WE will build more than just hacks. RE: What would you build at MLH Prime: Spring Finale 2016?
MLH Prime is the finale of the Spring 2016 Major League Hacking Hackathon season, bringing hackers from around the world together in celebration of a global movement.
What did you just say?
FAQ: context for all readers.
Hackathon? — An invention marathon — An opportunity to learn, build, and share with hackers, producing “hacks” — creations built over a 24–48 hour period of innovation in relaxed and welcoming environments.
Hackers? — Members of a global movement; ethos sharers; learners; builders; sharers; creators; artists; designers; programmers; entrepreneurs; innovators; teachers; pitchers; hustlers; includers; enablers; organisers; providers; empowerers. They create solutions to problems at Hackathons, by writing software and building hardware in teams.
Major League Hacking? — The official student hackathon league; A global community; team of hackers and movement leaders; mark of quality; invaluable source of organiser support; moral B-corp; data aggregator, and last but not least, provider of copious amounts of swag.
Season finale? — The official student hackathon league consists of seasons — which MLH finishes with a bang, bringing the best hackers from around the world together for one last hackathon. This is a celebration, an opportunity, an amalgamation, and connection point.
More info:
https://mlh.io/about
https://prime.mlh.io/
So what are you going to build?
Short answer
I don’t know for sure what hack I will build. I rarely know. Step one is to find or complete a team. Step two is to develop an idea. The team is prerequisite to a well planned solution. We can only bring micro-ideas, ready to be expanded to fit the team dynamic.
I do know a few things that will definitely be built…
I will build connections. I am a backend developer. I manage connections. Not only could I build a scalable, performant backend for managing connections, but I will build connections with the best hackers outside of the UK in this growing global community made possible by the Major League Hacking team.
I will build the community. I’ll build a team. We’ll generate and share ideas. We’ll find a hack that exploits our unique qualities. We’ll teach each other. We’ll realise how amazing it is that we share membership of this global movement. We’ll come away wanting to propagate it further.
We will build something. That something will be created and demoed. Focusing on idea generation and talking tech for a while with smart people is a huge part of the value for me. This is why I don’t actively try to think of developed hackathon ideas outside of a team before hackathons. Not only is it not inclusive, but I would miss out on the fun. We will build something — but it is okay if it’s not yet known.
WE will build ideas
Million dollar ideas are a dime a dozen. The determination to see the idea through is what’s priceless. -Robert Dieffenbach
Would I build my idea for a scalable microservice backend framework for personal data collection and deliverable insights with a team of front-end UI designers?
Maybe. Likely not. Going in completely as planned, the team happiness thus effectiveness would suffer. If we propose ideas, we can get feedback from different perspectives, iterate, and spin the original ideas into one that fits the team dynamic.
Likewise, would I feel comfortable building an arduino robot in C++? Not at first glance.
Maybe I could fit in somewhere.
Could we develop the idea with input from the parts to unite the whole?
That could result in something greater.
The team comes first
The entire team must be satisfied by the goal to feel a valued part of the solution. Once you have this, you can let the ideas flow between you and work it out.
Knowing what to hack on need not be known — for you can build inclusive, varied, and innovative group dynamics guaranteed by this inspiring global hacker movement.
