Tips For Getting The Most Out Of A Hackathon

Transcript

1. Tips For Getting The Most Out Of A Hackathon Héctor Benítez - Nearsoft
2. Who am I? Héctor Benítez @hectorbenitez hector@nearsoft.com Tech Consultant at Nearsoft
3. What is a Hackathon • Hacking is creative problem solving. (It does not have to involve technology.) • A hackathon is any event of any duration where people come together to solve problems.
4. Hackathon Goals • Are you looking to finally deliver on a project you’ve been dreaming about? • Are you looking to learn a new tech stack? • Networking
5. Build a Team • Team Distribution • Know your weakness • Search for help • Identify mentors that can help you
6. Choose Your Project
7. Choose Your Project • Follow the challenges • Ask for help. Most hackathons staff mentors and experts, use them! • Validate your ideas • Don’t give up, open your mind... (whatsapp, iPad)
8. Hacking at the Hackathon
9. Timebox • Hackathons typically last 24–48 hours, and the time will fly • Timebox • Get a general sense of who on your team will work on what, and approximately how long you expect it to take. Timebox tasks, noting when you will “just move on,” even if you can’t get things to work.
10. Make a plan! • Use a task manager • Plan your long breaks • Divide your tasks and identify interfaces where your tasks meet. • Use version control systems extensively. If it is a hardware product, keep taking photos from all angles.
11. Pitch & Demo
12. Pitch & Demo • Demo your working project • Focus on your demo, not on your slides • Write down key points • Write down the resources you used • Speaker should be supported by a technical person • Think on next steps
13. Have fun. Win or lose, unless you have fun at the event, it is pointless.