On Wednesday, April 23, 2025, I attended my first virtual tech meet-up: SF Civic Hack Tech. As someone who is both an avid volunteer and a newbie to the tech world, I was intrigued by this event’s description on MeetUp because I had the impression that it was a perfect blend of passion and purpose. The group’s mission is to use their various technical skills to support community organizations and drive local impact. The idea of combining my love for service with my current journey into tech was a no-brainer.
The meet-up, hosted via Zoom, was described as a networking opportunity where individuals from all backgrounds — tech and non-tech alike — could come together to collaborate on community-focused projects. However, the experience turned out to be quite different from what I expected.
The presentation was dry, and networking was limited. While a few hosts occasionally jumped in to assess attendees’ skill levels and suggest breakout rooms, most of the session was, as the Gen Z’ers say, giving lecture rather than conversation. After about 40 minutes, one of the hosts, Adam, noticed I was new and asked if I had front-end experience. That led to a brief introduction where I shared that I’m currently learning tech and was attending mainly to observe and take notes.
From there, Janice (organizer and presenting host) suggested that I join the breakout room for a project called Safe Home, led by a woman named Leela. I appreciated how quickly Leela acknowledged my presence and made space for me to feel included. That room was focused on brainstorming and refining project strategies for bringing attention to city officials to address a major, potentially catastrophic problem in San Francisco — soft-story buildings.
Let’s take a quick detour… Soft-story buildings are multi-story structures with weaker floors than those above, making them more susceptible to damage during earthquakes. There is a lack of resistance to lateral forces in many first-floor structures because of large openings, such as garages or parking areas.
Now, let’s get back on track… It quickly became apparent that all of their projects were already in motion, and new attendees were expected to jump into ongoing strategic discussions. Unfortunately, the overall experience mirrored a long board meeting rather than an interactive networking event.
In the breakout session, one member dominated the conversation, passionately pushing his opinion on the project’s direction. Despite Leela’s efforts and those of several others to redirect the conversation, the back-and-forth became tiring. I was tempted to exit the session early, as that debacle was triggering anxiety and was frustrating to say the least.
To be clear, I think what this group is doing is important and impactful. I also believe their event description needs to better reflect the actual experience. This wasn’t a meet-and-learn environment; it was more of a working group session for those already plugged into the projects. If I had known that upfront, I would have opted for a different MeetUp group.
For my next tech event, I hope to be introduced to a new skill or concept that I can continue to explore on my own and/or connect with someone I can study or practice coding with to continue developing my skills learned in the Codetalk program. Ideally, the event will involve active engagement and perhaps a hands-on project or a beginner-friendly step-by-step task attendees can follow along with, and opportunities to network with others who are also learning or willing to assist in the learning process for noobs like myself.
While this first tech MeetUp wasn’t quite what I envisioned, it taught me that clarity and specificity of purpose and operation matter. As I continue exploring tech events, I’ll be more intentional about choosing those that align with both my learning style and expectations.