SuperHappyDevHouse is better with friends, and although we have lots of friends for you to meet when you come, we encourage you to invite your friends! People tell us all the time how great SHDH is, and how much happier/smarter/sexier they are after starting to attend. Wouldn't you like to be the one to introduce your friends to DevHouse? They'll be like, "Oh my gosh, if it weren't for YOUR NAME HERE, I wouldn't have been exposed to such an amazing life changing experience. I'm going to remember YOUR NAME HERE when I'm rich and famous from all the connections, knowledge and inspiration I found at SuperHappyDevHouse!"
Right? YEAH....
But once you realize you want to be the superhero that saves your friends from a life without DevHouse, you might be wondering... which friends do I invite and how do I convince them to come? Well, I will help you out. Because I like you.
First, think of everybody you know that exhibits these qualities:
And then of those people, which ones are even the slightest bit interested in these things:
On top of this, they have to enjoy being around smart and creative people like them. Okay, perhaps you're down to some of your co-workers. Or maybe that kid that used to blow things up when you were little. Maybe you want to change the life of that programmer you see on the train. But hey, it really comes down to: invite anybody you like! It's not an exclusive party in any way.
Get in touch with these fine ladies and gentlemen and ask them: "Would you like to go to a special party this weekend?"
They may be intrigued that you used the adjective "special." Indeed, DevHouse is a special party. They might ask, "What kind of party is this?" You reply, "They call it a party for hackers and thinkers."
Now, there comes a point in our lives when even our technically fluent friends will confuse hackers with hackers. And by hackers I mean crackers, and by crackers I mean pop culture hackers. Follow? They might say, "Ohh, interesting! Hackers! Like Swordfish!" They might also mention Defcon or something about a Gibson. Or they could just be apathetic to the idea of this misunderstood counterculture.
In any case, you assure them, "Actually, my good friend, the type of hackers at this party can include curious lock breakers and security fanatics, but we use the term more generally as a reference to the original hacker archetype: an expert in their field pushing the envelope of what's possible through hands-on exploration, driven by relentless curiosity and a desire to challenge the status quo."
They will say, "I am enlightened! But wait, what does that mean?"
You will say, "It's an awesome group of people from various disciplines, although mostly centered around tech, that are there with their laptops to work on projects, show others what they're doing, exchange knowledge or just talk and mingle with like-minded yet diverse kinds of people."
"That's rad. Do I need to bring my laptop?"
"It is encouraged, my friend. Encouraged."
Here are some helpful rebuttals for those stubborn friends that don't know what's good for them:
"But I hate people."
"You'll like these people."
"I'm not technical enough."
"It's not about being technical, it's about being in a creative, inspirational atmosphere."
"I don't have a laptop."
"That's okay. You'll still have a lot of fun."
"YES. THIS SOUNDS LIKE A PLACE I CAN RECRUIT PEOPLE."
"Sort of. It's a place you can find and get to know smart people you might want to hire. But blatant recruiting is quite frowned upon."
"This sounds awesome!"
"Oh. Well... yes. Please come."
If you've been to SHDH, tell them stories about the DevHouses you've been to. Tell them the stories others have told you about DevHouse. Let them know the tales of DevHouse and what joy it has brought many!
Whether you can find some friends to bring or not, you will not be without friends when you come to SuperHappyDevHouse. Come and participate in the great DevHouse tale!
-Jeff Lindsay