The Naive Optimist – I’m tired of the opportunists and their hackathons
The ‘startup scene’ has absolutely proliferated my geographic area. I’ve got a bittersweet opinion on it which is nicely outlined in this article. Some of the events that roll through town feel so counterproductive for anybody but the ‘business leads’ trying to make things happen. After all, it’s rarely anything off their back and with an army of willing developers it quickly feels like one group is getting the short end of the stick.
It might be because I’m not all that big on hackathons. It might be a bad taste left in my mouth from past experiences. I’m just so much more intrigued by the prospect of a few buddies getting together and building something for themselves, for the education of it, but most of all for the fun of it. To try and make a business out of every little thing out there, especially when you’re not even the one writing the code, just seems backwards in my little bubble.
Comments
Agreed.
This is how it goes:
1) ‘Business’ douchebag pitches idea
2) Crosses legs, unfolds arms across two chairs leaving no room beside him.
3) Tries to behave like he’s better than the developers around him.
4) Nobody likes his idea; assumes developers are dumb.
5) Leaves midway through day one.
“Iām just so much more intrigued by the prospect of a few buddies getting together and building something for themselves, for the education of it, but most of all for the fun of it.”
One reason I do like hack-a-thons is the focus they give you. Far too often getting a few friends together to work on something never happens š
Totally agree on doing things for fun though. I went into the last event I attended with the expectation it would be a fun weekend and would be far away from a “business” at the end. Went for the fun and experience, and had a blast.
You’re completely right. I say I like the idea of it but I can’t remember the last time I actually participated. It’s great to hear that the events you’ve been attending haven’t been pulled away from the goal of being a positive experience for the devs themselves!
I feel ya dudester. I code for me, i code for money, or i code for fun. There are so many things that are none of those. Gotta see who’s behind it, who benefits from it.
IMO, Hackathons can be the LAN Parties of our college years if done right š