TechCrunch hosted a hackathon before the 2012 TechCrunch Disrupt in SF this weekend. Wanted to push out some quick impressions for both the companies that demo at Hackathons as those looking to host/participate in future hacks. Part one of this post deals with Hackathon logistics and presentations; Part 2 will be some quick thoughts on some of the ideas presented.
Some basic rules/tactics to cover off at a minimum:
If you have 60-seconds on stage do ALL the boring stuff before you get on stage—that means set up monitor for mirroring. Clear cache, have everything demo-ready
Limit to 2-people per hack to minimize congestion; and really for 60-seconds you should only have one presenter unless you’ve got a role for each of the other folks on stage
Make an impression–Display stickers so #is visible in video/pics w/Name for judging b/c sometimes names get confused, presentations jump out of order & stuff happens
Make a lasting impression–don’t hack until you get on stage; leave at least an hour to run through and refine your main talking points, places for humor or impact and repetition of your name/solution/problem you’re solving
Demo your app first
List apis/technologies used quickly at the beginning or in the end w/credits to thank the amazing resources that helped you get there, but don’t sell them as a differentiator or key feature. It shouldn’t be last thing people hear/remember, but please give credit where credit’s due; plus you’re more likely to win API-specific prizes if you give the shout-out
Have your presentation flow tightly choreographed between screens, server-calls, etc. Know which ones take longest and which will cut out if WiFi isn’t working (which is likely b/c everyone’s on it or blocking good signals w/their mifi networks). Consider cut/paste options and other shortcuts if involved input is required.
Learnings:
Don’t trust the tech–we’re still in a “can you hear me now” world even at the best-prepared/run events
Don’t get lost in the features and forget to share the idea (tough b/c you’ve just spent 24 sleepless hours in feature analysis/focus land)
If fast pitching, consider having 2-3 podiums vs 1 table. Understand it means you need more Elmos, etc. to make that work. Would allow pitch bug delays to be minimized and feature the work
Focus on pitch, not on the screen—distractions lead to disjointed delivery
It’s a marathon & you win by getting it past the finish line–many of the presenters acted like just being on stage was the finish line; it’s not. You need to close FTW
Keep going until they kick you off
Sponsor apps get more time to present/fail
Native language presenters aren’t necessarily the best presenters—go with the most entertaining b/c even if the demo sucks they’ll still remember you—but if you can have both, it’s better b/c you’re usually trying to convey some complex thoughts into a simple story
If you’re on a team, don’t lean over and tell the presenter they only have 20-seconds left—distracting & it’s conf organizer’s job to manage anyway—like a coach; your job is done when they go on the field.
And, if you’d like to see a well-run Hackathon recap, enjoy the Big Brand Hackathon we hosted earlier this year with Kraft Foods and The Home Depot:
TechCrunch hosted a hackathon before the 2012 TechCrunch Disrupt in SF this weekend. Part one of this post deals with Hackathon logistics and presentations; Part 2 will be some quick thoughts on some of the ideas presented. Here are some of the overall impressions followed by tweet-length reactions to the 60-second presentations. You can see all the demos here and the top winners with videos and pics are available here. Continue reading 
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