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Digital Rochester
“Rising Star” Winner
“Best Mobile App”
Rochester Startup Weekend
2012
HTR LaunchPad 2013
“Best Investment”
“Winner” Rochester
Startup Weekend 2014
How to WIN (or LOSE)
a Hackathon!By @ToddBernhard, Founder, NoTie.NET
Cofounder, AllAccess.US
Cofounder, FlixAcademy.com
Cofounder, AppRochester.com
Have an Idea
• Must be original
• Be firm
• This is your one shot!
• It’s now or never!
• Make it count!
• Build a better mousetrap
• Be flexible
• Leverage this
opportunity
• There will be others
MenuBot
(now AllAccess.US)
Name Your Business
• Spend the first two
hours deciding on the
perfect name
• Build resentment
among team members
• Find out the domain
name isn’t available
• Pick something, you can
change it later
• Get a working
domain/website/blog
• Start making your
product!
Examples: Names
• HINY: Help In New York! Cute, had the dot-com
already
• iCurio.us: Cute, double-entendre
• eThank: Had the dot-com
• MenuBot: Changed to All Access Menus and
then All Access LLC & AllAccess.US many
months later
• FlixAcademy: Pitched as Netflix Academy,
knowing it would be infringing… reserved
FlixAcademy.com, Flix.Academy, @FlixAcademy
etc.
Team
• I don’t need any help
• The more the merrier
• Identify Strengths &
Weaknesses
• Seek Help early
• Be flexible
Examples:
Hackathon Teams
• HINY: solo
• iCurio.us: solo
• eThank.com: solo
• MenuBot: Web, iOS, Business, Mentors
• FlixAcademy: 11 People + Mentors!
Product Features
• Plan every feature the
product should have:
• iOS, Android, Web,
Free vs. Pro, In-App
Purchases
• Code until time is up
• What are your goals:
• Impressing investors
or Impressing Judges?
• Generating revenue?
• Minimum Viable Product
Examples: Features
• HINY: Simple, could have better UI
• iCurio.us: Simple, could still add TTS
• eThank: Simple, needs graphics, social
• MenuBot: Simple BUT expandable. Now
has 60+ features & is updated weekly!
• FlixAcademy: Simple BUT expandable.
More patentable features on the way!
Feedback
• Don’t bother...
• No Time
• Focus Groups
are lame
• Steve Jobs never
did ‘em
• You’re not Steve Jobs
• Feedback helps you
iterate and cut losses
• Take Minimum Viable
Product in the direction
users/investors want
Examples: Feedback
• HINY: developed in a vacuum, in Rochester
• iCurio.us: Feedback from daughter
• eThank.com: Feedback from prior apps
• MenuBot: Feedback from restaurant managers,
blind focus groups, email, twitter, surveys
• FlixAcademy: Feedback from educators, mentors,
email, twitter, surveys
Demonstration
• Show everything
• Dazzle with complexity
• Show essentials
• Prepare to dive deeper
based on questions
Examples:
Demonstration
• HINY: YouTube demo video
• iCurio.us: Live, funny demo
• eThank.com: Live, funny demo
• MenuBot: Working app with graphics,
text-to-speech with depth & growth opportunity
• FlixAcademy: Working website, app, funny video,
with opportunities for a variety of revenue sources
Know Your Audience...
and Your Goals
• Play to the
crowd!
• Play to the
judges &
investors!
• Refreshments,
T-shirts, Swag,
Camaraderie,
Deadline!
Examples:
Audience & Goals
• HINY.com: NYC, Motivational deadline
• iCurio.us: Motivational deadline
• eThank.com: Motivational deadline
• MenuBot: Working app with graphics,
text-to-speech with depth
• FlixAcademy: Working MVP, build-a-business
Hackathon
Opportunities
• Rochester Startup Weekend
• rochester.startupweekend.org
• Buffalo & Syracuse, too!
• challenge.gov
• ChallengePost.com
• NYCBigApps.com
Digital Rochester
“Rising Star” Winner
“Best Mobile App”
Rochester Startup Weekend
2012
HTR LaunchPad 2013
“Best Investment”
“Winner” Rochester
Startup Weekend 2014
Remember, you can’t
WIN if you don’t try!By @ToddBernhard, Founder, NoTie.NET
Cofounder, AllAccess.US
Cofounder, FlixAcademy.com
Cofounder, AppRochester.com