In December 2022, we hosted our annual Hack Week. Throughout this week, Robloxians put our values into motion by pursuing tasks that drive speedy innovation. This was our largest annual self-organized occasion so far, with over 400 staff throughout 225 groups competing for a spot within the prime three in every of 4 classes.
Unleashing Curiosity and Driving Innovation for Our Platform
Hack Week takes place throughout our annual code freeze, which provides everybody throughout Roblox time to pursue a various set of tasks. We take no matter has piqued our curiosity all year long and act on it. A number of previous tasks have gone on to turn out to be fully-implemented merchandise or options on the platform.
So, what’s the key to lining up an superior Hack Week mission? It’s all about taking large dangers and asking large questions. “We’re speaking about reimagining the best way folks come collectively,” shares Dave Baszucki, Founder & CEO. “We’re speaking in regards to the evolution of communication know-how, all the best way from cellphone to video to immersive 3D. I feel one of many greatest issues that this week does is validate our imaginative and prescient. It’s not 20 years away. It’s one thing that we’re making progress on yearly. Hack Week is the final word definition of innovation at scale.”
This yr, tasks reached all components of the platform and technical stack. Listed here are a few of this yr’s tasks to point out the breadth of what groups labored on:
- Supporting reside performances in Roblox with the creation of an open-source plugin that enables streaming of audio and movement seize knowledge to drive avatars within the expertise.
- A picture filter part that can permit our builders to govern their photos so their experiences have a particular type.
- A framework to carry out frequent debugging and testing actions that will probably be accessible on all consumer platforms.
- A dashboard to investigate the official Creator Documentation and supply details about enhance its protection and high quality.
Including a New Degree of Competitors
“Hack Week is certainly not every week off. It’s a week on for the people who find themselves collaborating,” says Claus Moberg, VP of Engineering and Hack Week organizer. “We work laborious at Roblox, however this can be the toughest that any individual works all yr. You may have a really quick time interval to get your mission completed. And it’s aggressive.”
In previous years, senior leaders evaluated and hand-selected tasks that had been significantly revolutionary to share out with your complete firm. This yr, we developed a judging and scoring course of to establish the very best of the very best. Throughout registration, groups chosen one of many 4 firm values for his or her tasks, which additionally decided the judging classes. To submit, groups created a three-minute-long video that showcased their work. A panel of over a dozen judges – senior leaders from throughout Roblox – evaluated every submission, narrowing down the tasks to finalists. On the yr’s final City Corridor, the finalists offered, answered questions, after which awaited remaining placements.
As one of many judges, Claus regarded for a few attributes in every mission. “I’m actually excited to see every thing from huge long-term innovation to near-term tactical options. General, I’m searching for tasks that talk to our core firm values and have affect on our customers, staff, and on Roblox as an entire.”
The Winners
Hack Week closed with an awards celebration the place the finalists realized about their placements of their respective classes and claimed their Hack Week trophies. Stef Corazza, Head of Studio Engineering – Creator, was a member of the crew that took dwelling the 2nd place trophy within the Take the Lengthy View class. His crew’s mission centered round bringing reside performances to Roblox. Whereas profitable was nice, his favourite half about Hack Week was, “… actually in regards to the crew and the way we got here collectively. All six of us had totally different ability units with very totally different backgrounds.”
Two highlights caught out for first place winners of the We’re Accountable class Kevin Koleckar and Nicholas Choi. “Attending to collaborate with somebody that I’m not often collaborating with was my favourite half,” says Kevin. “Nick and I’ve been on the identical crew up to now, however over the past yr, we’ve labored on various things. Hack Week gave us the prospect to return again and work on one thing collectively.”
For Nick, Hack Week created area to pursue one thing he’s been all in favour of. “Our mission has been one thing I’ve been desirous about doing for a very very long time, so it was simply actually thrilling to see it come to fruition.”
In line with Claus, it’s not all about profitable. “There are such a lot of tasks which are unimaginable and that basically are the way forward for the platform. The entire work that folks have put in is being acknowledged by leaders on the firm and goes to be shared with the groups which are accountable for these areas. Each single mission has the potential to tell how our product is constructed transferring ahead.”
Claus continues, “Hack Week at Roblox is admittedly core to our tradition of innovation. Yearly, we see tasks that blow our minds. The best way our groups assault these large questions and discover options to issues no person has constructed earlier than… Hack Week is among the best examples of Roblox’s strategy to innovation.”
