Apparently,
I’m living in London now
Exactly two weeks ago I flew to London to start my 97 days long adventure as a Hackstar in Techstars.
That’s right. I managed to grab a very sought out spot… by not applying for it all. So how did I get into the world’s biggest accelerator programme?
Browsing Behance one day a comment grabbed my eye, mentioning a competition of sorts, which again by accident I have already seen a year ago. Called Rising Star, run by OpenBrand with similar hometown as me, aims to bring out great design talent. Dozens of designers competed to get into final round and win this year main prize — Hackstar position in fintech branch of Techstars London. That was as much as I knew when I managed to win.
Hackstars (and their brethren Associates) I thought will be interns, lowest of the lowest, the moppers and coffee bringers. And yeah, it is part of the job. To clean shit up on the ground doesn’t sound fancy, but everyone does it around here. It’s just the way how startup world works really— the old way, the communal way, the family way.
But my position brings more than that. I am sought out for my design expertise, even praised sometimes. I do feel aprecciated more than when people are paying for my services back in the city of hundred spires, which is an interesting phenomenon. In any case being a Hackstar is definitely nowhere near the status of a lowly intern at any corporation.
SO I DESIGN.
Keeping up with the openess that is all around, Hacksociates are mostly let to listen to any conversation, interact with teams and their mentors. We are taken to all the fine events, get to talk to people just as if we were any of the startups, which are obviously “the thing” all are invested in.
After first week of introductions everyone is exctatic to work with each other and help out. The big co-working space is full of smart people, who are shaking ready to conquer the world (or at least a small part of it).
But, that’s all work work work…
I ALSO LIVE.
Staying in East London means especially one thing — lots and lots of burkas, men wearing skirts and not just hipsters with long beards. The culture is immediately different from Prague. London is after all a huge living metropole, where a city with a little over million people can’t keep up.
Some immediate differences:
- Red light is recommendation at best, both for the car and a pedestrian
- Every freakin’ dish is spicy, chicken or fused with Indian cuisine
- Everything, but telco services is 2–5x more expensive
- People chat all the time — cashiers, drivers, everybody
- Washing machine goes to kitchen — obviously.
Before coming in I spend a good week or two on finding a great place to live, but ultimately realized that is near impossible without being available for viewings. The first night I checked out a few places, which I did not find soothing and ended up in pretty cool hostel.
In fear of slowly spending my money away the second day I grabbed a nice room in a really shitty shared flat. Kitchen sinks overflooding with dirty dishes, fridges full off half eaten food that has not moved since I moved in…
Thinking about it now, the personal theme of this year is to move every few months into a place where I have less personal space. At this rate I expect to be living in a box by the end of the year. At the risk of sounding clichèd, each day I appreciate more what I have back home — whether it’s things or my girlfriend.
For anyone interested this 2x3 room costs me £560 a month, I’m sharing the flat with at least 6 other people, who I hardly ever see and hence talk to — there is one bath/shower with toilet + one extra toilet. With deposit £260 and admission fee of £130 this was the cheapest double room I could have gotten in Whitechapel area.
Luckily the co-working space ‘aka’ office is opened 24/7 and has clean kitchen and toilets. Most of my time is spent there, even weekends as after getting assimilated with the startup and London culture, I’m starting to get on track with my personal project I have been trying to bring to life for the past 8 months. I feel like I have never been closer and at a place that is more valuable to me at this time.
The upcoming month should be very different. There will be grander focus on work, for teams and on my personal project. I should be meeting with some great mentors and gain amazing insights. Also Hana will come over and we will get to see more of the London, maybe some place that actually serves something else than kari rice.
