Book Image

Dream! Hack! Build!

By : Ann Molin, Love Dager, Mustafa Sherif, Carolina Emanuelson, Dr. Kristofer Vernmark
Book Image

Dream! Hack! Build!

By: Ann Molin, Love Dager, Mustafa Sherif, Carolina Emanuelson, Dr. Kristofer Vernmark

Overview of this book

Discover the transformative power of hackathons with expert guidance from Ann, founder of the Hack for Earth Foundation. With a background in psychology and years of experience as Head Project Manager at Hack for Sweden, she brings unparalleled insight into human behavior and citizen-driven innovation. In this book, Ann introduces the innovative Dream! Hack! Build! method and guides you in taking action through the hackathon process and implementing solutions fast. The book is divided into three parts. Part I explains why hackathons are effective for innovation in today’s complex business landscape, showcasing real-world examples of citizen-driven innovation and how to use them to drive impact in your organization. Part II delves into organizing a hackathon, emphasizing audience engagement by creating challenges with a deep sense of urgency. You’ll learn how to choose the right hackathon platforms, structure, and communication strategy, and manage hackers, mentors, jury groups, and partnerships to serve your hackathon purpose and achieve impactful results. Part III is where you’ll bring hackathon solutions to fruition by designing a customized acceleration program grounded in science and established facts of start-up success. By the end of this book, you’ll be on your way to becoming a change maker of the future.
Table of Contents (19 chapters)
Free Chapter
1
Part 1: Why We Hack
5
Part 2: Introduction to How to Hack
11
Part 3: Introduction to How to Build
15
Glossary
Appendix A: Appendix B

Online hackathon versus IRL hackathon

One of the key decisions one has to make early in the hackathon planning is this: Are we creating an online hackathon (also called virtual or digital) or an offline hackathon (also called physical or IRL)?

Most of the hackathon process is the same regardless of whether it’s online or offline, but here are some differences worth mentioning:

  • Information and communication are much more important for an online hackathon, as hackers can’t simply walk up to the staff and ask for clarification as they can at an offline hackathon.
  • Livestreams have to be more concise than stage appearances as the attention span is shorter while watching a livestream. In our experience, a livestream at an online hackathon can never be longer than 1 hour, while an opening ceremony live on stage at an offline hackathon can easily be upward of 3 hours as long as it is entertaining.
  • Everything takes longer online, meaning that the overall hackathon...