Mint has just returned from a long weekend in the Dorset countryside. We split into three teams and spent four days competing to build the best web application.
As well as drinking loads of booze, we created some pretty cool apps.
Oh!Creative is a platform for freelance designers to showcase their work. It also allows people commissioning that work to manage their workflow and scheduling.
Snppr is a platform for photo treasure hunts. Since the Weekender, we've been having great fun using it for photo sharing: a bit like Flickr but more focused on group interaction.
SuperGuessGuess is a game that involves web and TV simultaneously. It's tricky to explain more than that, but let's just say the judges chose it as their winner ;-)
Next steps
Over the next few weeks we will tidy up Oh!Creative and Snppr and release them as public (sub-)betas. SuperGuessGuess is a different proposition. It requires a TV show. We are going to have a think about how best to pitch that.
Lessons learnt
Over the last three years, Mint has tried various approaches to encouraging innovation. For a while we had a Google-style 20% time project. That got widely forgotten under the weight of client work.
The WebApp Weekender worked far better. It was thrilling to see the quality of the work produced in four days. Over the last two years we've built maybe 10 mass-participation websites. Over the weekend, it was clear that in that time we've amassed a real depth of expertise.
On a social level it was tremendous too. Everyone at Mint works super hard, often long into the night. As we are split between New York and London, people often are collaborating with someone they've never met. It was lovely to have the chance to work face-to-face.
Thanks
We are grateful to Paul Fisher
(Advent Venture Partners), Hilary Perkins
(Channel 4) and Max Jennings
(eMomentum) for giving up their Sunday evenings to judge the event. Also, thanks to Imane, Safia and my dear old mum for all the lovely food.