Young Rewired State: White Paper

7/30/2019 Young Rewired State: White Paper

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/young-rewired-state-white-paper 1/28

YOUNGREWIREDSTATE

CODINGABETTER

COUNTRYAscalable,sustainableanswertofosteringyoungBritishprogrammers,aWhitePaper

11/1/2012



2

CONTENTSExecutiveSummary...........................................................................................................................................................3

TheUK................................................................................................................................................................................3

YRS........................................................................................................................................................................................3

Changingperspectives.................................................................................................................................................3

Computing..............................................................................................................................................................................5

TheimportanceofComputing...................................................................................................................................5

TechnologyandInequality ..........................................................................................................................................6

Solutions.................................................................................................................................................................................7

Themajorbottlenecktolong-termchange..........................................................................................................7

FixingEducation.............................................................................................................................................................8

Fixingeducationisnotsufficient ..............................................................................................................................9

YoungRewiredState(YRS).........................................................................................................................................12

WhatisYoungRewiredState? ................................................................................................................................13

WhyisYRSagoodsolution? ....................................................................................................................................14

WhataretheindividualbenefitsofCoding? ......................................................................................................17

TheModelandMechanicsofYRS.............................................................................................................................18

HowdoyoufindKids? ................................................................................................................................................18

WhatdoesitcosttorunaYRSHackDay? ..........................................................................................................19

HowisYRSfunded? .....................................................................................................................................................20

Whathappenstotheapps? ......................................................................................................................................21

Whathappenstothekids? .......................................................................................................................................21

Thefuture–howisYRSgrowing? .........................................................................................................................22

YRSinScotland,NorthernIrelandandWales..................................................................................................23

YRSEverywhere............................................................................................................................................................23

Whatelseneedstobedone?Achangeoffocus.Achangeofdirection....................................................24

Achangeingovernmentattitude..........................................................................................................................25

AchangeinBusinessattitude.................................................................................................................................26

PostScript.....................................................................................................................................................................28

Arewereallygoingtoallowourkidstoblindlystumbleintoafuturesoutterlydependent

ondigitaltoolsandproducts,withoutgivingthemthechancetobethedemi-Godswhosit

behindthesethings,tellingthemwhattodo,andtherebytellinguswhattothink? 1

-EM

1EM=EmmaMulqueeny,founderofRewiredStateandYoungRewiredState(YRS),CS=Computer

Sciencehttp://mulqueeny.wordpress.com/2011/09/15/teach-our-kids-to-code-e-petition/



3

EXECUTIVESUMMARY

THEUK• Future-prooftheUK:Computingisacrucialandaccessibledriverandfacilitatorof

innovation,andthusoflong-term,high-growthindustry.

• Computingunderliesthegrowthofalmosteverycontemporarysphereofbusiness.

• Technologyimpactsinequality:makingcomputingskillsavailabletoeventhepoorestis

akeypartofsocialmobility.

• Weneedtorefocusitonmakingsoftwareaswellasusingit.ICTeducationintheUKisa

“toxicbrand”2thaturgentlyneedsrevolutionizing.

• Educationisthelong-termsolution:itthereforeoverlooksanimmediateimprovement in

thesituation:workingwiththeyoungBritishprogrammerswhohavetaughtthemselves

tocodeinspiteofthehostileandunhelpfulenvironmentthattheyfindthemselvesin.

YRS

• Buildscommunitiesofself-taughtprogrammersaged18andunderatlocal,

nationalandinternationallevelsthrough“HackDays”.

• TheYRSmodelisthemostorganicandscalablewaytoaccessandnurturethis

delicatetalent.

• YRSisbridgingthe generationaltalentgapastalentedyouthsuccumbtothestigmaand

lackofsupportaroundprogramming:stemmingthe“outsourceculture”thatiscurrentlydrainingmoneyfromtheeconomyasregardssoftwaredevelopment.

• YRSrescuesself-taughtprogrammersfromtheisolationoftheStatusQuo.

• InitiativeslikeYRSareessentialtoflourishingcreativepossibilityatthebeginningofthe

mostfertileeraforhumaningenuity –theinternetera.

CHANGINGPERSPECTIVES

• Whynotbuildithere?

• Weneedashiftinfocusfromstimulatingenterprisealone:withoutdeveloperstheideas

generatedwillgonowhere.

• Weneedashiftinbusinessculturetowardsopenness:opendataandopensoftwareare

themostefficientandforwardthinkingwaytoexploitourburgeoningdataresources.

• Weneedashiftinbusinessculturetowardsnurturinglocaltalentinplaceof

outsourcingtoavoidtalentflightandtalentstagnation.

2http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2012/mar/31/why-kids-should-be-taught-code



4

CodinginContext–EconomyandthestateofUKInnovation

Youcan’tjusthavepoliticianspointingatapartofthecountryandsayinglet’sinvent

somethingfromscratch:thathasn’tworkedinthepast,itwon’tworkinthefuture.Thisis

aboutbuildingonsomethinggoodandmakingitgreat.”

“We’renotdoingenoughtoteachthenextgenerationofprogrammers...Idon’tjustwant

peoplewhoareliterateintechnology:Iwantpeoplewhowanttocreate programmes3”

–DavidCameron

• NoGrowthandfallinginnovationintheUKrequireachangeoffocus

Everybodydemandsgrowth,investment,jobs.TheUKstrugglestoremaincompetitiveinthe

modernglobalisedeconomy:manufactureischeaperindevelopingcountriesandtechnologyis

donemoreeffectivelyinotherswhohavealreadybeguntospecialise.Swedenisgreen.

Germanyisautomobile.TheUSisaerospace,Web2.0.SouthKoreaismobiletelecomsand

shipping.IndiaandChinaareengineering,manufactureingeneralandarebecomingdeveloper

hubstoo.TheUKisaserviceeconomywithadwindlingnumberofservicesoverwhichitcan

offeracompetitiveedge.Onedaywewillfinallyadmitthatbutforglobalwarming’sprospects

ofturningtheDevonshireRivieraintoaquasi-Mediterraneanparadise,wehavefewreasonsto

betonourtouristindustryasthefuturesaviouroftheBritisheconomy.

Itiswidelysuggestedthatchangingthewaywethinkaboutinnovationmustbecentralin

addressingthisissue:innovationaccountedfor63%ofeconomicgrowthbetween2000and

20084.Thus,witharguablythebesthighereducationsystemintheworld,itshouldbe

concerninglearningtoreadNesta’sreport:

“InvestmentininnovationbyUKbusinessesstartedslowingin2000,anddecreasedslowly

butsteadilyasapercentageofoutputallthroughthelastdecade.Fixedassetinvestment

wasincreasinglydominatedbybricksandmortar,withlessandlessbeinginvestedinhigh

techkit...

