Checklist for the F10 FinTech Hackathon in Vienna

Prepare:

• Make sure to get enough sleep the night before the Hackathon as sleep-deprivation may be a temporary side effect of the 48-hours event.
• The Platinum Sponsors SIX and BAWAG PSK as well as F10 provide real-life challenges for the Hackathon. These challenges are related to actual problems the finance industry is facing. Teams – ideally groups of three or four – can pick one challenge and develop innovative solutions or work on their own ideas. Have you fully understood the four challenges?
• In case you want to develop your own idea: be prepared to pitch your vision to potential team members.
• Hackathons are great opportunities to connect with like-minded people. You can network with inspiring people, make new friends and may even meet your future business partners to found a Startup with. If you attend the F10 FinTech Hackathon in Vienna without knowing who will be in attendance, you can miss meeting interesting people because you don’t recognize them or have no idea how to start a conversation with the person you are interested in. Before coming to the Hackathon, scan the list of sponsors, partners and companies present. Do a quick research on the people you would like to connect with.

Pack:

• laptop and charger
• smartphone and charger
• headphones
• small toilet bag with toothbrush, toothpaste and deodorant
• fresh clothes
• pyjamas
• sleeping bag (this is not mandatory but feel free to bring one if you wish to)
• ear plugs
• personal medicine / allergens
• business cards

Food and drinks will be offered at the Hackathon, so you don’t have to bring anything to eat or drink unless you have special requests.‍

Check:

• Make sure you know how to get to WeXelerate in the heart of Vienna where the Hackathon begins on Friday, 16th of November 2018, at 4.00 pm. Please be on time.
  Address: WeXeleratePraterstrasse 11020 Vienna
  From Vienna’s main station, it only takes ten minutes by subway to reach WeXelerate, the closest stop is Schwedenplatz.
• If travelling from another country: do you have your ID or passport ready? Don’t forget to keep airfare or bus tickets as you will have to present them to get your travel reimbursement.

• There is room for sleeping bags at WeXelerate. Hackathon participants who wish to stay at a hostel or hotel have to organize the accommodation at their own cost.

Team building:

• Is it a complementary-skills team? We strongly recommend the Hackathon participants to form complementary-skills teams to benefit as much as possible from each team member’s talents and abilities. Develop innovative solutions, learn from your team mates and exchange knowledge with people from other regions or countries.
• How diverse is your Hackathon team? Besides different skill sets, teams should also aim for cultural and gender diversity as diverse teams perform better than homogenous groups. With the F10 FinTech Hackathon in Vienna coming up, we have analysed what successful teams have in common. The findings: gender-diverse teams perform best. The diversity factor is even believed to have more significant implications than the intelligence of individual members. The presence of female team members in male-dominated work areas increases objectivity, the group’s performance and overall satisfaction with the tasks. F10 therefore highly encourages the Hackathon participants to form diverse teams.

Networking:

• Talk to people outside your professional bubble at events. This will enhance your general knowledge, increase your confidence, lead to unexpected business opportunities and raise your profile – which makes you more attractive to interact with.
• Show interest in other attendants, mentors and sponsor: Studies have shown that most people feel more connected to their conversation partners if they are good listeners. Show interest in your contacts, ask relevant questions, listen actively and show that you understand what the other person is saying. You don’t have to remember every single fact but memorize the central idea. This will help you reconnect at the next occasion you meet and makes following-up after the event easier.
• Make a list of your new contacts after the F10 FinTech Hackathon, add every person you rate as valuable to the list. This knowledge can be helpful in opening a conversation the next time you meet and in establishing a long-term business relationship.