metaHackathon(DEVPOST)

The metaHack is not your normal hackathon. In fact, it's not even a hackathon (or is it?!). It's a protocol for documenting and storytelling in and about hackathons. And our goal is happier hackers!

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Inspiration

The metaHackathon was inspired by a series of conversations with people who love hackathons but thought there was a lot to improve. From these conversations, we started having workshops about hackathons and hackathon workshops (the Hackathon Workshop Workshops). Eventually, the plan to have a hackathon about hackathons emerged.

Well, as you may know, organizing a hackathon is no simple matter, and it costs at least $3000 to host something on DEVPOST, so our ragtag team of volunteers never managed to host a hackathon about hackathons. However, we developed the idea of something that might be even better, a protocol for observing team-building, following characters, exploring idea exploration, enhancing accountability, intentionally including a diverse group of people, and showcasing the winners. How do we do all this?

What it does

In it's simplest form, the metaHackathon(DEVPOST) is not a hackathon. It is a way of interviewing and recording participants IN ONLINE HACKATHONS on DEVPOST. By treating hackathons like a spelling bee, or a excitingly nerdy sports documentary, we can achieve all the original goals of a hackathon about hackathons (improving hackathon awareness and every aspect of the hackathon pipeline).

Basically, pick a hackathon, any online hackathon, and a set of participants (chosen to show not just coders, but also designers, product managers, project managers, and total noobs), mentors, organizers. Meet with them, record the calls. Over the time of the hackathon, chase the stories as they develop, and edit it into a compelling documentary that gets more people interested in hackathons (and less afraid of the word "hackathon" if they are not "hackers") and tells the story of THAT HACKATHON.

How we built it

After months of Hackathon Workshop Workshops, we hosted Hackathon Workshop Workshops #2 || Ready to DevPost with Guest of Honor Dave Anderson. Video link here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkuiFscnpew

After this workshop, we started exploring the possibility of scoping down even further, from a hackathon about hackathons, to just "about hackathons".

Challenges we ran into

We've been working pro bono, but we want to stop working as volunteers and start getting paid. So we need a clear way to package this thing up.

That's hurdle #1 (we've spent 6 months preparing for this, unpaid) the only ones who really get paid are the artists.

hurdle #2: no strong monetary sponsor to shape the fabric of the metahack around

hurdle #3: it needs to be structured out of key learnings from hackathons (and shaped in a way that makes it seem like hackathon)

hurdle #4: not organized enough

hurdle #5: could it become episodic, like a show or documentary put together from interviews with the metahackers, organizers, and the winning teams demo videos etc?

What's next?

MetaHackathon(Hackathon) is the protocol for documenting and videography that can be overlayed on top of every hackathon. We keep all the intentions and goal exactly the same, except we don't have to organize the hackathon itself (we just "cast" a production, from real hackathon hackers).

Like a spelling bee documentary in a box, but for hackathons. We can just do a test version on any existing hackathon.

Built With

  • gcal
  • love
  • notion
  • obs
  • zoom
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