MasterCard’s Masters of Code hackathon starts tomorrow in beautiful Montreal. Last week, we hosted a Twitter chat with our friends at The Working Group and Lighthouse Labs on how to master a hackathon to help coders prep for the big weekend festivities.
Didn’t get a chance to make it to the Twitter chat that trended across Canada? Don’t worry! We’ve embedded the best tweets below just in time for Masters of Code.
If you still haven’t registered for Masters of Code, do it now and don’t forget to use the registration code “MOCBetaKit” for a sweet discount. If you’re already registered, take some time to read up on MasterCard’s open API’s so you’re ready to hack. We’ll see you in Montreal!
The ideal hackathon team
A1. I always like to see a mix between design, dev & product/marketing but key ingredient across the board is passion #mastersofcode
— Tom Emrich 🔜 🇨🇦 (@tomemrich) September 17, 2015
https://twitter.com/MasterCardCAnws/status/644542497167798272
https://twitter.com/TWG/status/644543355670523904
A1: @twg Agreed, a pitch person is key to hackathon success. Without a good pitch, even the best product can fall flat. #MastersOfCode
— Lighthouse Labs (@lighthouse_labs) September 17, 2015
.@BetaKit A1 – our team had 2 leaders with creative/marketing skills. 3 engineers, one who had design abilities. #MastersOfCode @Trideit
— Cory Rosenfield (@CoryRosenfield) September 17, 2015
How to prepare for a hackathon
https://twitter.com/MasterCardCAnws/status/644545154783666176
A2: Take a good look at the hack topic/APIs, if there is a focus. Understand the addressable markets/the problems they have #mastersofcode
— Victoria Berry 🇨🇦 (@berryvic) September 17, 2015
A2: Agree on some initial guidelines. Platform, tools, roles. Compromise is a tool for success. #MastersOfCode
— Lighthouse Labs (@lighthouse_labs) September 17, 2015
A2: Don't be scared to discard an idea, even if it's good. The startup rule about 'fail faster' applies 100% to hackathons #MastersOfCode
— Lighthouse Labs (@lighthouse_labs) September 17, 2015
A2 don't underestimate team name it can rally team mates together and is a fun ice breaker you can do pre hack #MastersOfCode
— Tom Emrich 🔜 🇨🇦 (@tomemrich) September 17, 2015
@MasterCardCAnws #MastersofCode offers a workshop at beginning. Go 2 it, learn shortcut, tricks & who are the tech mentors! You'll need them
— Sebastien Taveau :. 🇫🇷🇺🇸🏴🇮🇪 (@frogtwitt) September 17, 2015
How to work within time restrictions
A3: MVP! Wireframes are your backbone. Nail down the minimum set of features to prove your product. And build! #MastersOfCode
— Lighthouse Labs (@lighthouse_labs) September 17, 2015
https://twitter.com/TWG/status/644547800277999616
A3 this is definitely where someone w/ project management skills is needed. Time management/schedule is crucial for delivery #MastersOfCode
— Tom Emrich 🔜 🇨🇦 (@tomemrich) September 17, 2015
A3: Products take shape as you grow them. Avoid "rabbit holes". If you've spent >1h on a problem, move on. Be smart. #MastersOfCode
— Lighthouse Labs (@lighthouse_labs) September 17, 2015
A3: Stand-up/scrum every 2h or so. Stay in touch with each other. #MastersOfCode
— Lighthouse Labs (@lighthouse_labs) September 17, 2015