Open Secret Santa and the Meaning of Work

At XBE, we have a long-standing holiday tradition: Secret Santa. The mechanics are simple - we randomly assign recipients and the company provides the budget - but the intent is specific. It is an annual exercise designed to help us see and show each other’s humanity.

This year, I’ve been thinking about why this tradition feels increasingly vital.

We are working in an era where technology allows individuals to be more capable than ever before. As specialization decreases, team sizes naturally shrink. Paradoxically, as we need "teamwork" less in the mechanical sense of handing off tasks, we need culture more.

We don’t work in a static environment where knowledge is codified and permanent. Knowledge is infinite, and its half-life is getting shorter. To keep up, we must rely on vulnerability and openness to expand our capabilities. We have to trust one another enough to say, "I don't know," so that we can learn what comes next.

Furthermore, the complex business and technical problems we solve don't come with built-in meaning. We create and share that meaning together and we depend on it to stay motivated when the work gets hard.

That is why we prioritize culture. Secret Santa is our solution to building relationships that might not otherwise form, but are essential to our collective success.

We take this same philosophy into our work with you. We strive to build customer relationships that go far beyond the immediate transaction. Just like inside our teams, we know that genuine connection is what enables us to create lasting value together.

Winter is our busy "innovation season," and we have a tremendous amount of exciting work ahead of us. We look forward to delivering those gifts in the coming months.

From all of us at XBE, I wish you a happy holiday season and a successful New Year.

With gratitude,

Sean Devine
Founder & CEO, XBE