Butts on Boats: Why You’ll Be Seeing Us Soon

At Helm Operations, a lot of our work happens behind screens. We build software, write documentation, answer support tickets, and make decisions based on workflows and data. But the reality of our customers’ work—the vessels, the crews, the dispatch rooms, the day-to-day operational pressure—often lives somewhere else entirely. It’s not something we can get from an email or a meeting, so this year, we’re going to close that gap.

We’re launching an initiative we’re calling Butts on Boats. The idea is straightforward: get every Helm employee out to visit a customer in person. Not just sales or leadership, but developers, support team members, writers, designers—people who don’t always get the chance to meet customers face to face or see where our software is actually used.

We want more time together, more real conversations, and more shared understanding, for both us and our users.

What This Looks Like in Practice

In December last year, a small group from Helm traveled to Vancouver, Washington, to meet with Tidewater Barging and kick off a new project supporting the fleeting operations side of their business.

Ahead of the visit, Tidewater suggested we bring along a few additional people, so we invited our technical writer and one of our developers—two people who don’t often get to spend time with customers in person. They were immediately excited, especially once they heard they’d be getting out on a boat.

Over two days, we spent time with people from across Tidewater’s organization. We sat with dispatchers to observe day-to-day workflows, talked through challenges, and joined the crew aboard one of Tidewater’s tugs. They walked us through how they work and showed us the vessel from the engine room to the wheelhouse, sharing context that’s impossible to get from a call or a ticket.

For our writer and developer, the impact was immediate. Seeing the environment, hearing directly from crews, and understanding the realities of their work changed how they think about our users and their needs. Plus, they all received some pretty awesome swag (thanks Tidewater!)

Why We’re Doing This

Butts on Boats is about people, not optics.

For customers, it’s a chance to meet the people behind the product—not just account or project managers, but the developers building features, the support staff solving problems, and the writers documenting how things work.

For our team, it’s about connection and context. Seeing our software used in the real world—on actual vessels, in real operations—makes the work more tangible and meaningful. It sharpens judgment, builds empathy, and reminds us why the details matter.

There’s also something powerful about physically being where our software operates, and we’re not just talking about the horsepower from the engine room.

An Open Invitation

We’re planning many more visits as part of this initiative, and we’re grateful to customers who are open to hosting us, sharing their time, and letting us learn from their teams. Again, the goal is to get every Helm employee out to visit a customer this year.

If you’re interested in hosting a Helm visit as part of Butts on Boats, reach out to your account manager. We’d love to spend time with you, learn how you work, and continue building better software together!