“Theshortfallin2011wasasmuchas£24billion,fourorfivetimeswhattheUK governmentspendsonscientificandtechnologicalresearchinayear.5 ”

Therearemanysuggestedreasonsforthisdecline.Nestapointtotalentdrains:tohigher

salaried,morestablecareerpathssuchasFinanceandRealEstate;totheviciouscircleofless

UKtalentleadingtolessbusinesseschoosingtolocateintheUK,lessbusinessesleadingtoless

jobs;lessapplicantsforcutting-edgecoursesbecausejobprospectsinthosecareershave

dwindledetc.

3http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-156828504http://www.nesta.org.uk/areas_of_work/economic_growth/assets/features/plan_i 5http://www.nesta.org.uk/home1/assets/blog_entries/plan_i



5

COMPUTING

T HEIMPORTANCEOFC OMPUTING

Computationalthinkingisageneralskill,

it’sapplicabletomanyelementsofscience

andthetrainingofourkidstoday.It’snot

onlyprogramming,it’stheabilityto

abstract,tothinkaboutproblemsat

multiplelevelsthat’simportanttoteach

ourkids.Ifwe’reonlyusers,we’llbeunable

tocontributetothedigitaleconomy.

-ProfessorJeffMagee,Departmentof

Computing-ImperialCollegeLondon

It’sthemostcreativethingyoucando:it’s

purelyofthemind.

-DanCrow,CTOofSongkick,aLondon

techstart-up

• Computingisahuge,yetrapidlydecliningBritishandEuropeanemployerand

producer.

• TheUKandEuropewillrequiremanymorehighly-skilledcomputingtechnicians

thanwearecurrentlyforecasttoproduce,andwewilllosesubstantialgrowth

prospectsifprovisiontomeetthisshortfallisnotmade.

• Technologyisprovingoneofthedriversofinequality:wepayhighskills

premiumsfortechnologyliteracy,buttechnologyliteracyiscontingentonstarting

familyincome.

Certainly,oneoftheclearestbottlenecksformakingtheUKaprimedestinationforinnovative

business,andoneofthemostcommentedissues,hasbeenthetotalunder-provisionand

irrelevanceofcomputingeducationintheUK,despitethefactthatcomputinghas,byall

accounts,becomeatrulyintegralpartofinnovation.25%ofallEUbusinessR&Dspendin2007

(excludingStatefunding)wasonICT,twiceasmuchasanyotherindustrialsector.6

Theimportanceofcomputingandcomputerscienceinallofthesciences,foradvancesin

engineeringandmanufacture,injournalismandfilmandevenintheexecutionofeveryday

transactionsforsmallbusinessesisasimpleandinescapablefactof2012andofanyfuturewe

canpredictfromthishorizon.

6http://www.computingatschool.org.uk/data/uploads/BCS_Computing_Fact_Sheet.pdf

Whatis“computing”?

Computingisthestudyofhow

computersandcomputer

systemswork,andhowtheyare

constructedandprogrammed,andthefoundationsof

informationandcomputation.It

isadiscipline,likemathematics

orphysics,thatexplores

foundationalprinciplesand

ideas(suchastechniquesfor

searchingtheWeb),ratherthan

artefacts(suchasparticular

computerprograms),althoughit

mayusethelattertoilluminatetheformer.Itsaspectsofdesign,

theoryandexperimentation

aredrawnfromEngineering,

MathematicsandScience

respectively.1



6

ComputingatSchoolssuppliesthefollowingevidencetosupporttheeconomiccentralityof

computing:

• TheUK’sITindustryaloneproducesanannualGVAof£30.6billion,3%ofthetotalUK

economy,withthecontinuedadoptionandexploitationofICThavingthecapacityto

generateanadditional£35billionofGVAtotheUKeconomyoverthenextfiveto

sevenyears.

Employment:

• Another150,000ITprofessionalsintheUKwouldadd£44billioninnationalGVA.• 70,000computerprogrammingjobswereoffshoredintheUSbetween1999-2003.Over

thesameperiod115,000morehighlypaidcomputersoftwareengineeringjobswere

createdintheUS.

• TheEuropeanCommissionpredictstheUKwillneedanadditional500,000IT

professionalsby2015.

• TheCBIannualskillssurveyshowsthepercentageofUKemployersdissatisfiedwith

basicITskillsintheirworkforcehasincreasedyearonyearforthelastthreeyears,in2008-55%dissatisfied,in2010-66%dissatisfied.

T ECHNOLOGYANDI NEQUALITY

Technologyhasbeenakeybattlegroundforargumentsaboutinequality.

Globalisation,exposureofourunskilledworkerstocompetitionfromcountrieswithoutminimumwagerestrictionsorproperregulationofworkingconditionshasmeantfewerjobs

fortheunskilled.Simultaneously,therapidpaceoftechnologicalchangeandourincreasing

relianceonthesebreakthroughshasmeantthedevelopmentofamuchgreaterskillspremium:

scientistsandengineershaveseentheirincomesincreaserapidly.7

ArecentOECDreportputsitlikethis:

“Globalisation...wenthand-in-handwiththerapidadoptionofnewtechnologieswhich

maypenalisethoseworkerswhodonothavethenecessaryskills.Technologicalprogressis

thereforeoftenseenasinherently“skill-biased”.” 8

Intermsofcomputing,forthosewhoaresubjectedtothecurrent,absurdcurriculumsandgrow

upinlowincomehouseholds,developingthesehighpremiumskillsisincrediblydifficult:

withoutaccesstouptodatetechnologyitishardtoseehowtheycouldeventeachthemselves.

7http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2012/jul/16/technology-inequality-policy-change8www.oecd.org/els/socialpoliciesanddata/47723414.pdf p.10



7

SOLUTIONS

• ICTeducationisun-engagingandunfitforpurpose

• Thegenerationinschoolsnowoughttobethemosthighly-skilled,technology-

drivencohortever,yetitisheldbackbythecurrent,dullcourse.

• ThishasramificationsforGCSEanduniversityuptakeofComputing,whichin

turnswillmeanmassiveunder-provisionoftheseskills.

T HEMAJORBOTTLENECKTOLONG-TERMCHANGE

UptakeofComputingcoursesintheUKisonthedecline:between2003and2011,UCAS

applicationsfellalmost12%:thepercentageofstudentslookingtostudythesubjecthasfallen

from5%to3%ofallapplicants.9

AndwhilstorganisationssuchastheRoyalSociety,individualssuchasEricSchmidtandDavid

Cameron,haveremarkedupontheinadequacyofthestatusquoineducation,itisoftenyoung

peoplewhoareabletoputthepointmostsuccinctly:

“WeneedtoensurethattheITwhichweareteachingisusefulforus.InthecourseIdid

from2008-2009,Iwasgiven2Asand2A*sfordoingsilly,simpleandratherpatronising

tasks,likeopeningandformattingworddocs,etc.”

