July 3rd, 2011
MIT and the “Ecosystem Hacker”
MIT is a totally amazing place for startups and entrepreneurship. It’s one of those places where ideas and talent and super-slick technology lives in the floors and walls and hallways.
I heard the other day that they had created a position within the Entrepreneurship Center called an “Ecosystem Hacker” – essentially someone whose sole job it is to hang out at the E-Center and help startups flourish on campus. While long overdue, it seems like a sweet gig for the right person (also one of those positions that never gets advertised).
I sent some questions to the current Ecosystem Hacker Elliot Cohen to find out more details. See below. I wish more universities would create positions like these to help startups grow on campus.
Hope you find this useful. They are hiring someone new this summer I believe, questions/applications go to ecenter@mit.edu.
What does the Ecosystem Hacker do all day?
We organize new classes to fill gaps in the current curriculum. We create new programs to connect young entrepreneurs with mentors and other resources. We organize events to help those entrepreneurs connect, get inspired, and launch new companies to solve the world’s biggest problems. We provide students with the mentorship and resources necessary to succeed.
What kind of programs have you helped organize?
T=0, Festival for Entrepreneurs: for the first time this fall we will be throwing a full-on entrepreneurship festival at MIT. Like Burning Man or Woodstock.
Entrepreneurs in Residence: We recruit the best entrepreneurs, angels, and VCs from the community to provide open office hours for students on campus as they work through early stage ideas.
Digital Shingle Project: Designing a dynamic web experience to showcase the wealth of MIT alumni companies – to help them “tell their story”. This is part of inspiring and informing the next generation of entrepreneurs with real stories.
What was the experience like?
I am entrepreneur at heart and always will be. But this has been the best year of my life, as I’ve been able to simultaneously learn a ton about entrepreneurship, build my own network in the Boston area, and more importantly give back by helping to nurture and educate the next generation of entrepreneurs at MIT.
I could have learned about Product Development, Sales, Marketing, or Operations at another startup. I could have learned about deal flow and investmenting at a VC firm. But MIT is the only place I could have learned how ideas and research go from the lab, classroom, or a coffee shop into the world. How do people vet their ideas and decide when to actually take the plunge? There is no other place where you can see 50 different new “projects” every day and watch which ones succeed in turning into companies and which ones fail before launch.
Can I be the next Ecosystem Hacker?
To do this job right you need three things: a technical background, entrepreneurial experience and a PhD in GSD (Getting Shit Done). We don’t care what technical discipline you come from, but you need to have chops in whatever your domain.
If you have any questions or want to apply please send us mail at ecenter at mit.edu. A successful application can come in any form – portfolio, resume, video, or a github ID, but make sure you are proud of whatever you send us! Don’t tell us why we should hire you because this isn’t a job and we don’t hire people. This is a mission and you need to convince us why we need you to succeed.
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Thanks Elliot for taking the time to enlighten. Heart u MIT.