I Spent 3 Days at Ireland's Most Exclusive Startup Retreat

I wanted to document the fun I had at Rebase. The timelines may be slightly off but I'm jotting down sections/chunks of things we did.

The morning started at Baseline on Thomas Street. Most people were taking the bus. Some had planned to drive. But Eamon had given me some sage advice: "People who travel together, stay together."

Smart advice. I took the bus.

At 1:30 PM, we piled on. Sixty-ish startup founders, builders, and dreamers. The energy was immediate. Electric, even. As soon as we got on, Eamon started handing out beers. Good ones. While Fiona was already at Cabü making sure everything was perfect for our arrival.

This wasn't your typical work event. This felt like the start of something.

The coach pulled away from Dublin. Folks nearby became conversation partners. The beer helped. So did the shared excitement of heading somewhere new.

The drive through Ireland was beautiful. Green hills. Small towns. Then the roads got narrow. Really narrow.

The last bit was wild. Country roads so narrow our bus driver deserves a medal. Ditches and dips on both sides. Barely any room. But somehow we made it without losing a mirror.

The beer made the tight spots less scary. Amazing how good strangers become friends over a cold one on a coach heading west.

By the time we reached Cabü by the Lakes, we were already deep in conversations. Eamon was right. Travelling with people was the right option.

Arrival (Friday night)

Cabü by the Lakes sits pretty by the water. The kind of place that looks expensive but feels welcoming.

The staff there were incredible. From 7 AM till well after midnight (yes, people stayed up that late), they treated us like royalty. Always there when you needed something. Never in your face when you didn't. We were welcomed with more drinks and food. The right thing after a long ride.

We got our keys and looked around. They put two people in each cabin. Mixed everyone up with people they didn't know. Smart move. Made it easy to start talking.

They thought of everything. Even brought a childminder for parents who had to bring their kids. Nearly sixty people total.

The grounds were worth exploring. Walking paths that led somewhere interesting. Hidden spots by the lake where you could think or just watch. Or for some folks to jump in.

Check-in was smooth. No lines. No hassle. Just keys, room numbers, and time to settle in.

Dinner was at 7. Proper catered food. The kind that lets you focus on the people instead of wondering what you're eating.

Tables filled up fast. Conversations started easy. Names became faces. Ideas started flowing. First night nerves melted away with the first course.

People lingered after dinner. The bar stayed open. Stories started coming out. The kind you tell when you're somewhere new, with people who might understand.

Nobody checked their phones much. Hard to when the lake is right there and the conversation is that good.

The late crowd stayed up past midnight. Some past 2 AM. Making connections. Finding common ground. Setting the tone for what was coming.

Morning Energy

Mornings had a different feeling. Maybe it was the lake air. Maybe it was my hangover. Maybe it was knowing something good was about to happen.

At 7 AM, people were already moving. Putting on running shoes. Rolling out yoga mats. Getting ready for Wim Hof breathing sessions.

I don't run off road often. But when ten people are heading out and asking if you're coming, you go.

The lake was perfect. Still water. Morning mist. We ran around it talking between breaths. Started with five people. Ended with ten. Then twelve. The group kept growing as we lapped other early risers.

The conversations while running were different. Something about moving together. Shared effort. Guards came down easy.

Others chose yoga on the deck overlooking the water. Mats lined up. Poses held while birds called across the lake. Looked peaceful from where I was catching my breath.

The Wim Hof breathing sessions drew a crowd. Cold air taken deep. Held. Released in rhythm. People came out energized. Alert. Ready for whatever came next.

Coffee appeared when we needed it. Then breakfast was worth the early wake-up call. Fresh pastries from somewhere that knew what they were doing. Granola bowls with fruit that tasted like it grew nearby. Breakfast burritos made to order. Hot. Fresh. No rushing.

People sat wherever. Mixed up the groups from the night before. New conversations started over eggs and coffee.

The morning activities had done something. Broken down walls. Made everyone more present. More ready for what was coming.

By 10 AM, we were all gathered. Fed and caffeinated. Ready to learn from some pretty impressive people.

