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a for-profit entity will externalise any cost it can. why? in order to maximise revenue streams, nothing else. recruiting a volunteer workforce was a somewhat c

a for-profit entity will externalise any cost it can. why? in order to maximise revenue streams, nothing else. recruiting a volunteer workforce was a somewhat clever -- though disreputable -- business strategy on the part of Hackbright, and it appears to have worked really well for the folks who are now cashing out with this Capella deal. i'm not speaking to the OP in particular but to everyone when i say this: out of respect for yourself and your own career, don't donate free labour to a for-profit entity. just don't do it.

kaikai 11y ago
I can't speak for all the folks who volunteer, but I was willing to give my time because I saw the impact that Hackbright had on a lot of lives. It was something I was willing to put time into to support, even though I understand the realities of running a for-profit business. I don't think Hackbright could have had those impacts without the amazing support of its volunteers, which is why many folks are a little upset about what they perceive as selling out. It's not always a bad thing if you go into it with that in mind, but it's definitely a fine balance.
- klipt 11y ago
  Couldn't you have had the same (or even greater) impact at a non-profit though?
  - kaikai 11y ago
    Probably! For many of us alumnae, it was giving back to something that had a direct impact on our lives. Many of us already work with other groups, and/or will shift our efforts to those groups now. I don't know of any non-profit bootcamps for women/underrepresented genders in the bay area :) The work that Hackbright does takes a lot of one-on-one time and a lot of money, and that's hard for a non-profit/volunteer model to support (I used to run a non-profit and have been a part of many volunteer groups). There are, however, a ton of neat projects doing great work around adjacent or overlapping issues, and I'm working on a list to help provide alternatives for folks who can't stomach supporting Capella. Feel free to post suggestions :)
- deleted 11y ago
  [deleted]

kaikai 11y ago

I can't speak for all the folks who volunteer, but I was willing to give my time because I saw the impact that Hackbright had on a lot of lives. It was something I was willing to put time into to support, even though I understand the realities of running a for-profit business. I don't think Hackbright could have had those impacts without the amazing support of its volunteers, which is why many folks are a little upset about what they perceive as selling out. It's not always a bad thing if you go into it with that in mind, but it's definitely a fine balance.

klipt 11y ago
Couldn't you have had the same (or even greater) impact at a non-profit though?
- kaikai 11y ago
  Probably! For many of us alumnae, it was giving back to something that had a direct impact on our lives. Many of us already work with other groups, and/or will shift our efforts to those groups now. I don't know of any non-profit bootcamps for women/underrepresented genders in the bay area :) The work that Hackbright does takes a lot of one-on-one time and a lot of money, and that's hard for a non-profit/volunteer model to support (I used to run a non-profit and have been a part of many volunteer groups). There are, however, a ton of neat projects doing great work around adjacent or overlapping issues, and I'm working on a list to help provide alternatives for folks who can't stomach supporting Capella. Feel free to post suggestions :)
deleted 11y ago
[deleted]