfully launched four major new features, the result of a year-long hard work! If you're curious about the processes that made this release a success, you can read more about the Big Bang here.

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From Coding Challenges to Amsterdam

This year was also the year of our Coding Challenges. We organized these events to discover the exceptional talents within our community and provide a platform for them to showcase their skills while networking with like-minded developers.

In both Izmir and Ankara, participants who love JavaScript took on the challenge of developing a production-ready product using TypeScript and GraphQL. And the outcomes were impressive! But the excitement didn't stop there. The winners earned a trip to JSNation 2023 in Amsterdam, the largest JavaScript conference in Europe. In this melting pot of the latest in software development, our winners got a chance to learn, network, and celebrate JS in a vibrant global setting. You can dive into their journey in more detail here.

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Berlin Trip: A Journey Into Europe’s Tech Hub

Then came the biggest highlight of our year: our Berlin trip! Instead of our usual summer retreats by the beach, an event we're quite known for, we decided to do something a bit closer to our European roots. This time, we headed to our Berlin branch, Atolye15 GmbH, located in the tech hub and startup capital of Europe. Some of our German partners dropped by too. It was like a catch-up in our second home, hanging out with the team and setting up new plans right where the action is. For the full scoop on our latest visit and the story of our European expansion, check out our blog post here.

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German Partners at the Atolye15 HQ

In May, excitement filled the air as we hosted our German partners at our Headquarters, transforming our space into a five-day work camp. Our partners got an up-close look at the daily rhythm of Atolye15. They saw how their requested features came to life, understanding our systems, code quality, and the detail that goes into our work. Together, we celebrated the milestones we've achieved and laid out new roadmaps for our exciting future plans. If you're curious about how our partnerships have evolved and flourished over the years, check out this video testimonial offering a direct perspective from our German partners themselves.

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Homecoming: Reviving the Atolye15 Spirit

After focusing on the technical side of things and spending months apart, we finally felt it was time for a reunion. Because we've always been more than just a development team. We're a tight-knit bunch who enjoy each other's company just as much as we love working together. Despite the perks of our remote work lifestyle and the freedom it brings, nothing quite matches the buzz and warmth of being together. So, we decided to bring back the magic with an event named 'Homecoming.'

Homecoming was an epic mix of work, fun, and nostalgia. At first, we were shoulder to shoulder, working in the office, reminded of the unique energy that flows when we're physically together. Then came the celebration, a feast with laughter, toasts, and dancing that lasted into the night. And as if our reunion wasn't reason enough to celebrate, we also marked our 14th anniversary. Standing strong for over a decade in this ever-changing industry is a testament to our team’s resilience and shared culture. In the end, Homecoming '23 wasn't just a gathering; it was a dual celebration of our past and our path ahead.

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Conference Season and Community Engagement

In November, the season for community engagement and conferences rolled around, kicking off with JSKonf 2023. JSKonf is a special organization with a mission to foster growth within the JavaScript community. As JS enthusiasts ourselves, we eagerly took the opportunity to contribute, sharing our knowledge and experiences. Our Lead Developer, Erinç, took the stage with an insightful presentation on "Type-safe communication with GraphQL," which you can also watch here.

Shortly after, we found ourselves at Google DevFest '23, one of the largest gatherings in our tech community. This event brings together a diverse group of professionals, developers, and tech enthusiasts, all passionate about software development as much as we are. Naturally, we didn’t hesitate to take our place among them! And before this season drew to a close, our Developer, Halis, rocked the Hello Talks stage with his presentation on “Applying Solid Principles in React and Related Design Patterns.” Again, it was a year dedicated to giving back and engaging with our community.

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Brand-New Intern Bootcamp Concept

As we neared the year's end, we decided to shake things up with a brand new concept for our 9th Intern Bootcamp, this time focusing on Business Development. With our dev, design, and project management teams going strong for years, we felt it was crucial to boost our sales and marketing side too. So we opened the doors for new interns excited to explore international operations with us on our European journey. We gathered a group of sharp, young minds and walked them through the real-life challenges and opportunities of expanding globally, pushing them to unleash their potential. And they blew us away with their ideas and energy! Out of this talented bunch, two stars really stood out, and we can't wait to see them bring their fresh perspectives to our team.

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Celebrating Years of Dedication

Just when we thought our year couldn't get any better, we hit yet another milestone: the 100th sprint of our Baumappe project. That's more than four years of dedication and teamwork! To celebrate this remarkable achievement, we decided to do something special for our team — probably one of our favorite tokens of appreciation to date!

Long-term partnerships are a hallmark of our work at Atolye15, and 2023 was another year that highlighted these enduring relationships. With Peak, the unicorn gaming startup acquired by Zynga, we've stepped into the 7th year of handling their entire web operations. And with the world-renowned Volvo Cars, we've been syncing the official website with its global presence for the last five years. Frankly speaking, years like these are second nature to us because we’re built for the long run!

But the real reason 2023 was so special for us at Atolye15 wasn't just the projects we conquered, the conferences we attended, or the tech events we organized. It was mostly because we got to truly appreciate the people who've been our rock– our team. This year we celebrated the anniversaries of some of our OGs, the ones who've been with us from the early days. Our CTO Alpcan hit the big 10-year mark, Developer Hasan notched up nine years, Studio Manager Duygu hit seven years, Lead Developer Erinç clocked in six years, Our PM Ecem celebrated a solid five, Developer Ali Ihsan marked his fifth anniversary, and our beloved chef Seço spiced up our lives for five years! We know that these aren't just numbers; they're rare stories of sticking together through thick and thin in an industry that never stops changing. And for that, we couldn’t be more grateful!

As we look back on a year we thought would be all about slowing down and showcasing mostly our tech triumphs, it's safe to say 2023 surprised us in the best possible way. Sure, we set out to spotlight our technical expertise, but as it turns out, Atolye15 just can't do things quietly. As we wave goodbye to this thrilling chapter, we carry forward the lessons, the memories, and the stronger bonds. Here's to the future, to the adventures that await, and to Atolye15, where we turn even the ordinary into something extraordinary. Cheers to what's next, and may it be just as surprising and fulfilling!