Take a look at a spotlight reel of the profitable groups and their tasks:
In December 2022, we hosted our annual Hack Week. Throughout this week, Robloxians put our values into motion by pursuing tasks that drive speedy innovation. This was our largest annual self-organized occasion so far, with over 400 staff throughout 225 groups competing for a spot within the prime three in every of 4 classes.
Unleashing Curiosity and Driving Innovation for Our Platform
Hack Week takes place throughout our annual code freeze, which provides everybody throughout Roblox time to pursue a various set of tasks. We take no matter has piqued our curiosity all year long and act on it. A number of previous tasks have gone on to turn out to be fully-implemented merchandise or options on the platform.
So, what’s the key to lining up an superior Hack Week mission? It’s all about taking large dangers and asking large questions. “We’re speaking about reimagining the best way folks come collectively,” shares Dave Baszucki, Founder & CEO. “We’re speaking in regards to the evolution of communication know-how, all the best way from cellphone to video to immersive 3D. I feel one of many greatest issues that this week does is validate our imaginative and prescient. It’s not 20 years away. It’s one thing that we’re making progress on yearly. Hack Week is the final word definition of innovation at scale.”
This yr, tasks reached all components of the platform and technical stack. Listed here are a few of this yr’s tasks to point out the breadth of what groups labored on:
- Supporting reside performances in Roblox with the creation of an open-source plugin that enables streaming of audio and movement seize knowledge to drive avatars within the expertise.
- A picture filter part that can permit our builders to govern their photos so their experiences have a particular type.
- A framework to carry out frequent debugging and testing actions that will probably be accessible on all consumer platforms.
- A dashboard to investigate the official Creator Documentation and supply details about enhance its protection and high quality.
Including a New Degree of Competitors
“Hack Week is certainly not every week off. It’s a week on for the people who find themselves collaborating,” says Claus Moberg, VP of Engineering and Hack Week organizer. “We work laborious at Roblox, however this can be the toughest that any individual works all yr. You may have a really quick time interval to get your mission completed. And it’s aggressive.”
In previous years, senior leaders evaluated and hand-selected tasks that had been significantly revolutionary to share out with your complete firm. This yr, we developed a judging and scoring course of to establish the very best of the very best. Throughout registration, groups chosen one of many 4 firm values for his or her tasks, which additionally decided the judging classes. To submit, groups created a three-minute-long video that showcased their work. A panel of over a dozen judges – senior leaders from throughout Roblox – evaluated every submission, narrowing down the tasks to finalists. On the yr’s final City Corridor, the finalists offered, answered questions, after which awaited remaining placements.
As one of many judges, Claus regarded for a few attributes in every mission. “I’m actually excited to see every thing from huge long-term innovation to near-term tactical options. General, I’m searching for tasks that talk to our core firm values and have affect on our customers, staff, and on Roblox as an entire.”
The Winners
Hack Week closed with an awards celebration the place the finalists realized about their placements of their respective classes and claimed their Hack Week trophies. Stef Corazza, Head of Studio Engineering – Creator, was a member of the crew that took dwelling the 2nd place trophy within the Take the Lengthy View class. His crew’s mission centered round bringing reside performances to Roblox. Whereas profitable was nice, his favourite half about Hack Week was, “… actually in regards to the crew and the way we got here collectively. All six of us had totally different ability units with very totally different backgrounds.”
Two highlights caught out for first place winners of the We’re Accountable class Kevin Koleckar and Nicholas Choi. “Attending to collaborate with somebody that I’m not often collaborating with was my favourite half,” says Kevin. “Nick and I’ve been on the identical crew up to now, however over the past yr, we’ve labored on various things. Hack Week gave us the prospect to return again and work on one thing collectively.”
For Nick, Hack Week created area to pursue one thing he’s been all in favour of. “Our mission has been one thing I’ve been desirous about doing for a very very long time, so it was simply actually thrilling to see it come to fruition.”
In line with Claus, it’s not all about profitable. “There are such a lot of tasks which are unimaginable and that basically are the way forward for the platform. The entire work that folks have put in is being acknowledged by leaders on the firm and goes to be shared with the groups which are accountable for these areas. Each single mission has the potential to tell how our product is constructed transferring ahead.”
Claus continues, “Hack Week at Roblox is admittedly core to our tradition of innovation. Yearly, we see tasks that blow our minds. The best way our groups assault these large questions and discover options to issues no person has constructed earlier than… Hack Week is among the best examples of Roblox’s strategy to innovation.”
Take a look at a spotlight reel of the profitable groups and their tasks:
