Garage48 Hardware & Arts is a one of a kind hackathon bringing together the creative communities of electronics, mechatronics, software engineers, artists, product designers and marketeers at University of Tartu, Institute of Physics on February 5-7, 2016. This will be a truly amazing hackathon, where we expect people to work on crazy ideas with the aim to have fun while developing something cool and REAL - something you can hold in your hands. No matter what skills you possess - everybody who wants to build something is welcome! We want to engage people from different levels of experience: from students to experienced electronics engineers and start-up entrepreneurs.
TOOLS TO WORK WITH
Hardware products require more than just a laptop; this time we are putting together a massive stuff of tech to do hardware prototyping. When you register please describe your idea as specific as possible so we can get most of materials/technologies on the venue.
TRANSPORT
We will arrange buses leaving from Friday en route Tallinn-Tartu and back on Sunday evening straight after the event!
Garage48 has a flexible schedule. We have some key activities that needs to be planned ahead.
Here is our tentative schedule, at least you know when to show up :) Friday, 5th of February
17:30 - Check-in, networking & snacks
18:00 - Opening remarks
18:30 - Pitching ideas in 90"
19:30 - Refreshment Break
19:50 - Pitching ideas in 90"
20:45 - Team formation
22:00 - Team work begins!
Saturday, 6th of February
09:00 - Coffee & light breakfast. Development continues
10:00 - Checkpoint #1
11:00 - Mentors go around
13:00 - Lunch
16:00 - Work continues
17.30 - Pitch drill introduction
18:00 - Checkpoint #2. Development continues...
19:00 - Dinner
Sunday, 7th of February
08:30 - Coffee & light breakfast. Development continues
09:00 - Checkpoint #3
10:00 - Pitch drill session for Hardware & Arts teams #1
12:30 - Lunch
13:00 - Pitch drill session for Hardware & Arts teams #2
15:00 - CLEANING
16:30 - Final event START & LIVE stream
Pitching session for Student Startup Camp teams
16:30 - Refreshment break
18:00 - Pitching session for Garage48 Hardware & Arts teams
19:30 - Refreshment break and Jury takes the time to select winners
20:00 - Award ceremony & networking
21:00 - Buses leave for Tallinn
NB! Schedule is tentative, changes are possible and likely to happen.
We'll start on Friday at 17:30 with opening doors. Please come on time, as the registration process might take some time. This time before the official opening is a great opportunity for getting to know the crowd and to network. See the agenda for further information.
WHAT TO BRING WITH YOU?
Positive attitude, open mind and lots of energy!
Everything you need for a rapid product development. We will have equipment and materials on site, but to be sure we recommend you to bring your own stuff as well. You never know when you need something yourself or if you could help out another team. Sharing is caring :)
The fact is that, if you build something what really works on Sunday evening, then we will not ask the bits and pieces back - you don't have to break your prototype, the team can take the it home and continue working on it.
This does not apply though for more expensive things - you can not take an oscilloscope with you or set of tweezers etc.
Please take your:
laptop
3-5m power extension cord (as power might be on distance),
mobile phone
all chargers
Optional:
photo camera to take and share photos
mattress
sleeping bag and towel (in case you registered for sleepover at the venue)
credit cards for domain registration
business cards (if you have any)
PITCHING IDEAS
If your idea is pre-selected, please prepare a good pitch. Ideas dicussed in participants FB group and sent to us per e-mail get preference (FB Group is coming up soon).
Ideas are presented based on "elevator-pitch" method within 90 seconds. Event host and audience can ask 1 to 3 short questions.
You can prepare 1 (one) PDF slide to support your pitch. You should send the slide by Friday noon, at the e-mail hardware@garage48.org (Subject: name of your project).
Consider following key points:
Describe briefly your background (10 sec)
What is the name of the idea (5 sec)
What's the idea all about? What is the problem your idea solves? Target user count and description (30 sec)
Technical solution and if there is a revenue model (in case of non-profit idea, how the maintenance and further development costs will be covered?) (30 sec)
Minimum viable product and plan for 48 hours. Who do you need for the team? (20 sec)
Look at the guideline and example "how to prepare a good pitch" (SlideShare)
NB! Practice your pitch to your friends or family before you present! 90 seconds goes really fast!
FORMING TEAMS
After pitching is over, we will put all the ideas on the wall. Every participant will choose their favorite idea and this is how teams will be formed. Usually 16 to 18 best ideas will get enough interested people to get the "green light" for the implementation.
Average team has about 5 to 7 people and the team should be "balanced" - covering all required roles like necessary engineers, designer, a project manager (team lead/visionary), and marketer in order to get the product/service ready in 48 hours! Minimum size for a team is 4 people and max is 8 people.
If some ideas get too few people or not balanced teams (probably unable to build the service), the idea will be dumped. Those people should choose another idea/team.
WORKING IN TEAMS
After forming the teams, organizers will give a room/space for every team for the weekend. You should start by dividing roles, setting the product vision, customer journey and start working right away.
It is very important that you have a project manager (team lead) in the team - one of his tasks is to keep the focus of the team, one eye on the clock and the other on the team progress. 48 hours is really a short time.
Food and drinks. We provide breakfast, lunch and dinner on Saturday and Sunday. So, you could focus on work and building your product.
Mentors. We have arranged mentors to work with the teams throughout the weekend. Some of them are more technical, some more business savvy. Be open and ask for their advice and contacts.
Please wear your name badge during the whole event, this will help to encourage networking and gets you inside through security guards. Otherwise be open, get to know new people, share your ideas and give ideas/feedback to other teams.
MOST IMPORTANT - have fun!
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