Pattern idea: ShipItDay / OKR

[spier]

Is ShipIt Day related to OKR? Reading up on it here, it feels like a potential pattern in its own right.

Originally posted by @gruetter in https://github.com/InnerSourceCommons/InnerSourcePatterns/pull/78#discussion_r170567000

[spier]

@gruetter this is from a rather old thread, but maybe you still recall? Could you elaborate how the article linked above is related to InnerSource and how you could see the challenge and solution spelled out as an InnerSource pattern?

[gruetter]

Thanks for the nudge, @spier . I think community activation in a Hackathon-style event (not necessarily competitive) could be a pattern in its own right. That said, I'm not aware of any known instances (I'm sure they are out there, though). Some ideas for the pattern structure:

• What problem could a Hackathon solve?
  • Lack of community activation
  • Collaborators don't know each other personally even though they have collaborated async over a time - personal relationships need to be reinforced
  • An IS project needs a push to finish a major milestone (Call for contributions)
  • IS event with "just" talks might be too "dry". Make the hackathon an active part of an overall community event to make it more engaging
  • Practical introduction to the Open Source working model for interested parties (have them sit in a Hackathon)
  • Onboard new contributors

I think the major problem a Hackathon/Shipit day could solve is to reinforce personal relationships and grow personal networks - both are key for an InnerSource intiative to suceed, IMHO.

Do you think that is good stuff for a pattern, @spier ?

[spier]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this @gruetter.

I don't think it is for me to judge if this could be a pattern or not. If you say it can be, then it can be! :)

However from experience with previous patterns I can say that a pattern has a higher chance to mature to level 2 (structured), if there is one Known Instance at the time of writing up the first draft of the pattern.

Or said the other way around: If we only write a pattern as a theoretical solution to an InnerSource challenge, then we don't have any real evidence if it works or not. That makes it less likely for the pattern to be adopted and further improved.

I will ask in Slack if anybody has used a hackathon to further InnerSource adoption.