Boots on the (Boise) Ground

Natalie Smith
Jan 13
4 min read

Why Boise? Why Now?

Boise might not be the first city that comes to mind when you think about enterprise workforce transformation. But that's exactly why it mattered.

Last spring, Boise became a real-world testing ground for something we care deeply about at Pivt: what it actually feels like to relocate, re-root, and rebuild connection when you're dropped in a new place without the comfort of familiarity, routines, or an established support system.

Max Fernandez, our Product Lead, spent time on the ground in Boise, Idaho to do something simple but increasingly rare in tech: live the experience as our users do. Not through dashboards. Not through surveys. But through real conversations, real moments, and real emotion.

"I was hoping to share our users' pains, hopes and success . To sit in the discomfort of being new, and to experience firsthand how vulnerable it feels to rebuild connection from scratch."

We call this boots on the ground – and it's core to how we build more human-centered tools.

The Mission: Getting Closer to the Problem

The goal of the trip wasn't market research in the traditional sense. It was proximity.

Max wanted to learn and understand:

How relocated employees actually build connection when they arrive somewhere new
What makes it easier or harder to show up socially
Where emotional support shows up naturally and where it breaks down
How quickly wellbeing and belonging can be influenced when connection is prioritized early

What stood out immediately was how much intentionality mattered.

Because Max was in Boise only a short period of time, connection became top priority. That urgency changed everything. He sought out conversations at local kava cafés. He said yes to going to church with a friend he met at a local bar. He put himself in situations he normally wouldn't, not because it was an easy, but because it mattered.

"There were plenty of moments when staying at home alone felt easier. More than once, it took me a few minutes to gather the courage to walk out the front door and feel vulnerable in a new environment. But I always did, and I never regretted it. Those moments became turning points."

That mentality isn't always present for relocated employees. That insight alone reinforced why timing, when support it offered, is just as important as what that support includes.

Real People, Real Moments.

Some of the most meaningful insights came from small moments.

Connections accelerated when someone shared a simple conversations turned into shared common ground. Asking for help or recommendations, admitting uncertainty, or sharing a familiar challenge often shifted interactions from acquaintance to genuine connection.

Belonging didn't require intensity. It required vulnerability.

"I learned that connection can be incredibly hard or surprisingly effortless depending on the setting. Cold interactions rarely worked. But when I was introduced through a peer or showed up at the same places consistently, people opened up fast, especially once vulnerability entered the room."

That insight reinforced what we see across Pivt programs: peer support works because it lowers the barrier to connection.

What Felt Different in Real Life.

Seeing Pivt through lived experience, instead of backend data, surfaced things metrics alone can't capture.

What stood out the most:

The emotional lift people feel when they contribute to others
How self-esteem grows through small acts of support
How quickly belonging and wellbeing improves when connection happens early

For relocated employees, connection isn't just helpful. It became a way to make meaningful impact during moments of transition.

"It changed my entire sense of safety. Even small gestures made the city feel less intimidating and more like a place I could belong. The simple fact of being greeted by my name when entering a coffee place or a bar felt like a hug. Later on, having people text me to check on me really felt like the best possible feeling ever. Coming from strangers it fills you with an infinite sense of gratitude ”

Why Showing Up Matters.

The biggest takeaway from Boise was simple: timing and presence drive impact.

Because Max's time in the city was short, connection became urgent. That urgency led to faster belonging, improved wellbeing, and a clearer understanding of how quickly peer support can make a difference when it is delivered early. Most relocated employees don't arrive with that same mindset. They're often focused on logistics first. Whole those needs are important, well-timed support is critical.

That's why boots on the ground matters at Pivt.

Showing up in real places with real people keeps our product grounded in lived experience, not assumptions. It informs how we design and build, when we intervene, and how we measure impact.

"Being without connection showed me how essential it actually is. Going back home, having friends wasn’t enough anymore, I wanted communities where I show up every week, open up, and feel truly connected."

As Max reflected after the trip, this experience didn't just shape product thinking. It changed how he personally approaches connection during periods of change. He's become more intentional, more open, and more willing to engage with unfamiliar communities.

This was the first of many.

Because the best way to build support that works in the real world is to experience it there.