In an interview with Business Insider, the 23-year-old said he simply wanted to give the homeless man he sees on his way to work each morning a choice: He could take $100 in cash or get the chance to learn a new trade. If the man rejected the money, McConlogue would provide him with a laptop and coding books, as well as one hour of coding lessons a day for two months.
The whole thing caused a lot of people in the tech world to blast McConlogue for being insensitive toward homeless people and turning the man into his pet project.
But it looks like McConlogue will get the last laugh.
The homeless man, who McConlogue dubbed The Journeyman Hacker, is named Leo. Today, he took McConlogue up on his offer; he's going to learn to code.
In an update on Medium today, McConlogue writes:
It turns out Leo is a genius particularly concerned with environment issues. As I sat there becoming increasing stunned, he rattled off import/export prices on food, the importance of solar and green energy, and his approval for “efficient public transportation initiatives [referring to NY’s new Citibike]”. He is smart, logical, and articulate. Most importantly, he is serious. It’s up to him if dedication is also his gift.
The next step? For the next two months, McConlogue will leave for work an hour earlier to meet with Leo for a coding lesson. McConlogue said he overnighted him a Chromebook with access to Code Academy, three levels of coding books, and a solar charger. He said he has yet to find something to "hide" the laptop in.
McConlogue believes that within eight weeks, Leo will have the skills necessary to be able to position himself as a freelancer. It's an experiment for both men.
Tomorrow, McConlogue says there will be an update from Leo himself on Medium. He also created a Facebook page for Leo and the project.
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