Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 26

Thread: Where the hell are all the coders?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Posts
    27
    Rep Power
    0

    Default Where the hell are all the coders?

    If you have serious coding skills, and you're sitting around a desk, in a cubicle at someone else's office...Kill yourself.

    I know that may seem a bit drastic, but I am a tad bit disappointed that our local code masters have not been more active in developing disruptive applications that can challenge the status quo that exist in Jamaica's corporate landscape. And I am speaking about applications that can change the way people do daily task such as bill payments, learning, and even comparison shopping. Take note that I said disruptive and not cloning, as in the case of medoracorp.com and discountsja.com.

    But the point that I am trying to make is that, local coders need to develop a stronger community of developers, and maybe that will allow Jamaica to become the tech hub that we believe it has the potential to become. That's why I was happy to see that slash roots had some success, and I hope this can replicated elsewhere in Jamaica every month.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Posts
    74
    Rep Power
    0

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Rafer View Post
    If you have serious coding skills, and you're sitting around a desk, in a cubicle at someone else's office...Kill yourself.

    I know that may seem a bit drastic, but I am a tad bit disappointed that our local code masters have not been more active in developing disruptive applications that can challenge the status quo that exist in Jamaica's corporate landscape. And I am speaking about applications that can change the way people do daily task such as bill payments, learning, and even comparison shopping. Take note that I said disruptive and not cloning, as in the case of medoracorp.com and discountsja.com.

    But the point that I am trying to make is that, local coders need to develop a stronger community of developers, and maybe that will allow Jamaica to become the tech hub that we believe it has the potential to become. That's why I was happy to see that slash roots had some success, and I hope this can replicated elsewhere in Jamaica every month.
    You should start a movement.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Posts
    386
    Rep Power
    0

    Default

    yea......why not test the waters

    and others will follow
    The only way to discover the limits of the possible...is to go beyond them into the impossible. BBerry Bold 9000
    OS:v5.0.0.1049

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Posts
    461
    Rep Power
    0

    Default

    give me a year or so

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Posts
    13
    Rep Power
    0

    Default

    You are hitting a nerve Rafer....or rather more like massacring it. I think a part of the problem is we do not have many Jamaican businessmen/ women willing to back up Jamaican developers while they try to be "disruptive". Everybody is busy trying to eat a food and support their families...hence the cubicle trap.

    Why cant we have our own Y Combinator in Jamaica? "Twice a year we (Y Combinator) invest a small amount of money (average USD$18k) in a large number of startups (currently 43). The startups move to Silicon Valley for 3 months, during which we work intensively with them to get the company into the best possible shape and refine their pitch to investors. Each cycle culminates in Demo Day, when the startups present to a large audience of investors. But YC doesn't end on Demo Day. We and the YC alumni network continue to help founders for the life of their company, and beyond."

    Hear the plan...Easter / Independence weekend this year...we (well not me, I'm not a developer, I just happen to know a few) , we do the following:

    1. Start now...link up 10 - 12 developers online/wherever (put them in 3 teams...4 the most on a team)
    2. Find a quiet house/cottage/ abode that is available for the Fri, Sat, Sun...everybody walk with them sleeping bag/whatever...change of clothes etc.
    3. Said place must be near food establishments that deliver
    4. Chump up some money and buy a couple cases of soda, juice, coffee, water, chips, chocolate, chewing gum....and some liquor if needed...whatever developers like to eat , drink & snack on
    5. Some serious Flow wireless connection
    6. A container to lock away all cell phones...take out one only to make calls to order food three/ four times for the day
    7. No one leaves the house for the entire weekend...until Sunday evening....at which point, after all the brainstorming, coding, drinking and binging.... ONE OR ALL OF THE TEAMS MUST END UP WITH SOMETHING WE (yes we....I want my cut), CAN SELL TO A START UP IN THE VALLEY!!!!!


    How dat sound? :-)

    I forgot one thing..... an over-sized whiteboard for each team! With markers of course :-)
    Last edited by Arch_Angel; Mar 25, 2011 at 02:43 AM. Reason: merged multiple posts
    Education is key to breaking the cycle of poverty globally.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Posts
    27
    Rep Power
    0

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Yondaimeku View Post
    give me a year or so
    Thats definitely too long...you have 13 year-olds around the world who are trying to create the next facebook on their bunk beds.

    Precision...you hit an even bigger nerve. Just today I was going post a thread about why Jamaica should not try to replicate silicon valley (as no country has), but instead use Y Combinator as a more suitable model for building and naturing start-ups. For disclosure purposes, I am not coder, but if you are very serious about points 1-7, I will personally fund that weekend (up to a reasonable limit of course). So again, if you are really serious about implementing those great points that you have highlighted, you need to touch base with me and give me specific costings.
    Last edited by Arch_Angel; Mar 25, 2011 at 02:43 AM. Reason: merged multiple posts

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Posts
    461
    Rep Power
    0

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Rafer View Post
    Thats definitely too long...you have 13 year-olds around the world who are trying to create the next facebook on their bunk beds.
    well, im not rlly that old man and I just got into this, anyway
    im still learning and I think Precision made a good point that nobody is really willing to invest in anything
    Last edited by Yondaimeku; Mar 25, 2011 at 02:12 AM.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Posts
    13
    Rep Power
    0

    Default

    Oh man....see what happens when people share? Rafer, I will need some time to do a sensible mockup of the overall strategy to recruit and work out how we are going to shortlist the team members based on skill sets etc... 2 weeks tops and I should have something. My background is Marketing & Communications...what's urs? I ventured into IT at UTech around 2001 initially but jumped ship after the first Object Oriented Programming class.

    One thing I've learnt from the developers I have worked with in the past year,they like to have precise instructions as to what is required of them, and they will produce accordingly, so I will get busy.

    As for those 13 year olds, I agree with you 100%. They scare the hell out of me. Not just them, but the simple ideas they keep coming up with that makes us go..."why the hell didn't I think about that" . I've had to limit my dosage of TechCrunch recently, it's just too much to keep up with... It's like every week 10 new launches take place, with some ridiculous amount of seed capital/angel investors to back them up.

    What is really going on in Jamaica? Oh I know! The 5% that controls 95% of the wealth wants to keep it that way. Sad, sad, sad...
    Education is key to breaking the cycle of poverty globally.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Posts
    56
    Rep Power
    0

    Default

    If you need a UI designer give me a PM.

    Funny I recently wrote an article asking a similar question – www.caribbeanicon.com/science-and-technology – I hope you guys can change the landscape soon.

    B-T-W… We are looking for writers at caribbeanicon.com. We are based in the UK but we accept submissions from anyone with a caribbean connection willing to submit articles for publication.

    I'm sure a few of you here have a lot to say. PM me.

    I'm the Creative Director and Web Development Manager there.
    Last edited by Arch_Angel; Mar 25, 2011 at 07:37 AM. Reason: merged multiple posts

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Posts
    74
    Rep Power
    0

    Default

    If yal is serious 'bout developing something disruptive, gimme a link waprave@gmail.com.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •