My First Hackathon
The more time you spend with other developers, the easier it is to forget that…not everyone is a developer. Before the hackathon I had a few questions in mind like “Will I be useful?” and “How much of a technical skill gap will there be ?”
I finally arrive, LYLAS Hackathon on Environmental Justice and these self-doubting questions disappeared. Some friendly faces and free breakfast has a way of doing that, thanks LYLAS. Overall the event was super mellow and welcoming. The first 30 minutes or so were introductions by a few different companies which was pretty cool because they were able to give a great summary on how their companies tackle environmental solutions and the reasons behind it which forced the gears in my to head start turning, cool.
After the introductions, we went to our groups and started brainstorming. At this point, communication is crucial. Six people from different background brainstorming a solution on a Sunday morning? It’s go time. I didn’t have much knowledge when it came to environmental issues that we face so it was important that I asked as many questions as I needed to so that could have a solid foundation on the “why’s.” Of course, questions often run in every directions. I’d be asked of certain things could be built in the amount of time that we had, again not everyone is a developer, so I would explain why could or couldn’t do certain things which was actually..refreshing. When all parties have questions, it’s a reminder that everyone holds equal value. Also, I have to point out that saying “I can” when asked to build certain things as a web developer was still new to me. It kind of felt like my first day having super powers.
At this point I felt needed just as much as everyone else in the group. Like one of the many pillars who are as equally important to a foundation for something much greater and I’m hoping it was a small preview of what my work environment might feel like. Seeing people come together from different backgrounds and share their knowledge and experiences regarding renewable energy was awesome.We were people helping people.
Did we provide a groundbreaking solution that would eventually lead to Jimmy Fallon having us on the Tonight Show? No, but working together with a group of people(especially people from different background)is such an insightful learning experience. Yes, you learn something new like ways to reduce your carbon footprint and what people consider when choosing their renewable energy but you also get to practice translating these technical terms that and ideas to people that aren’t too familiar with how functions work or why computer’s won’t do certain things without having the right tools or data. In conclusion,hackathons are awesome, especially when you stick around to see what the other teams come up with!