And

[wecanencouragemorekidstostartcodingby]“Scrappingthesecretary-trainingICT

curriculum,replacingitwithonewhichteachesmoreabouthowtechnologiesworkand

howtomanipulatethem.” (YoungRewiredStateattendees,2012)

Thereisasenseoffranticurgencyandfatalismintheseremarks:itisalreadytoolateformany

studentswhoseliveswillrelyandrevolvearoundthesetechnologies.

Thisskillsdeficitholdsuptheentiresystem.Withoutskilledworkersandyoungpeople

enthusedbythetechnologyneededtopushtheeconomyforward,businesseswillnotdevelop

theirtechnologieshere,willnotinvesthere,smallbusinesseswillbeleftbehindbybetter

equippedinternationalcompetitorsandyoungpeoplewilllackthetoolsneededtoinnovatefor

themselves.Thus,theUnitedKingdom’slong-termprospectsforgrowtharesignificantly

damaged.Computingsolutionsandideasareincreasinglyoutsourced,bypassingthesmallbut

incrediblyhighcalibrecommunityofnativeprogrammersanddevelopershere.

Moreover,thisdeficitcannotbe“solvedbyanyoneorganisationorthoughtleader–itrequiresan

expertandcommittedcommunity,self-drivenandfocusedonspecialistareas...Thisisverymucha

communitything10”.Whilstdisagreementonwhatexactlyistobedoneisrife,itappearsthat

thereisaconsensusthatsingular,isolatedgovernmentinterventionismorelikelytodamage

anddisrupttheproteantechnologyinfrastructuredevelopingintheUKthantohelpsolvethe

challengesthatitfaces.

9http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-1591667710

EmmaMulqueeny-http://mulqueeny.wordpress.com/2011/09/20/codingforkids-evening-barcamp/



8

F IXINGE DUCATION

• Injectfundsintosourcesofinnovation:placesofeducation,schemesproviding

skillsextra-curricularly

• Public-Privatepartnershipsidentifyingtheexactsyllabusthatisneeded:raising

moneyandinvestingtogether• ICTaspartofcompulsoryprimaryschoolsyllabus

Itisclearthatthesolutionmustbemultilayered.Atthemacroeconomiclevel,Nestapointsto

lacklustrefinancialarchitecture;thedifficultyofhiringtalented,specialiststaffbothintheUK

andfromoverseas(duetocomplexandintractableVisalaws),thegovernment’slackof

commitmenttofundinginnovationthroughpublicfundsanditspropensitytoinvestin

infrastructureforshort-termpoliticalbenefitsratherthanlong-term,sustainableeconomic

growth.

Atthelevelofcomputing,theNextGen,RoyalSocietyandBCSreportsmadeitclearthat

computingmustbecomepartofthenationalcurriculum.ThisisunderwayfollowingTheOfsted

reportonICT,2011,thescrappingofICTasacompulsorysubjectfrom2014andthe

recognitionbyMichaelGovethat:

“ComputerScienceisarigorous,fascinatingandintellectuallychallengingsubject...andis

mergingwithotherscientificfieldsintonewhybridresearchsubjectslikecomputational

biology...WewillcertainlyconsiderincludingComputerScienceasanoptioninthe

EnglishBaccalaureate11 .”

AfurtherdevelopmentintheformofBehindtheScreen,apartnershipbetweengovernmentand

industry,isanefforttoaugmentthispushwiththeobjectiveofcreating

“anewcurriculumanddeliverymethodologywhichwillputtheUKaheadofits

internationalrivalsintheeducationofyoungpeopleforsuccessinthee-enabledfuture

economy 12.”

11

MichaelGove’sspeechatBETTJanuary2012

12http://www.behindthescreen.org.uk/about-bts/



9

F IXINGEDUCATIONISNOTSUFFICIENT

Whileyouhaveyourdaytomorrow,andeverydayfromthenon,rememberthatweare

livingthroughthegreatestrevolutioneverseeninthepotentialforhumanachievement

andhumanconnection.Wecanruinitatbirth,orwecannurtureit.Andoneday,indecadestocome,we’llbeaskedabouttheseyears,andwhatwedidatthebirthofthe

internetera.13

-BenHammersley

“seniorschoolsarenotthemostmalleableoforganisationstoeffectimmediateand

affectivechange,regardlessofgoodintentandrecognitionofaproblem.14”

-EM

Tryingtosolvethisproblemwithatop-down,managerial(half-hearted)crytothrowopen

thedigitaldoorsinYear8andforcechangeineducationandinterestisgoingtobealong

andbloodyprocess.Ifthisisthewaywechoosetogo,thenacceptthatitwilltaketime,

money(lotsofmoney)andthatitwillaffectthewholeoftheeducationsystem,notjustICT

reform.15

-EM

Iseeyouandyourconsultancyrevenuebasedorganisations,andIraiseyouanetworkof

100sofkidsthroughYRSwhowillnotbefooled 16

-EM

• Thecurrentstrategyisalong-term,top-levelapproach.

• Failuretoeffectimmediateactionwillloseanentiregenerationofprogrammers,

designersandtechnology-literatescientistsandbusinesspeople

13http://www.benhammersley.com/2011/09/my-speech-to-the-iaac/

14http://mulqueeny.wordpress.com/2012/01/10/open-education-and-freedom-to-teach-computing/ 15ibid16http://mulqueeny.wordpress.com/2011/09/15/paragraph-seven/



10

ThecompletionoftherevolutioninComputingeducationisclearlyalongwayoff.Thereare

multiplemajorobstaclestoanadequatecurriculumbeingestablishednationwide.

1. Examinations.Theconstructionofexaminationsthatcancopewithcreativityanda

supportingsetofpeoplecapableofmarkingtheresultsarerequired.

2. Teachers.Ideally,ITandcomputingwouldbetaughtbyComputerSciencegraduates;

teacherswithasufficientlyspecificanddeepexpertiseincomputingtoallowthemto

keepabreastofadvancementsinarapidlychangingfield.

a. Ifimmediateactionwastaken,thecurrentgenerationofCSgraduatesmightbe

incentivisedtoteach,andexpertsinthefieldbroughtintoschools.

b. However,withthediminutivenumberofCSgraduatescurrentlyinstock,this

wouldbeatbestasmallinflux.

c. Afullcycleofgraduateswouldberequired,withteachertrainingincluded:we

cannotexpecttohavesufficientteachersforanewcourseatanythinghigher

thantheEnglishBaccalaureatewithin5years.

3. Coursetextsandcourseresources.Aneffectivesyllabuswillbeinherentlylaconic,

requiringfrequentupdatingforanythinglessspecificthangeneralprinciples.

