What Comes After Ending Well?

2024 was a year of goodbyes and transformation; Odd is entering a new chapter in 2025 and celebrating everyone who has been part of it since its beginning.

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I don’t usually write personal posts, but I feel the moment requires it. Thank you for being here with us. - L.

On Ending Well…

Someone told me recently that what you should expect from a relationship is for it to end well. I've been reflecting deeply on what "well" means and how crucial that understanding can be for my relationships moving forward.

Ending well can manifest in many ways, from brief yet intense connections where you encounter someone who, in a fleeting moment, transforms your perspective or fires something in you. After such encounters, you may part ways naturally. No regrets, no debts remain unpaid, and you're left with the memory and gratitude for experiencing that brief yet profound connection. It ended well because the stakes were low – nothing to lose and everything to gain. You witnessed each other's essence, untainted by a lifetime's complexities and traumas. We’ve probably all been there and even romanticized what they could have been if they remained. Perhaps not knowing is what made them so enjoyable in the first place.

Or, you might be blessed to experience a long-lasting partnership, a friendship, or even a romantic relationship filled with support, companionship, and room for growth – where challenges are met with holding each other’s hands and being there for one another. It has peaks and valleys, moments where you simultaneously appreciate and want to k*** that person. You evolve into your better self because they believe in you, even when you don’t believe in yourself. It can become your safe space – your shoulder to cry on and a trusted counselor for as long as it lasts. You rely on them, and they on you.

But sometimes, through countless honest conversations – because these relationships thrive on vulnerability and often soul-hurting exchanges – you realize you've grown in different directions. And perhaps your aspirations, paths, and shared horizon no longer align. After deep introspection, questioning whether you've invested everything possible, you catch yourself thinking:

"Oh shit, this has come to an end."

I've had that privilege. These were rich, transformative 12 years. Throughout most of them, we navigated both personal and professional waters. One might assume this made both more complex than needed, and occasionally, they did. Yet, other times, they created a beautiful synergy. Our mutual respect and trust in each other's judgment ran so deep that we felt invincible—perhaps, for some time, we were.

In a recent conversation in which I shared my situation, someone described these years as a "detour in my life." I corrected them—this was no detour. This journey shaped who I am and is part of me. It has been truly important and continues to be, regardless of its fate.

But it’s time to move forward, and where I once had space to invest and share that energy with others, it may be time to do it for myself.

I now realize that “ending well” has nothing to do with the end. It means recognizing that you and the other person did your best during your time together. Ending well means living truthfully and honestly from meeting until your paths diverge. You do your best to commit, be present when the other needs you, acknowledge the good and the bad, celebrate when you succeed, and encourage when things don’t work out as planned.

So, you see, the ending is not about how you part ways but how you lived that journey in the first place.

Letícia, how is that connected to being an entrepreneur, founder, and CEO? Honestly, everything.

I live my professional and personal life by being too transparent and honest and allowing myself to be vulnerable. Sometimes, to my detriment. I pour my heart and soul into everything I do and try to remain truthful to my values while learning how to adapt to different realities and, when needed, review them—always learning, evolving, keeping mine closer, and building strong and solid relationships.

This is reflected in the people around me; most people in my company stay for at least 3 years. Odd celebrates 5 years in 2025. I’d say that’s a pretty solid metric. Building culture can be tricky, especially in a distributed and remote setting, but it reflects its leadership and the reinforced values over time. I usually tell candidates they are welcome to talk to others in my team alone and ask as many questions as they’d like. I want to create a safe space for people to thrive. And no one does that without being consistent with their behavior.

I have a lot of flaws, but I apologize quickly, listen, and rethink my intentions and attitudes. My team can call me out and tell me when I crossed the line. It has been more than 15 years of therapy, but we can falter back to old mechanisms when we are afraid or when everything feels overwhelming. And this has been the main feeling for the last 6 months. So, I want to thank my team - partners and clients - for all the support and space they gave me and still do. Going through a significant separation in the central parts of your life is challenging; if the plates I was keeping in the air did not break, it’s because they picked it up before they fell to the ground. So thank you.

And in terms of moving forward for Odd Data & Design Studio, what does this mean?

Before you even ask that question, let me assure you: Odd does not end here. It changes and adapts. Here are some of the changes to expect.

First, it means Francisco is stepping down as associate partner, and I am becoming a solo shareholder. He continues as a technical consultant and a creative technologist on projects requiring his expertise. We will continue to support each other - as we always have - and not just wish but find ways to help our individual goals and dreams come true. Here is where all the work we put in these last years can really pay off, and he will remain an important person in my life, professionally and personally, as I admire him greatly. I am forever grateful for all we’ve been through.

Second, it means some fantastic people get to step up. Ana Bertol is our team leader, taking on tactics and operations for all processes and people across projects. Vitória Valle takes on the design leadership role and oversees transformative projects like the complete digital transformation of the project Criança Feliz in partnership with the Brazilian Ministry of Citizenship. Together, they lead the growing team of designers, storytellers, and developers. Yasmin Nachtigall takes on finances and commercial operations, ensuring we continue on a path of paced growth. And Giulia Tagliente takes on communication planning and building relationships in Europe.

Odd Data & Design Studio is now a 100% women-led and women-owned business, as well as queer-led and queer-owned. We are proud and loud, baby.

Third, for financial and commercial support and to keep our mental health in check, we are officially part of Ecosys, an ecosystem of creative entrepreneurs from the South of Brazil. César Paz and Cláudio Carvalho have been valuable mentors for over a year, helping us shape and mature as an organization. We have also joined Norrsken in Barcelona, a community of leaders and founders for impact on projects and companies focused on changing the world. Hit me up if you’re there for a cup of coffee.

We have also established meaningful partnerships with Bendito Design, Talk Inc., and Decah. All entrepreneurs and companies that we admire, working on building data solutions and tools for their companies and international clients.

With this incredible support network, I now have the mental space to explore new facets of myself. I am launching a few products this year, as well as a podcast with my brilliant co-host, Ale Endara, which will debut in mid-February. You can follow our journey on Create What Matters.

Perhaps beautiful things don't truly end. Perhaps they morph into new forms of connection and understanding. Because even when they conclude in time and space, your learnings remain. And because you lived them with intention, authenticity, and care, they become ever more integral to who you are.

So for that, I want to say

Thank you, Chico Estivallet, for being my best friend and confidant for so long.

Thank you, Bruno Lorenz, for always believing in me.

Thank you, Matheus Alves, for being the kindest soul I have ever met.

Thank you, Gabi Rezende, for opening my views of the world.

Thank you, Anita Sifuentes, for helping me see joy in everything and everyone.

It’s time for a new chapter, and I am grateful for everyone who has built the one we are ending so damn well.