Stephanie Kawamura, Head of Operations, describes the challenges and successes of fostering team culture in a remote startup by leveraging the StrengthsFinder tool during a team retreat in Amsterdam. The exercise, designed to identify individual strengths across categories like Strategic Thinking and Relationship Building, initially met with skepticism due to its time commitment and perceived utility. However, as team members completed the assessment and shared their top five strengths, discussions flourished, providing insights into personal and team dynamics through anecdotes and examples. While not every participant was initially convinced of its value, the exercise ultimately enhanced communication and understanding among the team, evidenced by improved interactions on platforms like Discord and Slack. Kawamura reflects on the importance of such activities in building a strong foundation for growth, whether through structured assessments like StrengthsFinder or informal team-building experiences.