Hackdays are here! February 27 2014

Since this shop is a direct result of hackdays, it is only fitting that my first blog post is about hackdays.

Hackdays are fun, fascinating, and extremely filling.

Fun?

Working for Shopify is always fun. But on hackdays it is even funner (which is not a word, but it should be). Have a project you've always wanted to work on, but didn't have the time or the help? For hackdays you get to propose you very own project, and recruit the help you need to get it done. Need a designer? Get a designer! Need a mobile developer? Get a mobile developer! Nothing is more satisfying than getting to work on a pet project you have always wanted to tackle.

Hackdays projects should benefit Shopify in some way, but sometimes the benefits are rather stretched. This hackday's projects include Lunchify, an app for the culinary team to post menus and gather feedback. And Easy Listening, an app to stream support phone calls like podcasts. Then there is also Smart Water Bottle, a mysterious project involving water bottles and RFID tags. And, of course, Startify –a bunch of Shopifolk like me getting together and creating their own online stores.

Fascinating?

Hackdays is extremely fascinating, because you get to see intense creativity in action. The number of idea bubbling around the corridors is amazing. Here is a quilt being constructed out of 100s of swatches, each artistically enhanced by a Shopify employee. There is a guy constructing a 3D sculpture of the Shopify logo. Overnight, pedestrian walk signals were installed on either end of the spiral staircase. Around every corner is a whole new adventure.

Filling?

Shopify is alway very generous with food. Cereal, bagels, and a yogurt bar for breakfast. Fully catered lunches. Afternoon snacks, and as often as not there are leftovers to take home for dinner. During hackdays, the food reaches a whole new level. Hot breakfasts with eggs, waffles, pancakes, realt maple syrup. Muffins. Pulled pork sandwiches for lunch. Gourmet donuts (bacon sprinkled maple dip ... yummm) for the afternoon snack. The food just keeps coming and coming.

TL;DR; Hackdays is amazing. Now excuse me, I have to go eat some tacos.