Learning From the Best (Day 1)

Des from Intercom took the stage first. Well, not really a stage. More like chairs in a circle. Better that way.

He talked about building products customers actually want. Sounds simple. Isn't.

He showed real examples. Features that seemed brilliant but failed completely. Others that seemed obvious but changed everything. The pattern became clear: listen first, build second. Always in that order.

Questions came easy in the small setting. The kind you can't ask in an email or at a conference. He answered them all. Some with stories. Some with examples. Some with quiet moments that said more than words.

Barry from Cubic3 talked about time. How he eventually got to success but with so much turbulence. He swore by having his vision on a visible roadmap and even offered to help people with their own.

The room got quiet during his talk. People taking notes. Real notes. Not just polite scribbling.

More Learning! (Day 2)

Hanna from Localyze and Luke from Kota came next. Partnerships that actually work. Not the handshake-photo kind. The kind that transform both companies.

They shared real stories. How building relationships and building partnerships worked and why. Deals that failed and why. Usually came down to trust. And timing. And being honest about what you need versus what you want.

Dec from Foreword and Andrea from 2100.vc mapped out European funding. The landscape was changing fast. New rules. New opportunities. New ways to get money that actually made sense.

They answered specific questions. The kind of detail you can't Google.

After each talk, we split into small groups. Actual work sessions. Product development with AI. Finding product-market fit. Go-to-market strategies. Founder-led sales.

No PowerPoints in the breakouts. Just problems and solutions. From people dealing with them right now.

The speakers stayed for the breakouts. Joined the conversations. Answered questions one-on-one. Made connections beyond the formal talks.

By lunch, people had filled notebooks. Made new contacts. Started seeing their problems differently.

That's what good learning looks like. Not just information -transformation.

Afternoon Adventures

After the morning sessions, we had choices. A bike, a boat, a Kayak, fishing or just exploring.

The lake called to some people (like myself).

I tried the boat on Saturday. Water was perfect. A few of us out there to chat. All you need after a morning of learning.

Others took the kayaks, bikes, fishing or just exploring. Different kind of networking. Hard to be formal when you're both trying not to tip over.

The bikes were popular too. Trails that wound through actual forest. Some steep. Some gentle. All worth taking.

Everyone found their pace. Their people. People came back energized.

The spa was there for people who needed something else. Steam rooms. Saunas. Massage tables if you booked in time. The kind of place that unknotted things you didn't know were tight.

What made it work was the choice. No pressure to join specific activities. No judgment if you wanted to spa instead of bike. Or nap instead of kayak.

Some people just sat by the lake. Watching others have fun. That counted too.

The afternoon activities weren't just about having fun. They were about finding your people. The ones who moved at your speed. Shared your interests. Understood your need for adventure or peace.

By 5 PM, everyone was back. Different groups than in the morning. New conversations started. Stories shared about what they'd found in the forest or on the water.

Time to rest before dinner. To shower off the day. To reflect on what was coming next.

The afternoons at Rebase weren't just breaks between sessions. They were where real connections happened. Away from presentations. Just people being people in a place that let them breathe.

That Amazing Taco Truck

Dinner time arrived. But this wasn't your typical conference meal. Saturday night, that taco truck appeared by the lake. Just showed up like it belonged there. Which it absolutely did.

Fresh food made right there. You could smell them across the courtyard. Proper fillings. Real salsas. The kind of setup that makes you wonder why every event doesn't have a taco truck.

The duck tacos were perfect. Sounds weird to highlight tacos at a startup retreat. But they were that good. Tender duck. Crispy skin. Fresh cilantro. Lime that actually had flavor.

People forgot about networking for a bit. Just stood around eating really good tacos by a lake. Sometimes that's exactly what you need.

Then the real magic started. After dinner, people didn't leave. They stayed. Found spots by the water. By the fire pit. In comfortable chairs scattered around.

Real conversations began. Not elevator pitches. Not business cards exchanged. Real talk about what they were building. What scared them. What excited them.

