5 ms·

Offer HN: Grab lunch with the photos team at Facebook

57 points by Sam_Odio 16y ago

I've been meaning to do this for a while, and offer HN seems like the right venue. I'd love to connect the Facebook photos team with the HN community in an authentic way. It seems like a laid-back lunch is a good way to start. Interested? Email me: samodio@facebook.com and mention whether Nov 15th works for you. We probably have capacity for 6-10 people. Photos team members that will likely attend: - Justin Mitchell (hn: justinmitchell; tech lead) - Tom Watson (designer) - Paul Carduner (hn: pcardune; engineer) - Nathaniel Roman (hn: nroman; engineer) - Makinde Adeagbo (hn makinde; engineer) - Stefan Parker (user interface engineer) What this is not: - This is not a "ploy" by the recruiting or PR departments (neither of those teams are involved) - This is not an interview or a chance to get hired (though we'll tell you what it's like to work here) - This is not a way to "advertise" our brand (we leave that to marketing).

smoody 16y ago
i'm in nyc, so it won't work for me, but wanted to say... Nicely done!
nick007 16y ago
great idea. will you guys be doing one of these in the facebook dublin office soon?
- paulnelligan 16y ago
  seconded ..
- Sam_Odio 16y ago
  Unfortunately the entire photos team works in palo alto. If lunch goes well we might be able to convince a Dublin team to do the same.
johnswamps 16y ago
I would enjoy this, but I don't have any particular reason to meet with you guys. Are you looking mainly for people who are interested in photos?
- Sam_Odio 16y ago
  No way. Come on by. We talk about photos all day...it'll be nice to discuss something else.
  - Terretta 16y ago
    What about videos?
grosen 16y ago
Too bad I'm over in the East Coast. Would love to have met you all! Have a great time.
guynamedloren 16y ago
If the team feels like making a trip to Champaign, IL then sign me up!
- ABrandt 16y ago
  You're in Champaign? So you must go to U of I. I'm at Bradley up in Peoria. Send me an email if you'd like (your email isn't in your profile). I always enjoy meeting folks in the area.
  - jcsalterego 16y ago
    A bunch of us Illinois CS/ECE students, alumni and various stragglers hang out on irc.nullirc.net's #cs.
    - ABrandt 16y ago
      Thats awesome info, thank you. I'll be checking it out right away.
    - guynamedloren 16y ago
      Cool, I'll have to check this out too. I had no idea fellow UIUC students were hanging out on HN. I'm not particularly fond of the startup culture here (and Midwest in general) but I haven't given up yet!
  - guynamedloren 16y ago
    Yep, I'm a student here - for another few weeks ahhh! Weird - according to what I'm seeing my email should definitely be in my HN profile... Can anybody else see it? Anyway, I'll shoot you an email.
    - kgroll 16y ago
      I can't. Is it in the 'about' field? 'email' is private.
mmmmax 16y ago
Totally in - sent you an email
faramarz 16y ago
I'm only 7hrs+ flight away from you.. Thanks for the invite though! ;)
- balu 16y ago
  about 18hrs here ;)
cothinkit 16y ago
If you're ever in NYC, would love to grab a bite! Thanks for the offer!
beunick 16y ago
Humm.. interesting.. I can see where you are going with this... would love to share some ideas with you guys but I am in Toronto. Maybe next time...
hassaanm 16y ago
Hey Sam, by any chance, were you at UT (University of Texas) last week? I attended a Tech Talk by the Photos team. I believe Makinde was there.
- thinkbohemian 16y ago
  If you go to UT i highly recommend going to Austin Software Mentors meetings.
  - hassaanm 16y ago
    Really? I see random flyers for them across campus but never gave it too much thought. Thanks! I'll be sure to check it out. Would you by any chance be able to send me some info about the club (meeting places/time)?
cadr 16y ago
Is this in Mountain View?
- eam 16y ago
  I believe it's in Palo Alto.
sunkan 16y ago
The idea is intriguing. I have no reason to meet you guys, but hoping some serendipitous goodness will rub off from meeting some very talented hackers. Count me in, if you still have spots open.
thinkbohemian 16y ago
Greetings from Austin (work for Gowalla right downtown)!! Sounds like fun, but like the majority of posters here, i do believe a flight out might be a little impractical. If you're ever visiting the Austin branch of FB let me know.
bsergean 16y ago
Benjamin Sergeant liked this. (sorry :]
citizenkeys 16y ago
i rsvp'd a yes.
- robyates 16y ago
  Same here, I just sent you an email. That's a really great gesture! Thanks!
dbz 16y ago
I'm only 18 with nothing to bring to the table besides my charming smile. Am I still eligible?
- Zev 16y ago
  I don't see why you wouldn't be. Just don't order any alcohol, if you go to a bar. I've never seen a place card at the doorway during lunchtime. You should probably send an email asking as well. Note: I don't know Sam or the venues he/the team has in mind. This is just based on my own experiences in going to bars for lunch whilst not being 21.
dabent 16y ago
Not sure of the exact date of the YC Winter 2011 interviews, but put it adjacent to that date and you might catch some people from out of town.
fredliu 16y ago
Sounds great~ happen to be in town that day~ count me in if there are still seats~
dotBen 16y ago
This is a great idea. I don't have anything really to contribute to Facebook photos conversation but I commend you for reaching out the community like this.

