Hi everyone,
This is the MAQE website team.
Seeing this article means we have successfully released the last update to the production environment (woooow!) 🤣🧡💙
And this is our story from the farewell party last Friday at MAQE.
Farewell Party
On Oct 25, we gathered one last time at MAQE.
With a mix of emotions, new faces, and familiar ones gathered for a farewell party, looking back at our memories and creating one of the most invaluable moments together.
It was a hybrid event with all the TVs, speakers, and microphones set up. It felt so great to see some of MAQErs in different countries were able to join online, sending their warm greetings to those in the office. We didn’t exactly count but it seemed like more than 80 of us at the party! The energy was high as people strolled in, greeted by friends and colleagues they hadn’t seen for long. We could see faces light up as people caught up and swapped stories about everything from wild project deadlines to legendary adventures at company outings.
All the fun stuff
Everything kicked off with a photo hunt mission as our warm-up activity, taking us on a nostalgic trip through photos from past meetups. Then, a few words from our co-founders, Andreas and Drew. Their heartfelt message was a bittersweet mix of kindness and gratitude for everyone who has been part of this journey (Read Drew’s message here).
The main activity was the MAQE Trivial Quiz, a set of 18 questions. All you need was no knowledge about MAQE but it was all about speed and luck! There was no way a person could know the total number of MAQE employees since year one or the average age of all MAQErs! Or even disasters that never happened at MAQE! So silly 🤣🤣🤣
Missing old good times
Our hearts became so warm and fuzzy as we shared our appreciation towards each team. Backend engineers, Front-end engineers, Designers, QAs, PMs, BAs, Bizdevs, People, Operations, and all the leads – one by one. The inside jokes flew, and so did a few well-deserved “roasts” of our most memorable moments.
As each team took a moment in the spotlight, it became clear that what truly made our time here special was the people standing beside us.
Unexpected excitement
Time flew fast and we reached the last activity, which is MAQE Lotto! (…can I really, really write this here???… well… anyway.) We randomized numbers to find out the luckiest MAQErs who would win prizes to take home. The small lotto event started simple enough—a handful of prizes, a bit of friendly competition, and plenty of laughter. As each prize was handed out, the room buzzed with excitement. Just when it seemed like we’d come to the last one, someone jumped up and offered a prize of their own; gift cards, vouchers, and more. The crowd cheered, and with each new ‘prize,’ it became less about what we were winning and more about the sheer fun of it.
It didn’t matter whether we won or lost. We were all leaving with something bigger – the joy of simply being together.
Just as the party wrapped up, the after-party kicked off.
Throughout the evening, the vibe was getting livelier. Music filled the room, and soon enough, so did the sound of singing. We collected all the snapshots and little mementos from our time together into slideshows. The photos flashed by, each one sparking laughter, smiles, and soft murmurs of, “Oh, I remember that!” There were shots from the first team photoshoots, those hectic project launch days, and candid lunch break moments. Some wrote their thoughts and drew doodles on the gratitude board near the entrance before saying goodbye. Some continued to enjoy their quiet moments writing thank-you letters to colleagues. Some still gathered around the high table at the center of the room, sharing popcorn, pizzas, and fried chicken with their favorite drinks.
We walked around the office very late at night before going home, looking at all the quirky knick-knacks around the place, the whiteboard doodles nobody ever erased, and each piece of post-it notes. Every little thing was a big reminder of what made this place so unique.
All we could do was wish the night would never end.
Last but not least, thank you to the awesome MAQE website team for your effort to make this farewell version alive 🙇🏻♀️