What started as a casual after-work thing has quietly turned into one of our favorite rituals for padel minded colleagues. We rally, we lob, we volley, we occasionally smash (and sometimes miss completely). And somewhere between all the fun, the friendly trash talk, and the sore muscles, we realized: this sport actually teaches us a lot about how we build software together.
Because, weirdly enough, padel and software development have a lot in common.
In short (TL;DR)
At Infodation, our weekly padel games turned out to be more than just fun—they’re a mirror of how we build great software. On the court, just like in a project, communication keeps things flowing, agility helps us adapt when the ball (or requirements) bounce unpredictably, and strategy beats brute force every time. Success depends on teamwork, not individual heroics, and a sense of fun keeps everyone energized. Whether we’re smashing bugs or padel balls, it all comes down to the same principle: we win by playing well together.
Communication is everything
If you don’t talk in padel, you lose points. Simple as that. You’ve got to call your shots (“Mine!”, “Leave it!”, “Watch the glass!”) and trust your partner to have your back.
It is the same at work. Whether we are discussing user stories, planning sprints, or fixing bugs, clear communication saves us from chaos. Good teamwork on the court looks a lot like a good collaboration in the office: quick calls, shared understanding and zero ego.
Agility wins games (and projects)
In padel, you think you’ve read the ball and then it hits the glass and does something completely unexpected. The best players don’t freeze; they adjust, laugh, and keep the rally going.
Sound familiar? Projects shift, requirements change, priorities bounce in new directions. The trick is not avoiding surprises, it is adapting with a grin. That’s agility in motion, whether you’re chasing a ball or a deadline.
“Great rallies and great releases have one thing in common: they’re built on teamwork, not luck.”
Strategy over strength
Anyone can hit hard. The smart players know where and when to hit. Sometimes a gentle lob or a well-placed and paced volley is worth more than the biggest smash.
We see that every day in software. Writing clever, elegant code that just works is better than brute-forcing your way through complexity. It’s about playing smarter, not harder, both in rallies and releases.
Team spirit beats individual talent
Padel is not a solo sport. You win together, lose together, and occasionally both dive for the same ball. The magic happens when two players move as one, reading each other, covering gaps, and keeping the rally rhythm alive.
That is exactly how we work at Infodation. We rely on each other’s strengths, backend wizards, frontend artists, testers, and thinkers. The best results happen when we are in sync, not when we’re trying to be heroes.
Fun fuels performance
Let’s be honest: we don’t play padel because we are training for the pros, the center court in a big tournament. We play because it’s fun. It gets us moving, laughing, and maybe bragging a little about that one perfect shot.
That same energy carries into our work. When you enjoy what you’re doing and who you’re doing it with, everything just flows better; ideas, code, and communication.
So yes, once a week you’ll find us somewhere between sprints and smashes, building our reflexes, teamwork, and maybe even our humility (those glass bounces keep you grounded).
Because whether it’s on the court or in the codebase, the real win is how well we play together.
Game, set, deploy.
