Knock knock — it’s me again! I am Devanshee Kalpeshkumar Vankani, a Fullstack Developer at Fullscript, part of the Discovery pod. Last week, I had the chance to attend Fullscript’s engineering and product on-site, week full of connection, curiosity, and quiet takeaways. This is my take on how the week unfolded, what stood out through my pink specs 🤓, and how I chose to make the most of the time we had together .

Planning the First “Hey”

On-sites are interesting. A chance to say “How’s it going?” to old faces and “Hi, I’m someone you want to remember, maybe,” to the new ones. The ratio of first to second is 1:9.

For a company like Fullscript, where most of the engineers work remotely, on-sites for an introverted developer like me could be intimidating 🥹. I’d like to share some “not-so-exciting” parts about how I felt one week before a one-week-long on-site that we had. I was an outgoing personality back in school, and then the pandemic hit. Everyone was locked in, and I didn’t see or make any more friends for the next three years or so. That was the time that changed me inside out. When I talk about this with my friends and colleagues, I share this common experience with a lot of them. I was genuinely nervous about how I’d interact with people I hadn’t met before. The thought of starting conversations and figuring out what to talk about with so many new faces over the next 3 to 4 days made me feel pretty anxious.

So this is how I prepared beforehand for my product and engineering on-site. First things first, I had prepared myself mentally to go up to someone new and not hesitate to stir up a conversation. I believe the other person there might equally want to build this connection. It’s about the first “Hey” and a good ice breaker 🧊 to start the conversation. This brings me to my next point: icebreakers and opening questions. I felt asking a random question straight up wasn’t a good idea. I mean, let’s say I am somewhere in the middle having lunch along with some known colleagues, and someone comes up to me and asks, “How many tabs are open on your browser right now?” That could be so awkward, lol 😂. The point is that conversation won’t go a long way, and there’s a chance that an awkward silence might follow. I believe if we consider adding personalization to everyone (including “search,” which doesn’t suck anymore, woohoo!), why not something that’s personal to start a chat? So this is what I planned to do. I had in mind my story here at Fullscript that I’d start chatting about. My role, my team, my amazing leads, my career path, domain, current/upcoming projects, etc. This way, I knew what I would be talking about and that the other person would be able to relate to it so well and continue the conversation.

Moving on to the next one, my motive was to make meaningful connections which could be long-term, not giving me the feeling of “forced socialization.” At this point, I felt that there wouldn’t be any discomfort or awkwardness anymore. So then would be the time to go ahead with fun questions like, “Are you planning any trips or time off this year?” which I believe would set a nice, friendly tone to this professional connection. Finally comes the awkward silence. It does occur 😆. I also understood from my previous experience that it might feel rude for either of you to end the conversation, but it shouldn’t be, right? Having some kind gestures like a handshake and a smile with, “It was nice chatting with you. Thank you. I will see you around,” would be just the right last lifecycle hook. So what next? Start everything from step 1, but this time with more confidence, comfort, and calmness with a new face 😄.

I can vouch for this technique. It worked perfectly for me. My on-site was fun and more fulfilling than ever.

Travel Day

Fortunately, my manager and I were on the same flight and even ended up with adjacent seats. I feel this 59-minute flight didn’t allow us to finish our beer, but it definitely gave me just enough time to have a perfect 1:1 with my lead. I wish for more such 1:1s 35,000 feet above sea level, lol. I shared how nervous and overwhelmed I felt about meeting new people, and the best advice I got was, “The other person equally wants that chat. Just go for it and let things flow.” That conversation gave me the boost I needed. After checking in at the hotel, we had a team dinner, and it felt great to catch up with familiar faces and try orange wine from Italy.

Day 1: Getting into the Groove

We kicked things off with a fun little icebreaker. Everyone had a nametag with a design, and we had to figure out our group based on that. It was a great way to mingle where I ended up chatting with someone from Mumbai, and we instantly bonded over our shared love for vada pav. The conversation then drifted into AI opinions and fun questions like “Whose job would you swap with?” and “How many tabs do you have open on your laptop?” (I had 6; someone else had over 350!). This definitely helped with flow in conversations and setting up the right tone ✨. What I really appreciated was how intentionally this session was crafted. The icebreaker wasn’t just fun, it was a subtle way to ease people in, especially for those of us who might not naturally gravitate to big group conversations. There was no pressure to perform or be “on” all the time. The environment felt warm and low-stakes, where every personality type could find their own rhythm to connect and participate. It was clear that a lot of thought went into making sure everyone, whether outgoing or reserved, felt welcomed and supported from the start.

The first big session of the day was on Product Direction & Future Vision, where the VP of Engineering and our CEO talked about various areas of growth and development of the company. We then heard a series of Trials and Triumphs talks that were honest, personal stories from our leaders. One talked about how career paths aren’t always linear and it’s okay to pivot. Another emphasized how curiosity and creativity outside of work matter, while someone else shared thoughts on change management and the importance of focusing on process, not just outcomes. One session broke down the stages every team goes through: forming, storming, norming, and performing.

We ended the day with a Foundations Dinner Canada’s version of “Chai pe charcha”, except it was more like “Cocktail pe charcha” 🍸. It was a great chance to casually connect with team leads, senior devs, directors, and more in a casual setting. Conversations ranged from career tips and early friction with the usage of Cursor AI to favorite street foods and vacation plans.