4. Stigma,prejudiceandinequality.Thisisperhapsthelongest-termissuethatComputing

faces.

a. Abrilliantcomputingcoursewhichisoptionalwillattractonlythosealready

convertedtothecharmsofthesubject.Whilsttraditionalsubjectssuchas

English,MathsandSciencesarewidelyendorsedbycorporations,universities,

themediaandparents,Computingfacesunder-exposureandalackofrole-

modelsandchampions.

b. Computingiswidelyandincreasinglyperceivedasa“male”subject.Thisis

unacceptableifprogrammingistoplayamajorroleinthefutureoftheUK

economy.

Whatismore,manyoftheseproblemsare“chickenandegg”typeproblems:theycannotbe

solvedwithasinglereform,butareheldbackbycollectiveactiondilemmasandother

circularities.Forinstance:

1. Stigmawillnotstarttodissolveuntilthereisamorewidespreadawarenessofwhatit

entails.

2. Yetsocietywillonlycometothisunderstandingpiecemealwithoutitsmembersbeing

educatedaboutitandexposedtothetruthsofthediscipline.

3. However,thiskindofeducationrequires,atleastinpart,thatthestigmasurrounding

Computingisdissolved,sothatitsbasicprinciplescanbeinstitutedaspartofcompulsoryeducationandcanbeconsideredwithanopenmind.

4. Butthestigmawillnotstarttodissolveuntil...

Similarlywithteachers:

1. Inordertoinspireanewgenerationofdevelopersandcreators,weneedmorepeople

whoarebetterqualifiedinITtoteachandpropoundthestrengthsofthesubject.

2. Inordertogetmorespecialistteachers,weneedmorepeopletofirststudyComputer

Science,andanaccompanyingsetofincentivestotraintobecomeaspecialistITteacher.

3. InordertoinspiremorepeopletostudyComputerScience,weneedspecialistteachers

inschoolstoinspirestudents...



11

Teachinschool&

younger

ClubsandTaster

SessionsBe7erResources

Teachgamedesign

Don'teventry;

they'llcometoitthemselves

It'sArt,notMathsBe7erHeroes

MoreKidsCoding

Allofthisisnottosaythattheseproblemsarebeyondsolution,butrather,thatsome

intermediatesolutionisrequiredinordertoeffectsignificantchange.

Thispaperpositsthatonepossible,immediatesolution:themodeldemonstratedbyYoung

RewiredState,istoemploygrass-rootsviralitythatcanspreadfromtheexistingkernelof

peoplewhoarepassionateabouttheirskillandcounteractthedeclineininterestin

programmingthatoccursbecauseoftheexistinglackofsupportinschools.

Weputforwardthatthismodeloughttoenjoywidersupport:shouldbemoreextensively

adoptedandreplicated.

17

17YRS2012internalsurvey



12

YOUNGREWIREDSTATE(YRS)

“IthinkthemostinspiringthingthatI’veseenishowgivingkids,oranyoneforthat

matter,thespace,theopportunitytocreatethings:whatthatgenerates,justgetting peopleinthesameroomandgivingthemtheresourcestheyneed.”

-AralBalkin–YoungRewiredStateJudge.

• Thereisanurgentandimmediatelackofresourcesandsupportforyoung

programmers.Theywillstopprogrammingwithoutsupport.

• Schoolscanexpandknowledgeandawareness,butyoustillneedpeopletohave

theresourcesandmotivationtousethatknowledge.

• YRScreatesanenvironmentandfindsthedeveloperstoputinit:thedevelopers

dotherest.

• YRSparticularlyhelpsthosefromleastadvantagedbackgrounds,providingthe

highestcaliberofmentoringandsoftware:itistheseyoungpeoplewhowould

otherwisemostloseoutduetoskillspremiumsfortechnology.

YoungRewiredStateisaneasilyreplicatedandleanintermediateanswertothelackofsupport

thatyoungprogrammersintheUKexperience.Theprojectaimsatthosewhohavetaught

themselvestocode,drivenbypurecuriosityandthedesiretocreate.Itiscompletely

unthinkablethatthesepeople,theoneswhohavehadthewherewithalandingenuitytoteach

themselvesentireesotericlanguagesintheirowntime,areeitherignoredorabusedbythe

mechanicsoftheeconomy.

Thesearethemostcreativeandentrepreneurialthinkersofthecurrentera:pioneerswhoare

capableofbreakingthefront-linesystemsofthetechnologicalageandbuildingsomethingnew.

Theseindividualsaremarooned;maltreatedbytheirpeersandtheirdistinctivetalents

unrecognisedbyteachers.

Forthelastfouryears,YRShasbegunthepainstakingtaskofseekingthemout,uncoveringevery

self-taughtcoder fromtheirvarioushidingplacesandprovidingthemwithasupportnetwork,a

viableroutetodeveloptheirabilitiesandfashionthemintoCV-readyentities,toactuallymeet

andlearnfromlike-mindedindividualsandtostarttheirownbusinessesandcareersin

computing.



13

W HATISY OUNGREWIREDS TATE ?

• Under18yearoldswhohavetaughtthemselveshowtoprogram

• Broughttogetherforaweektocreatethingswithextensivelocal,nationaland

globalguidance.

• Weldedintoadynamiccommunitythatspanstheareathattheylivein,thecountryandtheworld.

Itworkslikethis.Severalhundredyoungpeoplescatteredacrossthecountryarechallengedto

builddigitalproductsformobileandweb,usingatleastonepieceofopendata.Forexample,

previoushackdayshavefocusedonusingatleastonepieceofopendata:suchasUKpupildata

temporarilyreleasedbytheUKgovernmentforthepurposeoftheevent.

Theygoto“centers”,spaceswithWiFiandthenecessaryequipment,alongwithYRSmentors

andalumni,equallydisparatelylitteredacrossthecountry,identifytheproblemstheywill

attempttosolveandstartbuilding.

Thesecenterseachhostateamforaweekandhelpstimulatetheideationandcreation

processes,sharingtheirexpertiseandguidance.

OntheclimacticFridayoftheweek,everyoneheadstowardsasinglelocationintheUK.Thisis

the“FestivalofCode”:presentationsinfrontofapanelofesteemedjudgesandtheawardingof

prizes.

Thefestivalinvolvesfood,drinkandspeechesfromgenuinethought-leadersbeforesomeofthe

YRSersgotosleepandothersspendthenightfinishingtheirprojects.

Prizesareawardedaftertworoundsofpresentationsandhaveincludedsuchmischievous

categoriessuchas“mostlikelytoannoyagovernmentofficial”aswellas“codeabettercountry”

and“bestinshow”.



14

W HYISYRS AGOODSOLUTION ?

(diagramdemonstratingYRSasanintermediatefacilitatorofpeer-to-peerlearning(P2P))

YRSfacilitatesfivekeychannelsofinteraction.

