Market your API / SDK Using Hackathons

Wix Chief architect Presentation discuss how Wix leverage the Hackthons to market WIx platform to developers.

Transcript

1. Market your API / SDK Using Hackathons (Real Pic from an Hackathon)
2. What is Wix? 2 Need Primary solution Create a document Create a presentation Create a blog Create a web presence Enable everyone to create amazing websites
3. Wix.com – The Numbers ~ 36 million websites built with Wix ~ 1.3 million new web sites per month ~ 4 Million visits to the Wix editor per months 3
4. The app market App market stats • Released Oct 18 • Over 100 applications available at the market • Installation rate of more than 1,000,000 apps per month For Wix users • The more apps we have, the more flexibility they have. With hundreds of applications coming, Wix users will have practically endless possibilities For Developers • Early bird gets the worm • Exposure to 4,000,000 users a month • Avg 7,000 monthly installations per app 4
5. Average app in the market The independent developer’s angle • An app is sold for 10$ Freemium monthly recurring model in Wix App Market • Gets 300 installations a day (today’s average) • Gets 2 % conversion rate – 6 premiums a day • Every day - the monthly profit for developer grows by $42 (70% model) • After 1 year- the monthly profit of the developer is more than $15,000 5
6. Reach out to Developers • So we have value for our developers • But, how to get the developers on board to try the SDK? • Approach your API / SDK like a product • Marketing venues that worked for us – Hackathons – Meetups
7. Hackathon • What is an Hackathon?
8. Hackathon • An Hacking competition – With winners & prizes • An Event in which entrepreneurs meetup, teamup and collaborate on different projects – In our case the entrepreneurs include developers, UX, designers and product • Typically, Hackathons last a day or two – We did a weekend Hackathon • Hackathons can have a specific focus – Such as our API / SDK
9. Hackathon – Why? • General Marketing – Marketing the Hackathon itself indirectly markets the API / SDK – Targeted marketing for the developer community • Brand Building – Market leaders (the “Google”, “eBay”, “Microsoft”) do Hackathons • Developer Loyalty – Intensive engaging with the hackathon participants • Excellent ROI – Excellent $/developer – Excellent $/project
10. Hackathon – Why? • Test your product – The teams at the Hackathon will use the SDK / API – Instant & valuable feedback • Most effective venue for workshops – Compared to conferences – Workshop at an Hackathon is an enabler for success • Out of the Box insights about your product – What can the SDK / API be used for? – What can be built using the SDK / API? – What can’t?
11. Focused vs Partnership Focused Hackathon • Hackathon hosted by the API / SDK vendor • Focused & Limited to your API / SDK • We did such an Hackathon on March 7-9 • Higher costs (compared to partnership) • All organization falls on you • Focused on your API / SDK • Better ROI
12. Focused vs Partnership Partnership Hackathon • Anglehack, Startup Weekend and similar organizations • Open for any innovative idea • Specific vendors can offer workshops & prizes for teams leveraging their products • Sponsorship costs • Normally, in such Hackathons, 2-4 sponsors promote their APIs – Your product is one of a number promoted at the Hackathon • We regularly participate with both Anglehack and Startup weekend – With mixed results
13. The Wix Hackathon • Focused Hackathon – on the Wix SDK – Focused on Wix SDK Applications • Hosted at Wix HQ • March 7-9, 2013 – Started Thursday evening with lectures, pitches and team building – Hacking started Friday morning – Workshops on Friday noon – Working through the Friday night – Presentations on Saturday at 16:00
14. The Wix Hackathon • Winning criteria – Innovation/Novelty (wow factor) - 30% – Commercial viability - 30% – Production readiness/Completeness - 30% – Aesthetics - 10% • Prizes – 1st place: 1000$ & mentorship – 2nd place: 500$ or mentorship – 3rd place: 250$ • About 170 participants – 17 teams formed – of which 16 delivered a working demo – of which 9 (+1) apps are live in the Wix App Market
15. 1st – Rolling Notes Update site visitors with news and notifications Winners at the Wix Hackathon 1st – Affiligate Promote Amazon products on your site 2nd – Countdown Clock Show a Countdown to an event on your site 3rd – PhotoSynt Show 3D panoramic images as part of a site