Opportunity Hackathon — PayPal’s way of giving back to the Society
“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”
―Winston Churchill
Opportunity Hackathon at PayPal connects NGOs and cross-functional teams at PayPal to work together to identify, analyze, and solve the challenges faced by the NGOs. The team working on the problem statement consists of engineers, product managers, marketing, legal, and business development folks. I was privileged to participate in the Opportunity Hackathon along with my excellent team for the second time. It gives immense pleasure to contribute directly to society through our work and create an immediate impact on the lives of people.
All four pillars of PayPal, i.e. Innovation, Collaboration, Inclusion, and Wellness, are brought into practice during the Opportunity hackathon.
It all starts with NGOs presenting their problem statements followed by eight weeks of engagement with the allocated team to distill on the problem and iterate on different solutions, followed by a final 48 hours of hackathon experience. Also, throughout the journey, organizers and several other leaders do a great job by providing constant guidance and feedback to the teams.
Five key learnings from my two years of participating at Opportunity Hackathon are as follows:
- Heroes Don’t Wear Capes: It takes grit and perseverance to run an NGO, and it requires people with 100% self-belief towards the cause. NGO’s do not have the luxury to hire individuals for different roles, and usually, one person keeps changing his hat throughout the day. From marketing to organizing events and then do the tech work, all these are quite diverse roles but are taken up by a single individual. This year, our team worked with the NGO The T-Project, which is on a mission to build an inclusive and secure environment for the transgender community of Singapore. The T Project is Singapore’s first and only social service for the transgender community. This independent community initiative was set up by Miss June Chua and her late sister Miss Alicia Chua in June 2014. You will be surprised to know that even after 5+ years in operation, the NGO which provides counseling services, shelter homes, conduct events, and workshops is managed by just two people. Learning: We tend to get so bogged up in the job titles and create our boundaries, it will be much more fulfilling if we start working towards the common goals of the organization.
- Everything comes with a Cost: You and I, when allowed to ask something from someone, might ask for the moon. Yes, you can ask for the moon but be prepared to bear the cost and associated repercussions of getting the moon. When NGOs share their problem statements and tell us the challenges they face, they tend to have some imagination for how the ideal solution shall behave but are not too aware of what it takes to get it done. For example, we received requests like we need an AI-enabled Chatbot or an Automated SMS for Payments, yes it is possible to build them, but we have to be mindful and let the NGOs know the associated cost of managing and maintaining such systems. Learning: Always be curious to understand the real problem, find out what is the current process and personas of people using the system before deciding on the solution.
- Power of Simplicity: We being engineers, love to solve complex problems and take every challenge as an opportunity to learn. In the process, we will come up with solutions that are great for us to use. However, we shall be mindful of the fact that people who are going to use the end product are not as tech-savvy and might find it too complicated to manage. NGOs operate on tech support generally from volunteers; if the solution is complicated to understand for volunteers, the product might be of no use to the NGOs soon. IKEA does a great job of building DIY solutions, which are easy to assemble and come with a step-by-step manual. I can’t imagine myself making a bookshelf without the detailed instructions and precise components that come along with it. Learning: Solutions shall be built keeping the end-user in mind and must come up with an easy to use and understand documentation.
- It’s not done until it Ships: Steve Jobs once said that “It’s not done until it Ships” and this is very appropriate for all the work teams do as part of the Opportunity Hackathon. We, as a team, work diligently with the NGOs to create novel solutions that are simple and easy to manage and do demos during the hackathon presentation and talk in detail about the solutions and how it will impact the lives of the NGO owners. Yes, with the constraint of time to present, it is hard to connect all the dots of solutions, but it is essential to follow up and complete the solution after the hackathon hours. NGOs will be able to reap the real benefits of the solution only when they can use it, and they will be able to use it only when it is shipped. The ultimate goal has to be making the solution live to the NGO. Learning: Till the product goes live and gets used by the real customers, it is premature to claim the victory and blow the trumpet.
- One Team Behaviour: We are One Team, valuing inclusion and collaboration, demonstrating integrity, trust, respect, and empathy. We take care of ourselves, each other, and our community. In both the years, we get allocated randomly with the teams, and the way everyone came together and contributed to the hackathon is remarkable. Everyone’s willingness to get out of their comfort zone created an atmosphere of active collaboration in the team. Thoughts shared, ideas discussed, solutions brainstormed with mutual trust and respect among the team members. Learning: We do not need ace performers in the team; we need people who are willing to challenge the status quo of performance.
Finally, I would like to say that I am blessed to be part of the PayPal family, who believes, encourages, and rewards employees to give back to society.