• Communities.Itrapidlyandsustainablysynthesisesvirtualandphysicalcommunitiesof youngprogrammersbothwheretheyliveandacrossthecountry.

• Sustainableandscalable.Ittherebyrevealsyoungpeopletotheirlocalprofessional

programmingcommunity,creatingorganic,sustainableandultimatelyscalable

foundationsforBritishprogramming.

• Rolemodels.Throughjudgesandmentors,keynotespeechesandcenters,alayerofrole

modelsisgraduallycreated.

• Global.Itallowsyoungpeopletotapintoa global poolofexpertisethroughthe

#YRSHelpTwitterhashtag,creatinganinternationallycompetitivelevelofqualityand

showingthosewatchingexactlywhatunder18sintheUKarecapableof.

• Data.Lastly,itshowsthoseinpossessionofdatathepotentialoftheirdataandbeginstheprocessoftransformingitintosomethinggenuinelyusefulforsociety.

Thesefivechannelseachplayslightlydifferentroles,thoughthereissomecrossover.

1. Firstly,thenetworksofyoungpeopleallowpeer-to-peerlearninganddevelopment:theymake

learninghowtocodeandcreate,anexplosiveandcollaborativeprocess.Thishappensonbotha

“hyper-local”scale:throughthecenters,andatanationallevel:whentheyconvergeatthe

FestivalofCode.



15

Thetypeofbondingthatoccursinboththelocalcentersandthenationalfinalecannotbe

replicatedthroughvirtualnetworks,cannotberecreatedintheclassroom.Itisa7dayprocess

ofintrepiddiscovery:fromisolationtotherealisationthattherearepeoplewhereyoulivewho

thinkinthesamewayandarepassionateaboutthesamesortsofthings.

Thisisoneoftheparticularlyoddthingsaboutcodingtoanoutsider:someformsofplagiarism

areseeninapositivelight 1

.Thisisperhapsoneofthereasonsthatopensourcesoftwarehascometobeseenasmorallynormal–mostsoftwareismadeupofatleastsomeelementsthat

havebeenexplicitlyandproudly‘borrowed’fromotherconstructions.Thisnecessaryfacetof

thenatureofprogrammingisperhapsacorereasonforYRS’ssuccessanditsintuitiveappealto

manywhoworkintheindustry.

Thisisauniqueandhighlyscalablewayofcreatinglastingandsolidifiedrelationships:

relationshipsthatarecrucialtothetypeofinnovationanddevelopmentthathascometomake

HackDaysareveredresearchanddevelopmentmethod,andthatarecrucialtokeepingthese

kidscoding.

2. Secondly,throughtheattendanceofalumni,mentorsandprofessionaldevelopersateachcentre

frustrationsarecoachedoutofthepictureandthetalentoftheYRSersisbestrealised.

Furthermore,thegroupsforgedunderthesepressurisedcircumstancesoftenstayincontact,

linkingyoungnetworkstomoredevelopedonesandcreatingasustainableandlocalchainof

supportthatwillsurvivebeyondtheevent.

Lessobviously,exposingmentorsandcompaniestotheenergyandunrelentingcreativity;the

sheerandcompellingambitionofYRS,remindsthemoftheun-realisedpotentialvestedin

nascentprogrammersandgivesthemareasontoinvolvethemselvesinrevitalisingand

reinvigoratingthisbase.

3. Thirdly,byassemblingtalentedpanelsofjudges,bycollectingenthusiasticprofessionalsand

bringingbackYRSalumniasmentorswhoareeloquentinsupportofprogramming,YRS

curatesananswertothemainstreammedia’slackofattentiontotheverypeoplewhoshouldbe

rolemodelstosubsequentgenerationsofprogrammers.Thisisacrucialpartofreversingthe

stigmathatcloudscomputing:ofcreatingacultureofinnovationandhigh-techenterprise.

4. Fourthly,theconvergenceofcreativemindsanddeterminationtomakethingsthatmanifestsat

theseeventsisfurtherstokedandstimulatedbytheinputofthehundredsofexpertsworldwide

whofollowthe#YRSHelphashtagonTwitterandinjectpartsofsolutionsintotheprocess;bothdevelopersattransnationalcompaniesandgeniusindividualssilentlycodingforthemselves.

5. Lastly,theinexorableriseofopendatarequiresasimilarlysubstantialgrowthofthecommunity

availableneededtousethatdatatoitsfullpotential.

Rawdataonitsownisvirtuallyuselesstothevastmajorityofpeople;itrequirescreativeminds

andproblem-solverstomineinandcarveusefulsolutionsoutofthisinformation.Opendatais

arguablythethingthattriggeredthecreationofYRS–abundantdatabutscarceyoung

developers.OpenDataisnowthethingthatinspiresandfeedsthecreationsoftheunder18

yearoldswhotakepartinthisevent.



16

ExamplesofAppscreatedthroughYRS

SeebelowexamplesofappsthathavebeencreatedthroughYRS:

Humap,a“humandirectionmapapp”.Anintuitivedirectionsapplicationthatgivesyou

directionsbasedonspecificlandmarksratherthanstreetnames.

WhyWasteaVote,asiteaimedatteenagersandnewvoters,educatingthemaboutthepolitical

systemandtheuseofvoting.

WaytoGo.Thewebappusescrowd-sourceddatafromwheelchairuserstofigureoutthebest

placesthatarereadilyaccessible.

SmartMove.ThewebsiteletsyousearchforareasofLondonyoumaymoveto,accordingto

specificcriteria.Dependingonwhatcriteriaaremoreimportanttoyou,itwillreorganiseyour

resultstomatch.

Where’smyTrain.Usesdataabouttrainarrivals,topspeedanddelaystoestimatethepositionofatraintobeplottedonaGooglemap.

NorwichBlocks.Mapsbroadbandconnectivityinamoreaccessibleanddetailedwayusinga

threedimensional,interactivemapbasedonsoftwarebytheGamescompany,Mojang.

UniMatch—Helpsfindauniversitythatisrightfortheuser,usingdistance,fees,UCASpoints,

nightlifeetc.

Urbani—Apedestrianheatmap,showingthebusiestpedestrianareasinLondon.

myNHS—ConnectspatientstotheNHSonthebasisoffourcriteria:location,GPs,prescriptions

andbookings.

Lifestyle—Anappthatquicklyinformsyouaboutyourneighborhoodbypostcodeintermsof

Education,Crime&Lifestyle.

FoodforThought —AnappthatusesdatafromtheFoodStandardsAgencytoallowusersto

findoutthehygieneratingsoffoodoutlets.



17

W HATARETHEINDIVIDUALBENEFITSOFC ODING?

