When several of our teammates returned from Tokyo after experiencing freee Spirit, they brought home more than just stories, photos, and Tokyo side quests. They returned with a renewed perspective on where freee and Likha are headed. They saw how freee aligns the organization around big goals, AI innovation, and real customer value. Two weeks later, on July 24, 2026, we gathered at Seda Residences Makati for All Hands on Deck FY27 to turn that inspiration into our own direction. 

If freee Spirit gave us a glimpse of where the entire organization is heading, All Hands on Deck was our opportunity to define what that future means for Likha. More than an annual kick-off, it was a chance to reflect on our journey, align on our priorities, and set our course for the year ahead. 

 

Looking Back Before Setting Sail

The afternoon began with a fun opening led by our hosts, who found themselves stranded at sea before making their way back to the venue with a little help from the audience. 

That playful start naturally led into a moment of reflection. Looking back at last year’s sailor logs, we revisited some of the answers to the question:

“How do you see yourself contributing to Likha’s mission?”

It was nice to see how many of those aspirations had grown into real accomplishments over the past year.

Reflection naturally led to celebrating our wins. Because AI is becoming a bigger part of how we work, we wanted the kickoff itself to reflect that. We brought Likha’s “Waves of Thanks” character to life as an AI-generated news reporter to share our achievements, a fun and creative way to celebrate our successes while showing how AI can enhance the way we communicate and work.

 

Turning Inspiration into Direction

One of the highlights of the day was the strategy alignment session led by our Director, Keii-san.

Rather than simply repeating the themes shared during freee Spirit, the session focused on an important question:

What do these priorities mean for Likha?

The answer came in the form of three guiding principles that will shape how we work throughout FY27.

• Build and Promote Our Own Value

Growth begins with taking initiative, solving problems, and creating value, not simply waiting for instructions.

• Turn AI Efficiency into AI Excellence

AI isn’t just about working faster. It’s about using it thoughtfully and creatively to build better products and improve how we work.

• Open More Paths for Everyone to Grow

Growth shouldn’t be limited to leadership roles. Through initiatives like the Carabao Team, experienced Individual Contributors (ICs) will have more opportunities to lead technical direction, mentor others, and create impact without moving into people management.

Together, these principles give us a clear direction for the year ahead: take ownership, embrace change, and continue learning and growing.

 

Living Our Values: Through Real Stories

Strategy tells us where we’re going. Our values define how we’ll get there.

To share Likha’s core values—Build, Care, Grow, and Share—everyone participated in a puzzle activity called Compass Within.

The activity carried a simple message: our values weren’t being introduced for the first time. They had already been part of how we work. Like puzzle pieces revealing a complete picture, the activity helped us recognize the values that have always existed within our teams.

 

Build: Creating with Purpose

The logo represents a sailboat’s sail with a digital programming bracket—a fitting symbol for Likha, which means “to create” or “to build.”

Marc and Aireen took the stage to introduce our first core value: Build.

From a Software Engineer’s perspective, Marc challenged us to look beyond just checking off tickets. 

“Building is about understanding the problem, taking ownership, and creating meaningful value for users.”

He reminded us that while freee defines what needs to be built, Likha plays an important role in shaping how it’s built.

Aireen reinforced that perspective from QA, highlighting that quality isn’t created at the end of development. 

“QA’s role in building trust means catching issues early, working as partners, and keeping the user at the center of every decision.”

When engineers and QA work together with purpose and ownership, we don’t just build products—we build trust and lasting quality.

 

Care: Putting people at the center

The logo combines a heart with a human form, representing empathy, support, and trust.

Cy reflected on her journey in People Operations with a simple but meaningful belief:

“While we build software, it’s our people who build Likha.”

Her story reminded us that creating a workplace where people feel supported isn’t the responsibility of one team alone. When people feel they belong, they’re more willing to speak up, share ideas, and help others succeed.

 

Grow: Choosing Curiosity Every Day

The logo was inspired by a simple sprout, a symbol of learning, continuous improvement, and progress over time.

Matt shared how he began his career in performance testing with no professional coding experience before overcoming imposter syndrome and embracing unfamiliar opportunities.

His story showed that growth often begins when we’re willing to step outside our comfort zones.

“When one of us grows, we all move forward.”

Growth isn’t about knowing everything. It’s about staying curious, welcoming feedback, and continuing to improve.

 

Share: Growing Together

The logo features a flowing signal, representing open communication and the exchange of knowledge. 

Willand reflected on how his initial concerns about working with colleagues from Japan quickly disappeared after experiencing freee’s open and collaborative culture.

He left us with a powerful reminder:

“Sharing isn’t about giving something away and having less; it’s about extending our collective value.”

Whether it’s knowledge, experience, or encouragement, sharing strengthens the entire team and helps everyone move forward together.

 

From Ripples to Waves

To close the program, Likha’s President, Kristine, reminded everyone that lasting impact doesn’t always come from one big moment.

 

 

It comes from the small choices we make every day:

A better idea.
A better process.
A conversation that helps a teammate.
A feature that saves a customer a few minutes every day.

Each of these creates a ripple. And when every person at Likha creates their own ripples, those small actions come together to create something much bigger than of us could achieve alone.

 

Before heading out, everyone stood together, held hands, and passed the “Likha Wave” across the room while reciting our FY27 Mantra to affirm our commitment to Build, Care, Grow, and Share. It was a simple, energetic moment that brought the theme home.

 

We wrapped up the day with a Kampai session, where everyone gathered over drinks, snacks, and plenty of great conversation.

 

The year ahead will bring new challenges, new opportunities, and even a few unexpected waves. But with a shared direction, clear values, and a strong sense of purpose, we’re ready to take them on.

Every wave starts with a ripple. Here’s to creating bigger waves together in FY27.