New Idea - Focus on Hackathons

[Brandon Mason]

I have some new ideas regarding the workshop format.  If you don't want to read the background, skip to the section "Proposal".

First off, thanks to everybody who's participated in the projects.  It's an experiment for all of us, so thank you all for trying it out with me.

I see that it's difficult for us to conduct projects with only two hours a month dedicated to it.  People have busy schedules, and it's hard to find the motivation to stick with a project.

But we all know projects are the way to get experience.  So how do we get there?

There's two models I've seen that produce successful projects.  1) a course, where you have a minimum time commitment over a period of time 2) a hackathon, where you commit a burst of time all at once.

I don't see us replacing a typical college course, or even an online version like Coursera.  And there are plenty of hackathons out there already, and they're doing a great job.  So what can we do to help you?

Proposal

I propose that instead of focusing on projects, we should use the workshop as a training grounds for hackathons.  I propose to:

1. put all the hackathon dates on a calendar
   
2. organize three topic tracks: 1) tech, 2) design, 3) leadership
3. the tech track has three difficulties 1) beginner, 2) intermediate, 3) advanced
4. bring in speakers from the local community to run workshops on these topics
5. support our teams as they go to hackathons, let them present and show off their work

Whatever speakers we bring in, I will encourage them to create interactive materials and not just lecture.  We will still break up into topic groups, and you can still choose what group you join, or to start your own.  And if you do want to work on a real project, you're welcome to do so.

I would love to see us crush some hackathons around here.

I think if you can do a great job at a hackathon, you're ready to be hired.  And I'm hoping that experienced members will take an interest in building teams.

What do you all think about this?  Everyone has a different background and different needs.  This group is here to serve you.  Will this be a step in the right direction?

Best wishes,

--

Brandon Mason

Torchlight Software

623.882.4246