Codingiscreation.Thisappealstodifferentpeoplefordifferentreasons:someseeitasamode

ofself-expression.Itisanartisticandchangeablemedium,clearlyanalogoustoarchitecture:solvingproblemsinthemostelegant,efficientandrobustmannerpossible.Andyetitoffersa

greaterdegreeof freedom thanarchitecturebecausethesolutionsthataresoughtcanbeto

problemsthatthecreatorsthemselvesdevise.

Othersenjoythechallengingflavourofthoughtthatcodingrequires,citingitsdeep

requirementsuponthecoder’slogical faculties.Wheremathematicsallowsalsoelicitsthese

thoughtprocesses,codingcombinesthemwiththesatisfactionandlastingproductsofunique,

personalisedsolution.

Moreover,perhapsironicallyforsomethingsostereotypically“artificial”,theallureofcoding

alsocomesinpartfromitsappealtointrinsichumancuriosity–manypeoplearedrawntocode

simplybecausetheyfeelcompelledtounderstandwhatprocessesandstructuresunderliethe

furnitureofmodernexistence.

Thereareother,lessunexpecteddriverstocode:thedriveforfriendship,forjobprospects,for

profit.Codingisawayofcreatingabusinessfromscratch.HackDaysandforumslinkeach

codertoalike-mindedcommunity.Thesecommunitiesarecompletelycrucialtothesurvivalof

codingintheUK;theyarefedbyselflesshoursofcontributionandco-operation,mentoringand

development.

Creangand

accomplishment

ProblemSolving

Freedom

Curiosity-

understanding

howthings

work

The

ChallengeLogicality

Art&self

expressionProfit Social

Whatdoyoulikemostabout

coding?



18

THEMODELANDMECHANICSOFYRS

H OWDOYOUFINDK IDS ?

Withoutasignificantbudgettospendonpublicity,andwithoutareputationtobuildon,finding

peoplewhohavetaughtthemselvestocodeisachallengingplacetostart.

Inspiteofthis,2012hasseenapromisingincreaseinawarenessoftheissue,inpartthankstothesuccessofpreviousHackDaysandPRworkbyEmmaMulqueenyandherteam,butalsodue

tohigh-profilecommunicationsfromOFSTED,TheRoyalSociety,BCS,CaS,BehindtheScreen,

MichaelGove,DavidCameron,EricSchmidt,StephenFryandtheBritishpress–especiallythe

Guardian.

YRShasbeenabletogainmomentumthroughrecommendationsandtheburgeoningnumberof

centerswhoparticipate.Yet,thisissimplynothighprofileenoughandfailstogivetheissues

involvedduesincerity.Whatisrequiredisachangeinfocus,achangeindirection.

50100 100

423

800

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

(projected)

Parcipants



19

W HATDOESITCOSTTORUNAYRS H ACKD AY ?

Inthefirstyear,themajorityofattendeescamefromhighlydisadvantagedbackgroundsand

throughoutthedevelopmentoftheevent,thishascontinuedtobeafactofYRS.Forthisreason,

alargepercentageofthecostsarehardshipfunds;helpinggetYRSerstotheevents.Thefirst

eventprovedtobethemostexpensiveperchild:themoneywenttowardspayingfortrain

tickets,foodandplacestostayovertheweekend.

Thecostoftheeventincreasedsignificantlybetween2011and2012duetotheincreasedlength

ofthefinale:fromonedaytoanentireweekendandtheadditionalfactthat400peoplewastoo

manytorelyonthedonatedspacesforthefinalweekend;itbecamenecessaryhireavenueand

equipmentfortheweekend.

Otherconsistent,essentialcostsincludefood(pizza–LOTSofpizza),prizesandtravel.

£23,000 £20,000£9,000

£120,000

£200,000

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

(projected)

Cost



20

H OWISYRS FUNDED?

“Theideaisthatthisthingwillbebuiltandwillgrowandgrowandgrow,goodnessknows

whereitwilltakeusallbutIwouldstillliketobedoingthiswhenIam90”

-EM

• YRSisanot-for-profit,philanthropicproject

• Itislargelysupportedbythegenerousinvolvementofsponsors:thisvariesfrom

offeringtheirbuildingsfortheFestivalofCodetoprovidingtheirsoftwareanddatafree

fortheparticipantstouse.

• Sponsorsgainbrandadvocatesbysupplyingsoftwareandfamiliarizingkeyusers.In

thepast,sponsorshaveincluded:

SAP

Google

Mozilla

• Independenceandfreedomiscrucial–theorganizationwillneverbeforprofitand

needstoflexibleenoughtosupplywhatisneededmostinthisareaofsocietyandthe

economy.Thereforeventurecapitalcanneverbeanoption.

• Theaimistofindasingle,mainpartnersponsor.

• FundsfromRewiredState–profitsfromthecompanyRewiredState,ofwhichYRSisthe

philanthropicarm,supporttheevent.

• Communityfunding–www.peoplefund.it –“Soasmuchaspeer-to-peerlearningiskey

rightnow,soitseemsispeer-to-peerfunding18”

• Grants(e.g.ShuttleworthFoundationFlashGrant)

18http://mulqueeny.wordpress.com/2012/05/01/get-in-funded-by-the-people/



21

W HATHAPPENSTOTHEAPPS ?

• Itisnotaboutthedevelopmentofapps,it’saboutthedevelopmentofthe

participants

• MonetizingtheproductsofHackDayswouldbecomplicated,morallydubiousand

counter-productive.

ItiscrucialtonotethattheactualprototypesofYRSHackDaysarenotthemostimportant

outcome:themostimportantoutcomesarethelearningandcommunity-buildingtowhichapp-

buildingissimplyameans.

Asyoumightexpect,itisparticularlyproblematictomonetizesoftwarecreatedthroughthe

jointeffortsofagroupofunder18yearoldsofmixedabilities.Despitethis,someprojects

survivethroughthecontinuingindividualeffortsoftheparticipants;somearetakenforward

throughpartnershipswithgovernmentandothersocially-mindedorganizations.Allofthecode

enduresontheinternetasatestamenttothecreativeeffortsoftheircreators.

Evenifcommercialexitsexistedfortheprototypescreated,introducingaprofitmotivewould

betraythetagline“Codingabettercountry”.Themotivationforeachandeveryappisproblem-

basedratherthanprofit-based.YRSerslearnhow,facedwithaspecificproblem,itismost

productivetogoaboutbuildingasolution.

Thisbroadframeworkcanbemappedontocommerciallyviableproblemstoo,however,with

thegeneralaimofdevelopingthetalentsofprogrammers,thiswouldbeunnecessarily

restrictiveandmoreimportantly,amorallydubiousactivitytoinvolvechildrenasyoungas7in.

W HATHAPPENSTOTHEKIDS ?

