| I've done two. Won one. I'm not a programmer, so I won't speak to that part. I created an account just to share this. 1. Arrive with a pitch. Figure something out that will keep you excited for an entire weekend. Transmit that excitement in your pitch. The excitement beats a good idea. 2. Ruthlessly recruit. Find your talent before the pitches start and win them over. Nearly everyone has some pet project they'd rather work on, so you may need to listen to theirs' first and let them dismiss it as a crazy idea. Tell them you think it is genius and try to relate it to a part of your project. This wins recruits. 3. Cull. Fire the non-essential team members by taking them over to another group and introducing them to the group. Then run. This may seem cruel, but it will save you from bloat and slowness. 3. Refocus every 90 minutes. If you have a small, smart team, the duties will shake out quickly. But pull everyone back together for 5 minutes every 90 to give updates and to refocus. This is a modified pomodoro and will keep everyone from going down rabbit trails or checking out of the project. You have to lead. 4. Brag. For the final pitch, share your failures and successes brazenly. Show off your team's skills and openly address gaps in skill or knowledge. You will be approached afterwards if someone loves your enthusiasm but sees where they could fill in a gap. Show your product, holes and all.
It gets you honest feedback faster and will carry you through to full execution if you listen. Good luck. |