Imagine you are in a new city for the first time. You have an old-school printed map in hand. You're trying to find your way to some landmark.<p>You can sit down and plan out a route along the map. That will work. You'll find a way to get there. It will feel safe and controlled.<p>You can also wander, drop into an alley, and potentially find a shortcut through a park. That path was not on your map, so you would not have found it had you followed your map. Along the way, you might discover something that will make your trip memorable and unique.<p>Many companies follow a planned approach to feature development. The draw up a map, and then follow it. A hack day allows people to wander around the idea space and solution space unencumbered. Sometimes, a hack day brings forward a shortcut, a novel idea, or shows off a piece of functionality which would not see the light of day with the traditional approach. Often, it's a matter of catching someone's attention by showing them a good idea™ in action. Companies are sometimes in a rut, and a hack day creates a chance for new things to surface.<p>Are hack days fun? For some people, sure. For others, no. Do they serve a business purpose? Absolutely. It isn't all fun and games, even if it feels like it.<p>I have personally seen "hack days" accelerate concrete and valuable functionality.