I watched some people close funding rounds. Handshakes over drinks. But the bigger thing was the connections. The kind that last.

The conversations went deep. Past midnight. Past 2 AM. Some until 5 AM.

Sunday night had a different energy. People knew each other now. The conversations were deeper. More personal. More real.

The guitar was out. Then, Eamon and his harmonica. Others gathered around the fire pit. Stories were told. Songs were sang.

No one checked phones much. Hard to when you're in the middle of a conversation that might change your business. Your life. Your perspective on what's possible.

The bar stayed open late. Not because people needed more drinks. Because the connections were happening. The kind you can't plan. Only create the conditions for.

These weren't networking events. These were humans connecting. Finding common ground. Building trust. Creating relationships that would last years.

That's what made Rebase special. Not just the talks. Not just the activities. The late nights when guards came down. When real conversations happened. When strangers became allies.

The Inevitable Goodbye

Monday morning felt different. People knew each other now. First names had become friends. Ideas had become partnerships.

Breakfast took longer. Not because service was slow. Because no one wanted to leave their conversations. The last hours together. People made them count.

It came too fast. Breakfast at 8. Last conversations over coffee. Last exchanges of contact details. No one wanted to leave.

The energy was different from Friday. Not the excited energy of arrival. The satisfied exhaustion of a weekend well spent. And for some of us, the slightly fragile feeling of too little sleep.

I'd stayed up too late Sunday night. Way too late. The conversations were too good. The connections too real. The knowledge that it was ending too hard to accept.

The coach back to Dublin told the story. Unlike Friday's energetic ride west, this was recovery mode. Eye masks appeared. Someone shared paracetamol. Lofi music played through earbuds.

Three hours of sleep wasn't enough. But it was worth it. The same bus driver got us home. Still impressive on those narrow roads. Still deserving of a medal.

We started as strangers on a coach. Came back as a community. That's what three days by a lake can do. When the right people put it together. When you show up ready to connect.

Some weekends you forget. This one sticks. Because something changed. Something clicked. Even if you paid for it with a slightly painful ride home.

What Baseline Actually Does

Eamon and Fiona run this community. They made Rebase happen. Three days by a lake that changed how people think. But Baseline isn't just about retreats. It's about the after. The between times. The Monday morning when you need advice. The late-night emails when you're stuck. The introduction that changes everything.

It's not about the funding (though some people did close rounds at Rebase). It's about the lifetime connections. The people who become your co-founders, mentors, advisors, friends. The network that actually helps when you need it.

Baseline members meet regularly. Weekly calls. Monthly meetups. Annual retreats. They share resources. Open doors for each other. Make introductions that matter. Because they remember needing that help.

Remember Eamon's advice? "People who travel together, stay together." He was right. But it goes deeper than travel. People who struggle together, build together, succeed together - they stay together too.

The Baseline community is proof. Founders helping founders. Not because they have to. Because they want to. Because they know how hard it is to build something from nothing.

If you aren't a member. You are missing out.

Check out baseline.community. Don't wait. Don't assume there will be another chance soon. Good communities have waiting lists. Great ones are worth waiting for.

The next Rebase is already being planned. Sixty spots. Applications will open. Close faster than you think. Because everyone who went tells everyone they know.

That's how good communities grow. Not through marketing. Through members who can't stop talking about what they experienced. What they gained. Who they met.

If you build things, if you have ideas, if you want to connect with people who get it - this is your place. This is your community.

The bus from Thomas Street leaves again soon. The question is: will you be on it?

Don't need an eye mask for the ride there. Save that for the way back. After you've stayed up too late talking to people who might change your life.

Final Thoughts

Some events you attend. Others you experience. Rebase was an experience. Connects you with people who matter.

Eamon and Fiona built something special. A community that works. A retreat that delivers. An experience that transforms.

Three days by an Irish lake. Sixty people who showed up as strangers. Left as something more. Something lasting.

Your turn now. The next coach leaves from Thomas Street.

Be on it.

Insider tip: You can pre-register your interest here.