How I hacked my way into CES • Hacker News Board

Re: How I hacked my way into CES

#21

Post by [deleted] » Fri, Jan 18, 2013, 5:35 PM UTC

aab1d wrote: post #9

Irregardless wrote: post #3

Another typical story of hard work and persistence with the word "hack" thrown into the title for linkbait. Congrats on making it to CES, but this is not news, nor is it relevant or interesting.

Thank you for pointing out the hard-work and persistence part. I had to do day and nighters to pull this one. IMHO, this is a hack. May not be in the truest sense of the word. Your comment is well-taken.

[deleted]

Re: How I hacked my way into CES

#22

Post by _b8r0 » Sat, Jan 19, 2013, 12:18 AM UTC

aab1d wrote: post #20

_b8r0 wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> IMHO, this is a hack. May not be in the truest sense of the word. If not in the truest sense of the world, then in what sense does this come under the term hack?

Well, what I meant is - this is not like I was sitting and hacking a network or something. This qualifies as a hack because I had to overcome a significant hurdle. If you continue to imagine that hacks can be performed only on computers and networks. Then this may not make sense as a hack. Hacks can be social and/or real-world hacks too.

Well, hacks can be social too. I know quite a few social engineers, in fact I've had them speak at my security conference[1]. However, it seems that overcoming a significant hurdle (which isn't something to be sniffed at) isn't really a hack in the grand scheme of things. To put things into perspective, you've faced a pretty big challenge, but that's what it is - a challenge, not a hack. In fact I'd say to call it a hack is to undersell what you've overcome. I think some might underestimate how hard it is to get into CES. I understand that. I also think you calling getting in a hack demeans the concept of hacking not because it wasn't 'good enough' to qualify, but because your situation was so displaced from what would normally qualify as a hack. It doesn't mean you haven't made an effort - clearly a herculean effort was made, but does that constitute a hack? I'm not convinced.

I do think, "How I shipped a product from the far far FAR east of the (indus, not silicon) valley to CES for a demo" would've been a better title, but that's a job for marketing people IMHO. Hack, it is not, it underplays the effort you put in. Effort, it certainly is, for that you've given in spades and more.

[1] - http://www.44con.com/

Re: How I hacked my way into CES

#23

Post by Gorbzel » Sat, Jan 19, 2013, 8:44 AM UTC

So, perhaps I'm spoiled: I was born and raised in Las Vegas. and CES is just another expo. Heck, this year I made it down to the actual show floor once for a few hours max. Yet I also feel the pain of spending a ton of effort in trying to get a startup to pitch at a show; my first startup was in a niche industry that held its largest major convention in a major US city nowhere near where I was bootstrapping at the time. Just like OP, I also convinced myself that it was absolutely necessary to attend said conference and be on the show floor with a booth when in reality in most cases it's a waste of resources better allocated elsewhere.

I won't claim to understand the difficulties of the immigration system, nor the intricacies of running a hardware startup in India. But I do know what's going on at CES, and it's not a massive hack to get in and have your wares displayed on the floor. As the article points out, business is often built on hustle, networking, relationships and the like. Heck, my friend socially conditioned (hustled?) his way into a badge in about 30 seconds at registration desk.

Yet this same hustle and networking focus means that the deals at CES are often setup months before, usually between buyers and sellers who have worked together or in the industry for years. Tough sales are worked over dinner at a strip restaurant or at that industry heavyweight party at some great club. Execs take a look at products in their hotel penthouse suite. None of this world really fits the bill for a lean startup attempting to truly validate that their product makes sense for their customers.

Best of luck to OP, as it seems he really wanted to focus on being at CES and overcame some obstacles when that wasn't able to take place. But I'd warn away other startups considering whether big industry expos are worth it: It kinda becomes clear once you're there that it's not.