As you read this post, there is a hackathon going on at Microsoft that runs for 36 hrs; the event is being held all around the world and is said to include more than 10,000 Microsoft employees. These types of events are designed to inspire creativity and allow employees to think outside the box and come up with creative solutions or applications that fill a gap not currently offered by the company.
Before the event kicked-off, Nadella took the stage to motivate the troops to build something awesome. He is quoted as saying "This is the time to stop the criticism and do something about it" when referring to the fact that far too often employees will complain internally about how certain features are built or overlooked when shipping a new product. This is the time to either fix those problems and those who are participating in the hackathon are allowed to go after any type of problem, even if it is outside their typical job duty.
The hackathon is a chance for any employee to step away from their daily duties and pursue projects of passion and of course, Microsoft hopes that some of these side projects will turn into new additions to their portfolio. While they may only have 36 hrs to complete an app or feature, if a robust idea is generated and proves that it scales well, you can bet that Microsoft will fund the project to completion.
It"s quite hard not to get behind the Nadella movement at Microsoft. While he has made tough decisions to reduce headcount to streamline processes, he really is bringing change to the organization and is pushing the company in a new direction.
Source and Image Credit: Geekwire