DuringandafterHackdays,participantsareinformedoftherisksandbest-practicesofjoining

intoagreementsandcontractswithcompanieswhodecidetoapproachthemonthebasisofthe

event.

[INSERTALUMNIREPORTS]



22

T HEFUTURE–HOWISYRS GROWING?

“Theideahasalwaysbeentofindandfostereverykidwhoisdriventoteachthemselves

howtocode,andthisdoesnotlimitustotheUK.”

-EM

• Alongerweekend–theFestivalofCode• MoreParticipants

• MoreCenters

• MoreUKCountries:Scotland,NorthernIreland,Wales

• Moreinternationalcountries:Estonia,Berlin,NewYork,Amsterdam,Kenya

• AGlobalcommunityofyoungprogrammersEverysubsequentyearhasseenthenumberofcentersinvolvedincrease.2013willseethefirst

caponcentersimposedat50,withthesizeoftheeventtendingtowardsthelimitofthe

organizationalcapacityoftheYRSteam.

Asthislimitisapproached,thecurrentfund-raisingprocessbecomesincreasinglystrained,

evenastheimportanceandsuccessoftheeventitselfincreases.

Thelengthofthefinalweekendwasincreasedbetween2011and2012toproperlyallowthe

differentcenterstocoalesce,togivethatcrucialcommunity-buildingthatoccurswheneveryone

comestogethertocompeteandpresenttheirideas,twoentiredaysinsteadoftwohours.

ThemissiontofindeveryBritishself-taughtcodermaybeaself-defeatingprophecy–asYRS

grows,inspiringyoungpeopletoevangelizeprogramming,sothereforedoesthenumberof

Britishcodersteachingthemselvestocode.

14

14

42

50

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

(projected)

Centres



23

Butthismodelcanandshouldbereplicatedabroad.ForYRS,globalbarriersmakenosense.

RapidadvancesincollaborativesoftwareandplatformsmeanthatYRSwilleventuallybeableto

effectivelytranscendnationalbarriersandphysicallocations,leadingtotheemergenceofa

globallyconnectedcommunityofyoungprogrammers,mentoredbyworldwidecommunityof

expertsinallfields.Thisisagoalthatgovernmentsworldwideshouldstrivetowards,asit

markstheonlysustainablewayofproperlyutilizingthedatathattheygenerate,themost

forward-thinkingwayofensuringthatprogrammersandcomputingingeneraladvancewithoutrestriction.

AglobalYRSwouldmeanaglobalfocusontheproblemsthatareconsideredwithinternational

datatobacktheprocessup.Youngpeopleworkingacrossborderstosolveworldwideproblems

isanadmirableandrealisticgoal.

YRS INS COTLAND ,N ORTHERNI RELANDANDW ALES

Itisallaboutawareness.Thereareyoungpeoplesilentlyteachingthemselvestocodeinthese

countries,theyjustdonotknowweexist.ThecountriesoftheUKareanintuitivefirststep.The

firstoftheseis:

Aberdeen,Scotland–December2012

HeldatTheUniversityofAberdeen,overtheweekendofDecember1&22012:50

youngScottishcoders,aged18orunder,toattendandbuilddigitaltools:apps,widgets,games

andwebsites-usingopengovernmentdatafromScotland.Theweekendwillbeatraditional

RewiredStatehackweekend,withcodingcontinuingacrosstwodaysandpresentationsof

prototypesonSundayafternoontoapanelofjudges.

YRS E VERYWHERE

2013witnessesthebirthof“YRSEverywhere”,theworldwideexpansionofYRS,startingoff

withAmtersdam2013inAprilorMay,andlookingtorunHackweekendsontheUKmodel,

usinglocalopengovernmentdata)inthefollowingplaces:

• Estonia

• Berlin

• NewYork

• Kenya

ThiswillbethegenuinebeginningofYRSasaglobalcommunity.



24

WHATELSENEEDSTOBEDONE?ACHANGEOFFOCUS.ACHANGE

OFDIRECTION.

“Codeisattheheartofeverythingwedointhedigitalworldinwhichweexist.It’snotjust

aboutvideogamesandvisualeffects,it’salsoaboutdesigningthenextjetpropulsion

engine,orfightingcybercrime,orrunningfinancialservices.

Codingisessentialtoeverything,andwithtraditionalmanufacturingindeclineand

financialservicesindisarray,ifthegovernmentwantstheeconomytosucceed,youhaveto

empowerourcreativenationwiththeskillsnecessarytoservedigitalcontenttoglobal

audiencesviahigh-speedbroadband,andcodeisabsolutelyessentialtothat 19.”

-Author,entrepreneurandgovernment-appointedskillschampion,IanLivingstone

• Stemtheoutwardflowoftalentandoutsourcing:useanddevelopBritish

programmingtalent:buildupexecutiontosupplementideation.

• Problemsthatcannotbesolvedwithoutmakingprofitarestillproblems.

Oneofthebiggestproblemsfordevelopingacompetentandvibrantpopulationof

programmersanddevelopersintheUKisthefalseandanachronisticdichotomybetween

“ideas”and“execution”thatseemstobeattheforefrontofbothbusinessandgovernment

mentalityintheUK.Thediscordantrealityisthatvirtuallyallnewbusinessesareunequivocallydependentondeveloperstoprogressfromtheideastage.Developerstellthemwhatispossible

andimpossible,whatareefficientandinefficientsolutions:theveryboundariesanddetailsof

thefuzzyblueprintthatentrepreneurslayupontheirtables.Developersthenactuallybuild

thesesolutions.Andyetgovernmentencouragesandinvestsinentrepreneurstothedetriment

ofthisessentialelement:aclassofbusinesspeoplewhoareutterlyimpotentwithoutgood

developers,completelyincapableofotherwisemovingforwards.

WhatYRSshows,throughthehundredsofuniqueprototypesitcreateseveryyearisthat

developersthemselves,givenspaceandequipmentcansquashthatdichotomy:theyare

problem-oriented,design-thinkers,capableoftakingembryonicideationtorapid,lean

executioninweeks,ratherthanmonths.Properinvestmentinthistalentsectorwouldvery

clearlybeamorefertiledestinationforinvestmentintermsofUKinnovativeproductionand

growth:YRSissolidandunquestionableevidenceofthis.

19http://www.computing.co.uk/ctg/interview/2199109/sowing-the-seeds-of-digital-success-an-

interview-with-skills-champion-ian-livingstone#ixzz265CcGjGR



25

ACHANGEINGOVERNMENTATTITUDE

HackeventsintheUKhavealwaysplayedavitalroleinhelpinggovernmentbeopenand

transparentaboutwhatitisdoing,anditisessentialthatthisextendstowhatParliamentisdoingtoo. 20

-EM

1. Thepublicgoodratherthanprofit.OrganisationssuchasYRSproducecontentandshapeindividualstofocusonthepublicgoodratherthanonthecreationofprofit.This

tooistheremitofgovernment:tofocusonthepublicgoodratherthanthecreationof

profit.

