Need a team, an idea or team members for the Hackathon?

Hackathon participants will be in one of several board categories listed below.  If you have an idea and team that is great-see Have an idea and team below.  If you have an idea and need a team prepare the information below to pitch your idea and recruit team members (by working through – Have an idea and need a team or a few team members).  If you need to join a team see the Need to join a team below.  If you don’t have an idea and want to get one try the exercises in the Need an Idea section below.

You can be a team of one if you’d like as well.

If you need an do some prep work and be ready to talk it when you arrive.

Have an idea and a team

o Head into the Idea Shop and “claim your” space

o Get to work!

Have an idea and need a team or a few team members

o Pitch your idea – take one minute to verbally pitch your idea (no slides). Your pitch should include the following topics:

  • Spend 10 seconds on who you are and the name of your project
  • Spend 20 on the problem/desire it solves
  • Spend 20 seconds on what your project does
  • Spend 10 seconds on why people will use it and wrap up

o Post your idea on a 8x11 sheet

  • Put your name on the back
  • On the front
    • Half the page the name of your project
    • Other half 3 to 4 bullets so people remember your idea

o You’ll gather the names of interested people via their voting by post its

o You’ll do speed teaming to select the needed team members

Need to join a team

o You’ll get 3 post it notes

o You’ll put you name and contact info the post it

o You’ll select up to three projects on the 8x11 sheets that interest you

o We’ll arrange speed teaming where the idea owner and you talk to decide if it’s a fit

Need an idea

o You’ll participate in the “I need an idea” session

o You’ll hopefully find an idea by writing or typing answers to the following questions:

•Capture two or three (or more) pain points (yes write them down… really).  For example, Dead battery on my phone, waiting in line for coffee, not knowing if unfamiliar route your commuting on is safe. …

•Capture two or three (or more) I wish I had ideas (yes write them down… really).  For example, a way to use my wish list to automatically request books from my local library, apps to convert phone photos to text (a better one), better commuting maps that show crime rate along my commute path, batteries I swap into my phone and just turn in the dead one …)

Capture two or three (or more) of your favorites and why their your favorites. For example, my favorite store, favorite web site, favorite app, favorite service, …)

o You’ll hopefully find an idea by writing or typing answers to these questions.  Spend the time to do this (really) and you’ll might be surprised by the results.