Work Cycles @ VCET
VCET@BTV
266 Main St
1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Bring work you want to get done. Get it done faster and more enjoyable than you thought possible.
Live in Burlington, Vermont on May 14, 2019
This free event, hosted by Justine Pattantyus, is a fantastic way to get a lot of work done alongside some great people.
Here’s how it works —
1. You register for the event. (It’s free, but there’s limited capacity — so we ask you to only register if you can actually attend.)
2. Bring work you want to accomplish. This isn’t some “blah blah blah” theory or a networking event — you’ll actually be getting your work done, in real-time, alongside some great people.
3. There will be 20-30 minutes of setup and overview where you’ll learn how to break your work into a format that’s proven to help people reach anywhere from +20% to +400% gains in performance. (We know 400% sounds crazy — but that’s merely getting two days of normal work done in a half-day, something we’ve all done from time to time when a college term paper was left to the last minute, or when we were highly inspired and in flow state.)
4. You’ll work in cycles: 30 minutes of focused work followed by 10-minute breaks to analyze, plan the next cycle block, get feedback if desired and do some brief socializing.
5. You’ll get a ton done.
6. At the end of the whole day, you’ll debrief lessons learned for 10-20 minutes, share lessons with other cool people attending, and call it a day.
“I loved it, I got more done in the 2.5 hours I was actually working than I’d achieved in the previous two days.” — Tracy Hanify, Entrepreneur; Auckland, New Zealand
Typical attendees: Business owners, programmers, attorneys, accountants, PhD students, etc.
We’ve run Work Cycles both virtually via video conferencing, and live and in-person with thousands of people around the world, including at coworking spaces, top universities like the University of Chicago, at the offices of top companies including YCombinator-backed startups, and at government-sponsored innovation spaces like the Seoul Global Startup Center.
The common theme among attendees is that they’re “analytical, ambitious people” — people who like to think and reflect on how to do better and perform better, and who want to get the most out of their work and their life.
This isn’t a networking event, but at the end you’ll certainly have a chance to meet and say hello to the other people who attend. We’re consistently impressed by who is drawn to an event like this — really exceptional people from a wide variety of fields.
“As a programmer when I first heard of cycles I had some reservations. But after some real world experience, I went on to realize that if your tasks aren’t divided into small enough pieces that they fit within 30 minutes, you probably don’t know the problem well enough. So now I’m sold on using cycles for programming – it’s saved me from a lot of wasted time and effort.” — Han Chang, Programmer; San Francisco, CA
What to bring to the event
1. Bring a laptop to do your work on. There’ll be power and WiFi at the venue.
2. Bring work to do! This format is particularly good for two types of work — first, small lingering stuff like getting your accounting reconciled or doing better documentation on your code; second, large “important but not urgent” stuff that tends to get put off — things like planning out a next product launch or applying for a major research grant.
3. And that’s it. You can bring yourself some light snacks if you want (almonds work well), but it’s not required. Just show up on time ready to work alongside some great people, and plan to get a ton done.
“I was pleasantly surprised with my performance — at least 3x more productive than normal. I’ve read about productivity best practices and implemented some of them before, but you have to try something like this to really experience the benefits.” — Neil Taylor, Commercial Director at Mobedia; London, UK
Event Timeline
12:40 Optional early arrival time to say hello.
1:00 Intro and setup (important — do please be on time, we start promptly)
1:30 Cycle #1 begins.
4:40 Cycle #5 ends; debrief and share lessons with fellow attendees.
5:00 Event Finishes — optional socializing or grab food with fellow attendees.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who typically attends?
Typical attendee mix is about 1/3rd programmers, 1/3rd business owners and executives, and 1/3rd other analytical type people — attorneys, PhD students, accountants, people doing creative work, etc
What work should I bring to do?
Work Cycles is great for doing lots of “small moving pieces type work” — getting accounting current or similar small admin, but it really shines for “important but not urgent work” that you’ve been meaning to get done: long-term training plans, product launches, designing plans to learn advanced new skills, overviewing a new programming language, applying for research grants, etc.
Is this a networking event?
Nope! There’ll be some great people but it’s designed to get work done first and foremost.
Should I eat before coming?
It’s recommended. Or you could bring some light snacks like almonds.
Will this help me find a job?
Probably not! Though, being more effective is a good thing. So yeah, don’t come to look for work; come with the work you want to get done.
Is the event free to join?
Yes, it’s free — and you’re going to get a ton of work done. Just bring your own laptop and you’re good to go.
Can I show up late?
Nope! You won’t understand the format the work is happening. You’re welcome to leave early, but you gotta be on time.
Is this fun?
If you’re into peak performance, it’s going to be a lot of fun.
Who is leading the event?
Justine G Pattantyus — Systems Engineer. She’s an ace. It’s going to be an amazing event.
Where is the event?
VCET is graciously having the event. You’ll get to check our their very cool space and do some great work.
Okay, want to get work done faster than you ever thought possible among some great people? Sign up for Ultraworking Burlington, tell all your ambitious and productivity-oriented friends (they’ll thank you), and bring work you want to get done faster and more enjoyably alongside some great people!