Is it a hackathon or a happy hour? Yes.
Source: Business Insider ·
Fatigue with work happy hours and a need to learn new tech skills are driving an interest in hackathon-style events.
From the source
AI After 5 is part of a growing number of groups hosting events to learn to skills in a group setting.Ben Kelmer for AI After 5Tired of milling about polished networking events, balancing a cocktail and lukewarm appetizers while attempting to shake hands and answer the question, "So, what do you do?", workers are turning away from the happy hour and toward events that take them back to their preschool roots.Groups from Boston to Boise are hosting events to meet twin needs: IRL connection and AI practice. It's a grown-up version of "parallel play" that organizers hope will lead to more meaningful interactions than sipping discounted margaritas, and prove more fun than clumsily vibe-coding at home alone. The meetups include AI agent building workshops, hackathons, walk-and-talks, and fitness classes curated for specific industry founders.The trend is a twist on networking for our times. People want to meet in person, but are still retraining their social skills after Covid. The events…