Programmers sought for tropical hackathon
I would actually watch a reality show covering this. Watching them code, blaming each other over breaking builds, accusing each other of IP theft and so on.
Another interesting thing to think about is how patents come into the picture. Are they allowed to re-invent the wheel in their own world?
If they 'invent' an ipad-like device or another otherwise patented idea in "the real world," would it make people think about the absurdity of patents?
If anyone doesn't want to wait for this to get started to come hack on a tropical island, we're[1] hiring iOS/Android developers to come work on Mahe, Seychelles [2]. Flights on us, bonus points if you can start ASAP!
[1] http://blackgranitestudios.com/2012/07/we-are-hiring/ (though that website is still being set up)
Come to Puerto Rico. You don't need a Visa if USA citizen, most people speak English, and we have a booming tech business industry. There are also many awesome engineers looking to build the next big thing. For example, Mayan EDMS was built by a fellow puertorican. So is Blimp, and Hiptape.
I call it the Silicon Island for a reason.
Sign me up. I'm serious. I have actually always wondered why people don't go to tropical islands with their VC money. If I got the VC money, my company's office would be a wireless access point in a box next to a pool/beach with chairs, umbrellas and laptops.
Very impressed that this went from a one page cookie-cutter site, to a HN post, to 4K sign-ups, to a BBC article. Hopefully it is the start of something big -- if executed on well it could be very appealing.
A link would be nice.
Just come to Sri Lanka.
Here you will find the nice tropical weather, decent infrastructure (there's 3G coverage in most areas) and living costs suits for startups on budget.
I like it cold, and dark.
Stuff like this has turned up a few times, but I feel like they never become reality.
I signed up, and I hope this one becomes real, but if it doesn't I am crossing my fingers that someone will do the legwork to make it actually happen.
I seriously hope for them they can manage to get air conditioning there. I can't get any serious work done without my AC and I currently live in a "humid subtropical climate" according to Wikipedia.
Also, check out something similar we're doing this August in Ubud, Bali: http://www.startupabroad.org
This is a joke right? "The Hackathon that will make all other hackathons look like a joke." Ironically.
How to miss the point with smart minds: 1. Pigeonhole people ('<x> developer', '<y> developer'...) 2. Demand people who have prior access to adequate funds for international transport and 'symbolic fees'.
If you pre-bill the results of your little VC experiment and its participants as 'geniuses' then I think you are in for a rather unfortunate surprise.
Similar concept here but for a business model instead of a hackathon: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4306223