Hackathons FAQ¶

Developers¶

What is a Hackathon?¶

A Hackathon is an event that brings together computer programmers like software developers, graphic designers and user interface specialists along with industry process experts and professionals to identify issues and create software solutions, usually within a weekend and often in a competitive environment with prizes for the best projects.

Why should I join a hackathon?¶

Hackathons are great for several reasons: participants get to push themselves to the next level, learn from others, network, get recognized for their work and may even potentially get hired. Gaining professional credibility while getting a chance to meet others who've built and accomplished things in the space is a valuable opportunity.

How do I form or join a team?¶

Teams are usually created both before the event and at the event. Teams at the event form around the provided hack categories. If you would like to start a team or are looking for a team to join be sure to attend the opening ceremony, make an announcement, and talk to the people who are there. You can also propose or join a team through the event's forum, the event's Facebook page, or other relevant sites that other hackathon participants are likely to see.

Where do I find resources to work with?¶

You can find developer resources in our Awesome-MakerDAO community repository. In addition, you can check out our Developer Quickstart Guide for other helpful information.

How do I contribute as a former hackathon participant?¶

If you are a hacker with no team and a desire to participate, you can do several things:

Join a less experienced team to help them with their project.
If the hackathon is running a mentor program, you can apply to be a mentor.
Bring and share ideas for projects.
Lead a workshop.
Offer your help to the organizers.

What do I need to bring?¶

Besides the essentials, we have a list of things you should consider bringing in our Developer Quickstart Guide.

Who owns the ideas/IP?¶

The team that develops the project is usually the owner of the project and IP. However, it depends on the individual hackathon's rules. We encourage sharing of code with others in the community or making code open source, however, the rules vary by event.

What are the prizes?¶

Prizes are unique to each hackathon. To find out about prizes look on the Hackathon's event page, this information is usually listed there.

Organizers¶

If you would like to have MakerDAO sponsor your hackathon, please have a look at the checklist in our Organizer Quickstart Guide and make sure this information is included when you reach out to us at hackathons@makerdao.com.

What is the Maker Foundation's role in participating in Hackathons?¶

The Foundation sponsors prizes, offers ideas for hackathon categories and projects, has members of its team participate as judges & mentors, and enrolls hackathon winners and participants into the Foundation's Grants program.

Can the Maker Foundation help us with ideas for hack categories and ideas?¶

Yes.

How can we help connect talented developers with the Maker Foundation?¶

You can inform participants about the Maker Foundation's Grant Program and our desire to help grow the space. We encourage all participants who want to get on our radar to fill out this form. We review all hacks and may reach out to interesting projects and teams.