Besides being at the top of HN, what sort of validation does this have as an actual viable event. I mean, can I get a tropical picture with some water, make a simple one page website, and just start harvesting your guys emails to?
I'm not trying to be overly negative, it just seems like there is sooo little information being given to be making the top of HN
Yeah, I wasn't expecting this. It's an idea that is in my head that I want to make a reality, but only if there is enough interest. I can promise you I won't do anything with those emails except keep you up to date on what happens next.
Now that it seems like there is enough interest, we can go to the next phase: figuring out wether it would be a paid thing or a sponsored thing. Opinions welcome...
I've done some tropical island hacking (solo) and it worked really well for me.
The longest I did was 3 weeks on Koh Phi Phi in Thailand. I had a nice discrete problem: write Forth drivers for all the interesting hardware in a little ARM SoC. Blog at the time: http://goo.gl/V9qGx
I can say that:
Finding a place to sleep, entertainment (snorkel, scuba, etc), and food were all easy problems.
Finding a place to work can be harder: power, internet, quiet, table/desk all in one place. (Maybe you need to borrow a house?)
Three weeks was enough for me: then I wanted a dose of civilization and city life, hard though this was to imagine on day #1. Maybe it's different with more people.
Can you start simple, with just a few people and lasting until they get bored, and scale it up gradually perhaps?
We'll see. I did a three month thing like this, and was sad when it ended. That was all about the people we were with though, that made the world of difference. And we had time during the weekends to get away.
Have you consider Penang island, it is not really isolated or exotic, but we have beautiful beaches here, and when you need a dose of civilization, it is just within 30 minutes driving distance, there are quite a few big companies here like Dell, Intel, Motolora. Standard of living is cheap. The island been ranked by Yahoo! Travel as one of the "10 Islands to Explore Before You Die". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penang
Hope I didn't sound too much like a salesman already.
Penang is definitely a good option. Though I haven't been there heard a ton of good things and it's just a stone's throw from the mainland. +1. Accommodation and food is relatively inexpensive in Malaysia.
I've did this (alone) for a while. The things I discovered:
* Mosquitoes really, really suck the fun and productivity out of sitting on a tropical beach coding.
* To a lesser extent, so does sunburn.
* Finding somewhere comfortable to sit in shade is crucial, and harder than you'd think, and lying is out (appealing though it may be).
* The ideal place to work was a beachside bar, without standing pools of water close by (attracting mosquitoes), that was quiet, serving coffee and wifi. Often hard to find, though.
* Lack of wifi was sometimes a plus, provided it was never too far away. It's easier to focus on coding without Internet access.
In the end, my favorite tropical location to write code in was Singapore. The beach is overrated :)
12 weeks on a remote tropical island, luxurious villa, 12 geniuses... a cook and housekeeper.. airfare.. time away from current projects... that sounds like a pretty hefty price tag per genius if it's a paid event. I think you may have trouble finding hackers to sign up when the reality sets in. I'd recommend you get to work finding serious sponsors because right now it sounds like a nice dream. Good luck good sir.
Thanks. We are fully aware it might be too expensive for people to cough up all the dough. Preliminary research show that a house for 12 people doesn't have to cost more then 500USD/person/month though. With a bit of smart marketing it should be possible to find some people interested to sponsor this..
Just sign up and include your expertise in the "additional info" box. We just wanted to quickly put up a simple form. If you can hack something, you can join ;-)
We're looking into either getting the whole thing sponsored or charging a fee that will cover cost. Our target is not to make a profit, it is to have a great time working with inspiring people.
Is this only for singles and those who are willing to be apart from spouses for 2 months? I'd love to go to some remote location to work for few months, but I need to take my better half with me.
If he/she can make themselves useful, you're welcome to sign up both of you. But rest assured that competition for this will be tough, so it might not be easy. Just that it's not excluded from being an option, that's all :)
Hey, I'm also trying to hire coders to work on a remote tropical island [1], although for a little longer term than you. Where is this located? I can recommend some places in the Seychelles if you haven't yet decided on a spot :)
I'm actually very intrigued, I just booked a flight to Indonesia to spent a month or so hacking / designing for myself in Bali, but doing this with others sounds like a much better plan. Any details on the schedule yet?
Great to see the interest. If anyone is interested in hacking and joining a start up incubator on MAUI, please sign up here. http://www.startupmaui.com
Well, I decided to organise this because I have loads of experience in location independent living and communal living. I have experienced how great it is when you are in a place that makes you feel good, surrounded by people that are smart and motivating. In a luxurious villa on a tropical island, there is no distraction. By having a cook and housekeepers as well, you really don't have to worry about anything but getting shit done :)
[+] [-] JoeCortopassi|13 years ago|reply
I'm not trying to be overly negative, it just seems like there is sooo little information being given to be making the top of HN
[+] [-] walterheck|13 years ago|reply
Now that it seems like there is enough interest, we can go to the next phase: figuring out wether it would be a paid thing or a sponsored thing. Opinions welcome...
[+] [-] lukego|13 years ago|reply
Can you start simple, with just a few people and lasting until they get bored, and scale it up gradually perhaps?
[+] [-] walterheck|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] kahfei|13 years ago|reply
Hope I didn't sound too much like a salesman already.
[+] [-] deepGem|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] dualogy|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] walterheck|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] crdoconnor|13 years ago|reply
* Mosquitoes really, really suck the fun and productivity out of sitting on a tropical beach coding. * To a lesser extent, so does sunburn. * Finding somewhere comfortable to sit in shade is crucial, and harder than you'd think, and lying is out (appealing though it may be). * The ideal place to work was a beachside bar, without standing pools of water close by (attracting mosquitoes), that was quiet, serving coffee and wifi. Often hard to find, though. * Lack of wifi was sometimes a plus, provided it was never too far away. It's easier to focus on coding without Internet access.
In the end, my favorite tropical location to write code in was Singapore. The beach is overrated :)
[+] [-] davewasthere|13 years ago|reply
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-19018930
[+] [-] mr12|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] walterheck|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] TimJRobinson|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] tedunangst|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] walterheck|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Inbaraj|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] wasd|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] walterheck|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] milep|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] walterheck|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] bieh|13 years ago|reply
[1] http://www.reddit.com/r/jobbit/comments/x2x1w/hiring_mobile_...
[+] [-] walterheck|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] jwuphysics|13 years ago|reply
EDIT: unless it's meant to convey that you "hack a ton" but I'm really not so sure...
[+] [-] walterheck|13 years ago|reply
EDIT: if only I could get a hold of the guy who has the logo source..
[+] [-] willish|13 years ago|reply
What is the goal, to have everyone hack on a single project? or just provide a space for people to work on their own stuff?
All in all a very cool idea, hope you can make it happen!
[+] [-] maebert|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] keithpowers|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] renas|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] unknown|13 years ago|reply
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[+] [-] i_s|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] walterheck|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] AdamTReineke|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] walterheck|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Foy|13 years ago|reply
Something about the beaches... and team building. :)
[+] [-] tferris|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] walterheck|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] suyash|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] walterheck|13 years ago|reply