You’ll learn new skills, tricks, and maybe even a new programming language—so come ready to explore!

If you’re a designer or project organizer, consider having tools like:
✅ Sketch
✅ Canva
✅ Figma

• Many teams end up using React.JS; it’s the most popular Javascript framework right now. Be sure you can install and run `create-react-app` and then actually start up the app after it’s been created.

• If your team decides to implement parts of the app in different languages, figure out what you’ll need to make them talk to each other before you go off and implement the individual pieces.

• If at all possible, avoid writing a back end for the project; the presentation will be almost entirely dependent on how the front end works and looks. Substitute dummy data, dummy servers, dummy APIs where ever you can.

• Similarly, avoid setting up APIs, authentication, authorization, and many other things you’d normally have to do for a real app. Unless you have people who are already deeply familiar with these things, you’re going to spend a lot of time reading, learning, testng, and debugging things which aren’t necessary for the demo. Instead fake these, just as you’d fake a back end server if at all possible.

• Set up your team’s Git repository, on GitHub, Gitlab, BitBucket, etc., so that the master branch is protected, so team member cannot inadvertently push changes that overwrite other members’ changes.

• Create a Git branch for every feature you work on. Establish up front a means for reviewing, testing, and merging branches on the remote git depot.

• Make sure to communicate with your team members when branches are pushed up, merge/pull requests created, and so on, also if you’re dependent on unmerged branches when to pull them into your working repository.

• You can use GUI Git tools if those are easier for you. Everyone doesn’t have to use the same means of working with git, either, for example, some people are more comfortable using the command line, others Sourcetree. This is perfectly fine.

• Take time to align as a team before jumping into coding! Many teams think coding ASAP is the best approach, but spending time upfront to define goals will pay off later.

  • ✅ Get to know each other – What does everyone want to get out of the hackathon?
    ✅ Share contact info – Stay connected throughout the event.
    ✅ Clearly define the problem – Who are your users? What are their needs?
    ✅ Set up your communication tools – Some useful options:

    • Teams

    • GitHub / GitLab

    • Docs

    • Trello

• Break work into small, manageable sprints. Set check-ins every few hours to keep things on track.

• Assign key roles:

  • ✅ Product Manager – Tracks which features are being built.|
    ✅ Project Manager – Manages tasks, repositories, and workflow.
    ✅ Timekeeper – Runs meetings and keeps things moving.
    ✅ Info Manager – Documents key insights, artifacts, and learning

• ⏳ Save time by avoiding common pitfalls:

  • 🚫 Don’t build a full user management system – Fake logins & sessions work fine.
    🚫 Don’t buy a domain name – Focus on the idea, not branding.
    🚫 Don’t pick a completely new tech stack – Stick to tools at least one team member knows well.
    🚫 If building a mobile app, demo it as a web page using Chrome/Firefox DevTools.

• Easiest & recommended demo setup: Run your app from your laptop.

• If deploying online, consider:

  • ✅ GitHub Pages
    ✅ Netlify
    ✅ Surge.sh

• Minimize complexity in data flow. If you need to show different data in your demo, use predefined JSON structures instead of building full databases.

  Ways to simplify:

  • ✅ Use static JSON files instead of setting up a database.
    ✅ Hardcode API responses rather than spending time on API integration.
    ✅ Discuss potential APIs, costs, and availability, but fake API responses if needed.