I am new to a hackathon. How does it work?
Garage48 hackathon is a bulletproof 48-hour format, where ideas get built into prototypes with teamwork and mentoring support. The organizing team guides you through all the steps of the hackathon from idea submission to mentoring and final presentations to the jury for selecting winners.
Best ideas to enter the competition will be selected. Garage48 team will send a letter to all the chosen teams with complete instructions on how the hackathon process will look like. We will let everyone know about the results, even if your ideas didn't make it to the hackathon. :)
What kind of ideas are expected?
We’re welcoming all ideas aimed to boost and strengthen the event theme - which is varied from hackathon to hackathon based on partners involved as well as global agenda. The intent of this hackathon is to develop ideas that are “prototypeable” in 48-hours.
Can I join if I’m not a developer, UX/UI designer or an engineer?
YES! Only with visionaries, idea owners and experts from all the various fields we can truly optimize the solutions built throughout the hackathon. Whether you are a designer, project manager, marketeer or a field expert - we need your ideas and your expertise!
Where can I submit my idea?
You need to visit the relevant event page and click on the “register” button!
You can see all our upcoming events here.
Can I submit several ideas?
We strongly suggest you to choose one idea and prepare your idea submission and team as thoroughly as possible - do research, talk to people, involve additional experts to your team and make a plan for what you’re gonna build in the 48 hours.
What are the rules for team submission?
You can register for the hackathon as an individual or as a team, with or without an idea. But if you are signing up as a team, each team member still has to fill in the registration form separately!
The minimum number of the participants in the team is 3. The maximum number of the team members is 10. While we let you sign up your idea as an individual participant, if your idea gets chosen, you have to put together a team before being able to compete at the hackathon.
Each team should consist of:
idea owner who will take the role of the team lead (coordinating, project management)
developers
designer (UX/UI)
an engineer, if an idea execution requires it (optional)
After you submit your team and your idea, the selected members of the jury and mentors will go over each application one by one. We will choose the best ideas that will enter the competition.
What if I’m missing a needed team member (eg developer or designer) for my idea submission?
We can’t stop you from submitting your idea and team with as many team members as you have. Saying that - we strongly advise you to put your and your team’s network to work and find the missing skill-set and expertise. This will greatly improve the chances of your idea getting selected!
While we let you sign up your idea as an individual participant, if your idea gets chosen, you have to put together a team before being able to compete at the hackathon.
How does team formation happen if I’m applying as a solo participant and my idea gets chosen?
If you are a solo applicant at the time of the idea submission, start working on gathering a team with needed expertise to build your idea into a prototype. Put your own, your friends & family, colleagues networks to use to gather your team. We will also have an online matchmaking event where individuals can meet the teams and idea owners meet team members.
What are the evaluation criteria for my idea?
We will check and see whether:
the proposed problem matches with the topic is serious enough; and if not solved, could have a wide impact.
the description of the solution is clear and solves the problem well.
the team is formed and includes all required skills.
If my idea doesn’t get chosen, will I be able to join a selected team?
Yes, you can join the team during a matchmaking event. Also we will do some matchmaking with individual participants and different teams that are looking for extra people and specific skills.
What kind of tools will I need to use at the hackathon?
The main communication channel of the hackathon will be Slack. All the selected teams are invited to join the Slack group of the event a couple of days prior the online hackathon begins. We recommend downloading the Slack app to both - to your smartphones and computers and allow the notifications. Slack will be the place for important hackathon workflow announcements, the place for communication with your team and a good way to connect with the mentors.
Download Slack for your
Second important tool will be Zoom. We will run the webinars and checkpoints via Zoom and share the links with you over Slack. Remember - this applies for an online hackathon format!
Download Zoom for your
If you have any further questions, feel free to contact to our team!