The only man who never makes a mistake is the man who never does anything. --TR
We know it's not easy to learn something new or dive into a project that incorporates tools and experiences outside the skillsets you have today. But hey, we all start somewhere, and we're all learning together. We're building this community to help people realize that the skillsets they already have today came from trial-and-error and life experience, and if anyone applies that same mentality of "diving in" to a project, they'll be able to build anything.
101 FAQ
Who is the StackInput project for?
It's for everyone looking to start a tech-powered project. Our community comes from diverse backgrounds which eventually led to building tech-enabled projects, companies, research, etc. We share the firm belief that you don't really know it until you do it — so that supposed head-start computer science majors have in knowing how to program doesn't cut it. It's about doing, and if you can find a project you can get behind and put your evenings and weekends into, you'll learn in leaps and bounds compared to remaining in a sanitized, kid-friendly classroom environment.
Does your team give talks or come into the classroom?
Of course! Please reach out to anyone in our leadership via Linkedin or on their websites and we'll get back to you. Our team has worked with business programs, startup accelerators and incubators, local high schools and an assortment of departments across higher ed institutions. Whether it's a room full of programmers who could use a gentle push in the business strategy side of things or a room full of folks with humanities backgrounds who need a no-nonsense crash course in building smart, we got you covered.
How did StackInput come about?
Our community has been batting this idea around for a couple years now. With so many great resources available online (e.g. The Odin Project, The Linux Foundation, Codeacademy, Reddit, and free courses offered by MIT, EdX, I mean the list goes on...), we didn't know exactly how to help. But in 2021, a couple of key conversations spurred StackInput into existence (listed below if interested). Our goal(s) are to:
1) Remove the "fluff" and unnecessary training wheels from learning to code.
2) Highlight feasible paths to starting and completing projects.
My company could use some advice -- dare I say "consulting" -- on re-aligning our business strategy with our tech development or need some guidance on how to build out our next big project. Can your team step in?
100%. One of the results of us sharing our vision for a closely-woven team fabric between business strategy and tech is that we field lots of questions on how to build smarter. If you're interested in StackInput stepping in for a bit, reach out to anyone in our Leadership or via our contact page.
Depending on what your question is, we might pair you up with one of our Contributors who has expertise in the relevant field(s) for a one-time pro bono session.
If you have a larger request, our process is typically as follows:
- We take a “diagnostic” by reading through all your code
- We schedule a set of conversations to determine: what features you’re building & what's bogging down your timelines and KPIs
- Write out recommendations, and at the very least to try and optimize those ridiculous server costs you’re paying every month.
- Then, if needed, we dive in and build. Setting you up with tools, frameworks, and refactored/100% new code to put your team on the path towards complete business strategy + product synergy.
How can I get involved?
Shoot any one of our leadership a message on Linkedin or via their personal websites with a short description in what you're interested in doing with us and we'll get back to you. Cheers!
If your organization would like to support the StackInput initiative, please let us know and we'd love to include the members of your team who are interested in our Contributor network.
Leadership & Contributors
