When it becomes reality

Remember this, #audiohack?

Just a couple of months later, I received this email. This American Life is turning one of the hackathon prototypes into a real product.

Hello again, Hackathon participants!

This American Life is looking to develop an open source web tool that enables audio fans to be able to easily clip audio into short, shareable snippets and share them online. It will integrate transcription technology and create beautiful visual .mp4s to go along with the audio snippets. Applicants must be willing to agree to a 3-month timeline, beginning in February and extending through April. We are looking to pay $75/hour.

We are reaching out to you and giving you first dibs on applying because you participated in Audio Hackathon 2015. If you are interested in working with us, please send a resumé and cover letter, including links to at least two samples of your past work, to talaudiotool@gmail.com by January 22, 2016. Please specify which position you are applying for.

They are looking for a lead developer, a UX designer and a QA tester. And here are the qualifications for these positions.

So I guess, not only can you acquire a sense of how a team works to create a product in a hackathon, you actually get first dibs to live that reality —

Well, that is, if you have the right chops. For those of you still in school, you have the luxury to grab a class in web languages (html/css/js), interactive craft, and even product management (ask the Social Journalism folks).

Of course, learn by attending a hackathon. Stay tuned for a field trip to a hackathon in spring!