YouputmoneyanddataintoYRS,andoutofit,yougetindividualswhohavebeen

stimulatedandorientedtoconcentrateonhowtomakeotherpeople’slivesbetter,

regardlessofwhethertheirsolutionsarecommerciallyviable.

2. SocialMobility.ManyoftheindividualsthatYRSsupportsarefromdisadvantaged

backgrounds.Moreover,“coding”is,inexplicably,highlystigmatisedandsoyoung

programmersoftensufferfrompeer-abuseandridicule.Thisisnotthekindofculturein

whichthemostcreativemindsofthisgenerationoughttoexperiencetheirchildhood.

Totransitionfrombeinganisolatedprogrammingteenagerinyourbedroomtoanemployableandself-confidentadultisatumultuousjourney.Inthecaseofthechildren

involvedinYRS,moreisatstakethanfortheaverageindividual,forboththeindividual

themselves(withoutadequateeducationaloptions,withpeer-pressurerife,manyare

likelytosimplygiveuponthisvaluabletalent),andthecountry(ifweadmitthatICTis

withoutuse,whowillbeinspiredtoteachthenewComputingEbaccifnotthecurrent

generationgoingthroughYRS?)

3. Openness,accountability,involvement.Inrecentyears,wehaveseenthegovernment

openupsectionsofitsdatatofeedhackdays:thisisbrilliantanditiscrucialthatthis

becomesatrendthatextendsthroughoutgovernmentdepartments,ratherthanaone-

offexperiment.Thepropermanipulationofthedataheldbygovernmentisabrilliant

waytoimproveaccountability,toidentifyinefficiency,toextenddemocracythrough

technology:thatyoungpeoplecandirectlyinfluencegovernmentthroughthecreative

useoftheirskillsisapanaceatoapathy:asurewaytoincreaseparticipation.

20http://mulqueeny.wordpress.com/2012/11/24/parly-hack-2012/



26

ACHANGEINBUSINESSATTITUDE

Developersareatalenttobenurturedinouropendataandopensocietyworld. 21

-EM

• Wecanmakeithere.Whyoutsource?

• Codingentrepreneurs:theleanalternativetopureideation

• Weliveinanopensociety:closedbusinesseswillsuffocate

1. Outsourceless:developlocaltalent.

Thisispartofthe“chicken-egg”dilemma.Withoutmoredevelopers,companieswill

continuetolookabroad.Unlessmorecompaniesuselocaldevelopers(andpaythem

properly)jobprospectswillfalterandlesspeoplewillaspiretocareersasdevelopers.

YetYRSallowsBritishcompaniestobreakthatcyclebyconcentratingtheireffortson

thosewhohavetaughtthemselvestocodeintheUK,deepeningthisnationalresource

forfutureprosperity.

2. Thedeveloperiscentral,notsecondary.Trulyleanstartups-buildingwithoutfunding–thetraditionalmodelisdead.

YRSShowsthatdevelopersaremorethanjustworkhorses;ameanstosomeoneelse’s

dream.Itshowsthatgivenfreedomandresourcesthattheyarecapableofbuildingthe

mostincredibleandsophisticatedproductsinamatterofdays.Thisshouldmarkthe

beginningoftheendforthetraditional:idea–funding–development:cyclethatisthe

foundationofthecurrentbusinesshegemony.

Firstly,itshouldpushwannabeentrepreneurstoteachthemselveshowtocodesothat

theycangenuinelyunderstandhowtheirownproductswork,theframeworksupon

whichtheirbusinessesrely.Thiswillopentheireyestothedepthofexpertisethatthey

tapwhentheyhiredevelopers,willleadthemtorespecttheirdevelopersandpaythem

appropriately.Itwillalsomeanthattheyareabletoappreciatethelimitsand

possibilitiesoftheirbusinessforthemselves.Lastly,itwilleventhecommunication

gradientbetweenentrepreneursanddevelopersandallowfasterinnovation,less

misunderstandings.

Secondly,itshouldleadtomoreentrepreneursteachingthemselvestocodeand

buildingtheirownproducts.Theentrepreneurissupposedlytheall-rounderandyet

thisisarealmwhichmosthavenotconquered.Theprogrammer-entrepreneurala

Zuckerbergistherightfulrole-modelfortheUKtechindustry.Learningtocodeisnotan

impossiblechallenge.

21http://mulqueeny.wordpress.com/2011/06/19/whats-the-point-of-a-hack-day/



27

2 2 3 3 3 4

1316

20 21

26

50

Wherewouldyouliketowork?

3. Opensoftware,Opendata,Openbusiness

Closed-doorssoftwaredevelopmentisthemethodofapastera.Mostpeoplewantto

workforcompanieswhohaveallowedanyonetofamiliarizeandmodifytheirsoftware,

advocatesofopen:22

MojangandGooglerightfullyclaimplacesinthetopthreeascompanieswhoallowanyoneaccesstothebonesoftheirsoftware.Ifdevelopersareintroducedtoyour

softwarefromanearlyageandfindityieldstotheirtouch,theywillmorereadily

becomeadvocatesofyourbrand,willmorereadilyconsideremploymentatyourfirm.

Giveyoursoftwaretothesepromisingminds,letthemtestitandinexchangeitwillbe

hometothem.

Butitgoesdeeperthanthis.Thefactthatweliveinatimewhendataistooabundantto

beproperlyutilizedshouldpointtoOpenDataastheprogressiveandmostprofitable

routeforsociety.Ifyouopenyourdatatoprogrammersyouwilllearninfinitelymore

aboutthatinformationthanifyourestrictaccesstothefewdevelopersyoucanaffordto

permanentlystaff.

22YRS2012survey–N.B.Someindividualsgavemultipleanswerstothisquestion.



PostScript 23

IknowIaminitforlifeandIamgoingtodedicatemyselftomakingitgreatandworldwide.

Youngdeveloperswilltakethenetworkandmakefriendsforlife,buildbusinesses,createthenext

bazilliondollarthing.

Mentorswillbecomeworldwidementorshelpingyoungpeoplefromallbackgrounds,maybeeven

workingwiththemtocreatesomethingworld-changing.

Centerswillfindtheirownlocalcodingyouthandwillholdtheabilitytoshapethatrelationship

andhonethoseskillsforthegreatergood,orfortheirown.

TheRewiredStateteamworktogethertoboldlygowherever,totrystuff,testandbebrave,witha

smallcushion(averysmallcushion)offinancialstability.Itiswhatweallmakeofit.

-EM

23http://mulqueeny.wordpress.com/2012/10/02/young-rewired-state-year-5-everywhere-and-

hyperlocal/

Young Rewired State: White Paper

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