Essentially, hacking is a deviously creative problem solving process. As author Josh Linker pointed out, “While hacking can clearly be used for wrongdoing, it can also serve as a powerful model of growth, innovation and success.”
For example: Dr. Jörg Gerlach’s hack on the treatment of burn victims borrowed spray paint methodologies to create a Skin Gun. It sprays a mixture of the patient’s stem cells and saline, vastly reducing the risk of infection and recovery time.
And Jerome Hardaway’s hack on the treatment of vets with PTSD, #VetsWhoCode, provides transitional assistance (rather than waiting until vets are in crisis), coding-specific programs and critical talent for employers.
These examples, and others in his book, positively flip hacking strategies like:
Brute Force,
Crowdsourcing,
Exploiting small breaches,
Phishing, Agile bursts,
Borrowing, Mash-ups,
Deconstructing and Reverse Engineering.
They also demonstrate how even a malicious ethos can be hacked to produce a positive source of inspiration and energy.
There are core mindsets that propel a good hack, like:
Every barrier can be penetrated: the trickier the barrier, the more interesting the challenge.
Compasses over maps: there isn’t a roadmap, so navigate with curiosity and adaptability.
Nothing is static: applied learning is the only constant.
Quantity is a force multiplier: many small attacks/ideas often beat one big attack/idea.
Competence is the only credential that matters: ideas are judged by merit, not their source.
So, tapping into your inner hacker, what challenges, limitations or opportunities could you unlock by leveraging mindsets like these?
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