Features / Bristol
Sharing the secrets of hack night
The first rule of hack night is you do not talk about hack night – at least that’s the first impression upon trying to find the elusive HQ of Bristol’s answer to Silicon Valley.
‘Secrets’ was the theme for a unique evening that would see some of the city’s brightest tech brains battle it out to come up with – or code in web speak – the most innovative product capable of protecting information in a ‘frightening’ new world.
Simpleweb, a company based in Spike Island that makes and develops digital products, was hosting the night and is keen to open up the world of ‘hacking’ to more people.
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Inside is a spacious room with bare brick walls that is part hacking lair, part nightclub – with bowls of fruit and homemade cake cheerfully dotted around.
A DJ is spinning some beats in the corner, disco lights shoot across the ceiling, a glitter ball works its magic in the centre and an eclectic bunch – from bona fide hacking hotshots to web savvy wannabes – gather, heads down around computers.
This is where the magic of ‘Bristol’s Silicon Valley’ happens. It’s like gaining entry to an exclusive, hip club that you really want to be a part of, but find while everyone is basically friendly, they all speak a different language.
“It’s a community – it’s about bringing local people together and doing some cool stuff,” says Simpleweb’s managing director Mark Paney. “You cannot believe what people can come up with in just two hours.”
Because that’s the brief – to create a working prototype or concept for an app around the theme of ‘secrets’ in under three hours, while scoffing delicious homemade chilli and supping beer.
“Most tech nights are pizza, beer and boys and can be a bit intimidating to some people,” says content manager Kylie Whitehead.
OK, so there is still beer, but essentially the aim is to make the world of hacking more inclusive. And indeed, friendlier and more eclectic bunch you’d be hard pushed to find – which could be something to do with the fruit-laden bowls in the centre of the work space.
“Tonight’s theme is secrets because the way technology is changing,” Kylie explains.
“We are in what is potentially a frightening time for many people. A lot of things you think are secret are not. We wanted to take a look at things like encryption and privacy so everybody here is working on a digital product that will help keep information secret.”
Competitor Ruth John admits she has no idea how she came to be spending her Wednesday night ‘hacking’ but adds, quite reasonably, that there is beer, the food is good and the company’s not bad either.
A developer by day, she says that the speed of coming up with an idea and developing it in such a short time frame appeals.
Among the crowd were developers and non-developers, team workers and lone wolves – some jealously guarding their work and others all too keen to explain what they were busy creating.
There is a buzz in the air that suggests a major breakthrough could be on the cards at any time – but then again, that could be the tunes that took on a slightly more psychedelic edge later into the evening, within a community at the cutting edge of technology in Bristol.
Read more: Optimism in tech sector
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