Nizar Khalife Iglesias, Lead Instructor at Ironhack, shares his tips on how to be successful at a Hackathon.

1. How to Succeed at a Hackathon

2. Lead Instructor
Ironhack
Nizar Khalife

3. Please interrupt me with questions!
by Milky - Digital innovation
from the Noun Project

4. Let’s talk about the eMerge’s second annual hackathon.

5. You will have 24 hours to
work on a project.

6. We are looking for
innovative and impactful
tech solutions.

7. Solutions that make use of the one of three Facebook products.

8. Solutions that make use
of the one of three
Facebook products.

9. Facebook’s new
Messenger Platform:
messenger.com/platform.

10. Facebook’s Open Source
project React:
reactjs.com.

11. Facebook Login:
developers.facebook.com.

12. The hacking starts
on the morning of
Saturday, May 2nd.

13. It will take place at the
Miami Dade College’s
Idea Center in Downtown.

14. There are also events
on the evening of
Friday, May 1st.

15. Friday events start at
6:00 p.m.

16. Saturday registration
starts at 8:00 a.m.

17. Sunday presentations
start at 11:00 a.m.

18. Register at:
bit.ly/emerge-hackathon.

19. The Ironhack team
has a lot of collective
hackathon experience.

20. I want to share my
experiences with you.

21. So you can get the most
out of this hackathon.

22. Recommended preparation.
Before the Hackathon
Before > During > After

23. For me it starts with an idea.
Created by Sven Gabriel
from the Noun Project

24. A cool idea will motivate
you and your team!

25. You will have fun with
something you are
passionate about.

26. Even though you are super tired after 20 hours of coding.
Created by Jamie Dickinson
from the Noun Project

27. So spend some time
thinking about your idea.

28. Think about how your
idea can fit the theme.

29. Think about how you might
use Facebook’s React,
Messenger or Login

30. The keynote speaker on
the Friday before the
event will have more to
add about using them.

31. Your team is also very important.
by factor[e] design initiative
from the Noun Project

32. If you don’t have a team
you can pick one up.

33. At talks like this or at the
events on the Friday
before the hackathon.

34. Your team can have up to
5 members.

35. It’s way more fun to go
with friends though!

36. Your team can even
support a non-developer.

37. A good designer or copy
person can make a big
impact on your project.

38. I like to use hackathons as opportunities to learn something.
Created by Luboš Volkov
from the Noun Project

39. Use the hackathon as an
excuse to experiment
with a new framework.

40. Learn a new language,
platform or tool.

41. Try a novel design
technique.

42. If you are dealing with something new,
I highly recommend you do your homework.
Created by Eugen Belyakoff
from the Noun Project

43. Research and practice
any new technology.

44. Read the documentation
for the Facebook APIs
you’re planning to use.

45. Watch some tutorial
videos.

46. Refresh your memory if
you haven’t used
something in a while.

47. It’s also a good idea to do some planning.
Created by Garrett Knoll
from the Noun Project

48. Figure out the features
ahead of time.

49. Start making wireframes.

50. You could even set
team priorities.

51. Make as many decisions
as you can beforehand.

52. Because you probably don’t make your best decisions at 4:00 a.m.
Created by Jamie Dickinson
from the Noun Project

53. The final stage of preparation is your gear.
Created by SPJDR
from the Noun Project

54. Obviously, bring your
computer.

55. Bring multi-plugs
(just in case).

56. You will be there
for a long while.

57. So do not forget your
charger.

58. Consider bring an extra
monitor.

59. Or whatever other
accessory you need for an
optimal workflow.

60. Don’t forget about your comfort.
Created by Jackie Imirie
from the Noun Project

61. Bring a sweater or light
jacket in case it gets cold.

62. Consider bringing a pillow
and a blanket for power
naps.

63. Bring whatever else you
need to be comfy and
stay alert.

64. Toothbrush, PJs,
facewash, a change of
clothes, whatever!

65. Things to keep in mind on the big day.
During the Hackathon
Before > During > After

66. You’ve done all your homework, now it’s time to produce.
Created by Emily Iles
from the Noun Project

67. But the hackathon
doesn’t start immediately.

68. Take that time to get to
know your community.

69. Always be courteous and
welcoming to everyone.

70. When the clock starts it’s time to focus.
Created by Castor & Pollux
from the Noun Project

71. In the beginning
everything might go
smoothly.

72. But at some point you might get stuck.
Created by Carlos Orrego Benítez
from the Noun Project

73. If you do, ask your
teammates for help.

74. We will also have mentors
floating around to help
you out.

75. I’ve found that
competitors are also
willing to help.

76. Don’t be afraid to take a break.
Created by Claire Jones
from the Noun Project

77. 24 hours is a long time to
be coding.

78. And sometimes a bit of
rest is all you need to
solve a problem.

79. Take a power nap or two.
Created by Hadi Davodpour
from the Noun Project

80. Make sure to have a
teammate wake you up so
you don’t oversleep.

81. Don’t forget to grab enough food and beverages.
Created by Claire Jones
from the Noun Project

82. We’ll make sure that we
won’t run out.
Don’t be shy.

83. As a team, you should invest some time on your presentation.
Created by Mike Rowe
from the Noun Project

84. Figure out beforehand
who will present.

85. Have at least two people
work together on what
you are going to say.

86. Judges will be expecting
a working demo.

87. Decide what would be
best to show off.

88. Focus on what sets your
project apart.

89. Be concise. You only have
3 minutes to present.

90. You’ve passed the ordeal. Now what?
After the Hackathon
Before > During > After

91. Pat yourselves on the back. You did great!
Created by Elizabeth Smith
from the Noun Project

92. Take a breather.
You earned it.

93. Keep practicing the
presentation if you have
the energy.

94. Blow minds with your demo.
Created by iconsmind.com
from the Noun Project

95. Win cool prizes!
Created by Pablo Rozenberg
from the Noun Project

96. We’ll have $50,000 in
cash and prizes.

97. Including two
scholarships to Ironhack!

98. All participants of the
hackathon will also get a
ticket to the conference.

99. tl;dr
Have fun!

100. Ultimately you are doing
this because you enjoy it.

101. So don’t forget to enjoy it!

102. Would anyone like to ask some questions?
by Milky - Digital innovation
from the Noun Project

103. Before we go, I’d like to tell you a bit more about Ironhack,

104. We offer coding
bootcamps.

105. Our courses are 8 weeks
long and intensive.

106. There are three cities that
we call home: Madrid,
Barcelona and Miami.

107. We teach anyone from
beginners to developers
looking to up their skills.

108. There are two tracks to
choose from:
Web and iOS.

109. Our Web development
course covers Ruby on
Rails, HTML, CSS and
JavaScript.

110. Our iOS development
course covers Xcode,
Objective-C, Cocoa Touch
and a bit of Swift.

111. You can find us at our
home on the Web:
ironhack.com

112. If you’d like to get
involved, we’d love
to talk to you!

113. Register now:
bit.ly/emerge-hackathon.