Is the hacking culture exclusive to tech start-ups?
I can’t remember when I was first introduced to the concept of a Hackathon. Something about dozens of people sitting around a desk to get something done really clicked with me. Why? Because they wanted to be there.
It’s not one more requirement of their ‘day job’. Designers, developers, UX specialists got together to get something done — something that has a meaning and connects with them.
Years passed, and “hack” events got more and more popular. Some of them became a launchpad and marketing platform for startups. Some people dare to say hackathons lost their essence and become just commercial events.
Early this year I had a chance to visit the Facebook’s HQ as part of a Tour from the ASTD’s TechKnowledge conference. A lot of Facebook products and processes were born at the Hackathons. It’s an amazing platform to think-outside-the-box — where you are not judged by the decisions you take any questions you ask. It’s Rapid Prototyping Engineering. And it’s amazing.
I think it’s important to distinguish what Hackathons are and what they are not.
- They are not a party. If your goal is to socialize you are better at organizing a happy hour.
- They are not a time for you to catch up on late projects.
- They are not an IT-only event. Other departments can hack new processes and ideas. Multi-disciplinary teams create value by learning from each other and collaborating around a common goal.
- They are a platform for innovation — something that comes out of it can create a strategic advantage for your company.
- They are not a solution for project prioritization — it’s not “let’s knock these projects out on hackathon”.
- No idea is too crazy. That’s the spirit of the day, after all!
This sounds amazing, how do I start?
If you currently work on a tech start-up chances are your employer already has a version of a hack event. Obvious has the Jank ’n’ Drank, Facebook, Twilio, Google all have hackathons.
Now, what about if you don’t? Can a hacking culture be successfully implemented in any organization?
What do you think would happen if you said: “it would be cool if we organized a hackathon” at your company — how would you’d be looked at? “Hey, are you trying to steal my weekend with my kids?”
Or more like “That would be awesome, I already have some ideas! I’ll get the red-bulls!”
Some will argue solely on the demographics card. Tech start-ups have lots of single, young professionals. Most of their friends are co-workers so a Hackathon is as fun as any other weekend night for them.
I think it goes beyond demographics. You need a “get things done” culture where team members are not afraid to get their hands dirty to get something done and also humble enough to work on the most simple of things without a superiority complex. You need an environment where people can share their points of view without being afraid of being quickly dismissed. It’s all about openness and ownership.
If you’d like to get a Hackathon started in your organization my suggestion would be to first pick a strategic theme. For example, “how could we serve our customers better”. I’m sure there would be tons of ideas, low hanging fruits, and projects that could be done that would have a direct impact in the business.
Dear reader, what do you think about the hacking culture?
Do you think it can be implemented on a non-start-up or non-tech company with success?