57 points by Sam_Odio 16y ago

smoody 16y ago

i'm in nyc, so it won't work for me, but wanted to say... Nicely done!

nick007 16y ago

great idea. will you guys be doing one of these in the facebook dublin office soon?

paulnelligan 16y ago
seconded ..
Sam_Odio 16y ago
Unfortunately the entire photos team works in palo alto. If lunch goes well we might be able to convince a Dublin team to do the same.

johnswamps 16y ago

I would enjoy this, but I don't have any particular reason to meet with you guys. Are you looking mainly for people who are interested in photos?

Sam_Odio 16y ago
No way. Come on by. We talk about photos all day...it'll be nice to discuss something else.
- Terretta 16y ago
  What about videos?

grosen 16y ago

Too bad I'm over in the East Coast. Would love to have met you all! Have a great time.

guynamedloren 16y ago

If the team feels like making a trip to Champaign, IL then sign me up!

ABrandt 16y ago
You're in Champaign? So you must go to U of I. I'm at Bradley up in Peoria. Send me an email if you'd like (your email isn't in your profile). I always enjoy meeting folks in the area.
- jcsalterego 16y ago
  A bunch of us Illinois CS/ECE students, alumni and various stragglers hang out on irc.nullirc.net's #cs.
  - ABrandt 16y ago
    Thats awesome info, thank you. I'll be checking it out right away.
  - guynamedloren 16y ago
    Cool, I'll have to check this out too. I had no idea fellow UIUC students were hanging out on HN. I'm not particularly fond of the startup culture here (and Midwest in general) but I haven't given up yet!
- guynamedloren 16y ago
  Yep, I'm a student here - for another few weeks ahhh! Weird - according to what I'm seeing my email should definitely be in my HN profile... Can anybody else see it? Anyway, I'll shoot you an email.
  - kgroll 16y ago
    I can't. Is it in the 'about' field? 'email' is private.

mmmmax 16y ago

Totally in - sent you an email

faramarz 16y ago

I'm only 7hrs+ flight away from you.. Thanks for the invite though! ;)

balu 16y ago
about 18hrs here ;)

cothinkit 16y ago

If you're ever in NYC, would love to grab a bite! Thanks for the offer!

beunick 16y ago

Humm.. interesting.. I can see where you are going with this... would love to share some ideas with you guys but I am in Toronto. Maybe next time...

hassaanm 16y ago

Hey Sam, by any chance, were you at UT (University of Texas) last week? I attended a Tech Talk by the Photos team. I believe Makinde was there.

thinkbohemian 16y ago
If you go to UT i highly recommend going to Austin Software Mentors meetings.
- hassaanm 16y ago
  Really? I see random flyers for them across campus but never gave it too much thought. Thanks! I'll be sure to check it out. Would you by any chance be able to send me some info about the club (meeting places/time)?

cadr 16y ago

Is this in Mountain View?

eam 16y ago
I believe it's in Palo Alto.

sunkan 16y ago

The idea is intriguing. I have no reason to meet you guys, but hoping some serendipitous goodness will rub off from meeting some very talented hackers. Count me in, if you still have spots open.

thinkbohemian 16y ago

Greetings from Austin (work for Gowalla right downtown)!! Sounds like fun, but like the majority of posters here, i do believe a flight out might be a little impractical. If you're ever visiting the Austin branch of FB let me know.

bsergean 16y ago

Benjamin Sergeant liked this. (sorry :]

citizenkeys 16y ago

i rsvp'd a yes.

robyates 16y ago
Same here, I just sent you an email. That's a really great gesture! Thanks!

dbz 16y ago

I'm only 18 with nothing to bring to the table besides my charming smile. Am I still eligible?

Zev 16y ago
I don't see why you wouldn't be. Just don't order any alcohol, if you go to a bar. I've never seen a place card at the doorway during lunchtime. You should probably send an email asking as well. Note: I don't know Sam or the venues he/the team has in mind. This is just based on my own experiences in going to bars for lunch whilst not being 21.

dabent 16y ago

Not sure of the exact date of the YC Winter 2011 interviews, but put it adjacent to that date and you might catch some people from out of town.

fredliu 16y ago

Sounds great~ happen to be in town that day~ count me in if there are still seats~

dotBen 16y ago

This is a great idea. I don't have anything really to contribute to Facebook photos conversation but I commend you for reaching out the community like this.