Day 2: AI, Insights, and Pinball Nostalgia

Day 2 began with inspiring stories from our staff engineers. They shared how they got into programming, what keeps them going, and how their passion isn’t just about creating better user experiences, it’s also about improving the developer experience. It was motivating to hear how deeply they care about solving problems at every level. For me, it was a reminder of why I started coding in the first place. What stood out to me again was how open and honest the space felt. These weren’t overly polished or rehearsed stories — each talk gave us room to relate, reflect, and take what we needed from it.

Next up was a leadership Ask Me Anything session, always a favorite. Hearing their thoughts on AI really gave me a fresh perspective on how to approach my work. It felt like we’re in the first wave of something huge, and as a junior developer, I need to learn how to swim and surf. What really stood out was how high the performance bar is today, with AI tools acting as superpowers for developers. Given how much Fullscript is investing in this space, it only makes sense for us to push ourselves to use these tools to the fullest. It was also validating to hear that others are facing similar challenges in figuring out how to learn and make the most of what’s out there. Even the AMA felt like it was created with care. You could raise your hand or just listen, and it all felt equally valid. Whether you were the kind of person who liked to ask questions in the moment or just quietly absorbed the insight, there was room for both. It made me feel comfortable being in the audience, knowing that I didn’t have to show up a certain way to belong.

Later, we broke into small groups for an AI breakout conversation, where we shared experiences, compared tools, and explored how AI is influencing our daily work 🤖. One major theme that came up was trust and risk, not just in the tools themselves but in how we’re choosing to rely on them. This conversation felt like a reality check. It was clear that developers are using AI in very different ways. Some talked about how it helped them ramp up quickly in unfamiliar codebases or even switch between languages like Python and Ruby with ease. While I was hoping for deeper conversations around tools like MCPs or n8n, and practical techniques to make the most of AI, what I heard instead were challenges that closely mirrored my own day-to-day struggles with using these tools effectively in development. The discussion brought up how AI is reshaping the developer role itself. The topic of job security surfaced, and it really made me think. Expectations are shifting rapidly, and it’s affecting everyone, from junior developers to senior engineers. This wasn’t just a chat about tools but a moment to reflect on where we’re heading and how we want to grow with the tech. What I loved most about this session was how well the format encouraged open, judgment-free discussion. Being in a smaller group helped lower the stakes, and it felt like everyone had the space to voice their opinions, hesitations, and hopes without feeling out of place. These kinds of breakouts are so important for people who process best through dialogue — not debate. And that balance was really respected throughout.

And finally the most fun part: The House of Targ, a full-on pinball arcade! I used to play pinball on my Windows XP back in 2010, so playing on real machines with different levels and quirks was nostalgic. Alongside the games, I had some amazing chats learning about how the payments team works, how optimizing even a single method like map or filter could affect revenue. I even ended up in a mini Shark Tank-style discussion with one of the VPs and got some valuable business insight on projects I might be involved in soon. It was one of those days where you leave feeling full — AI, business, code, and great conversations with new people.

Day 3: AI Build Day — My Favorite Part

Day 3 was the one I was most excited about — AI Build Day. After days and weeks of hearing buzzwords and cool ideas, it was finally time to dive in, learn something new, and build something real. The goal was simple: create something in a day using AI tools. What blew me away was the sheer number of resources we had access to, including Cursor AI, Windsurf, n8n, Azure OpenAI, a list of MCPs, AWS Bedrock, Gemini, and ChatGPT-4o. I knew it was up to me to make the most of it.

I teamed up with ChatGPT and built an n8n automation workflow that listened to GitLab merge request events, pulled the branch diff, passed it to Azure’s LLM to summarize the changes and calculate a risk score, and then sent it all to a Slack channel as a notification. It was definitely challenging, but also super exciting to see it come together. I managed to get it working, demo it, and take part in what felt like a mini hackathon. I walked away from the day feeling confident, content, and extremely grateful for the resources, the support, and the chance to explore cutting-edge tech in such a hands-on way 🚶🏽‍♀️. What made Build Day even more special was how accessible it felt. You didn’t have to be the loudest person in the room or the most experienced engineer to contribute meaningfully. Whether you were building something solo, pairing with someone, or just walking around absorbing inspiration from other demos, there was no wrong way to participate. That flexibility gave everyone regardless of background, pace, or personality the chance to show up authentically and walk away feeling accomplished.

Wrapping Up

Something that really stuck with me from one of the lightning talks was this idea: everyone is a leader, regardless of their title or position. And honestly, I saw that come to life throughout the onsite. I’m incredibly grateful to every Fullscripter who made this experience so special. Everyone I met was kind, open, and genuinely supportive. There was always space to speak up, ask questions, share ideas, and even just have a good laugh. From growth tips to deep discussions to random fun chats, it all added up to something meaningful. The thoughtfulness behind the onsite’s design, spanning big keynotes to quiet breakout groups, made it a space where every kind of person could engage in a way that felt natural to them. Whether you recharge in conversation or in observation, it never felt like you had to change who you are to belong here.

So here’s a toast to every Fullscripter who is a true leader with empathy, curiosity, and generosity. Thank you for making this onsite unforgettable. Cheers 🥂💚!