Project name: Code Adjacent Hackathons
Description:
We want to launch a novel and promising opportunity, the “Code-Adjacent Hackathon,” where the web3 tech-savvy but non-developer community will come together to brainstorm, innovate, and validate ideas for tools that will make their lives easier and more productive. This event serves as a prequel to a traditional developer hackathon, aiming to create a bridge between non-technical users and developers.
Problem + Vision
Thesis: In the last few years, tooling for crypto has been built, tested, and experimented on. But without clear demand from users — developers are not set up to succeed. While protocols and projects continue to fund and attend hackathons, the reality is that most projects are looking for bounties and are neither resourced for, nor interested in continuing product development as a standalone project. Simultaneously, industry participants without developer experience feel alienated from the hackathon experience and are unable to actualize their product ideas without resources. There is an opportunity to bring these two groups together to capture demand for ideas that will accelerate the efficiency of crypto primitives beyond defi and also show the world rather than tell them what blockchain enabled technologies are capable of. This can be scaled to other verticals but is ripe for implementation now within the Ethereum ecosystem.
Solution/Product
The project is a novel concept of a ‘code-adjacent’ hackathon, intended to be a precursor to a traditional, developer-focused hackathon. It is designed to provide a platform where non-technical individuals who are competent with tool usage and have valuable ideas for new tools can contribute to the innovation process.
The core issue addressed by this initiative is the disconnect between hackathon sponsors, who often feel their investment doesn’t yield enduring, market-fit projects, and end-users who are looking for practical, user-friendly solutions to make their work easier. The ‘code-adjacent’ hackathon will focus on creating real use-cases and demand validation for tech tools, specifically in event organization and potentially in the Web3 space.
Unlike traditional hackathons, the output will be ideas that people are signaling they want to use and that developers can then implement with a clear understanding of the demand and functionality needed. The ultimate goal is to create a more effective, less complex suite of tools for those already managing heavy workloads.
The implementation of the hackathon would involve renting a physical space and having people sign up through platforms like Typeform or Eventbrite. Ideas will be formed and finalized in person, with the winning ideas potentially being rewarded in crypto. While not initially heavily reliant on Web3 tools, the aspiration is to gradually incorporate these into the event, without making it overly complex or intimidating for participants.
A unique feature of the hackathon could be a live stream presentation of ideas, with winners selected through a Jokerace run. The hope is that the hackathon will not only generate innovative solutions but also illustrate potential integrations between platforms like Jokerace, Guild, and Koop.xyz.
This ‘code-adjacent’ hackathon concept aims to bridge the gap between users who need better tools and developers who need validation that their creations will be used and valued. In turn, this should lead to more tangible, immediate value creation in the tech space.
This project is being conceptualized and built by a female team and we will strive to bring as many female participants in to participate in the non-technical hackathon as possible.
Validation / Traction / Progress so far
Proof of concept attached below
Team
LDF is an internet-native builder, interrogator, and explorer. After starting her career working at Facebook and Reddit, she founded gm house, the coziest place in the open Metaverse, and badidea.horse, an interactive virtual experience that encourages participants to share their worst ideas in an open and anonymous format. LDF boasts an exceptional track record as a highly-engaged & deeply-involved DAO steward and leader, currently contributing to DAOs like MakerDAO, Livepeer, BoysClub, JokeDao and The Symmetrical
Cheryl Douglass is a web3 native creative strategist, full-stack marketer, curator, and producer. Prior to co-founding Prima Materia, she spent 4 years as a Product Marketing Manager at both ConsenSys and Infura, leading blockchain technology companies building the critical infrastructure, applications, and protocols that enable individuals to build dapps and access web3. She also served as the CMO and Senior Curator at Portion, an OG NFT marketplace for high-end art, music, and collectibles. Cheryl has also worked in various marketing and advising capacities for crypto-native projects such as PleasrHouse, a web3-powered live auction show, and Ethereal Summit, a global cultural event bringing together a community of futurists, creatives, and blockchain enthusiasts to explore what it means to live in a decentralized world. Cheryl earned her degree in Economics, Mathematics, and Business Management from Columbia University.
Parker Jay-Pachirat is a techno-optimist investing and building in web3. She’s always been fascinated by systems of power and is passionate about using bleeding-edge technology to solve complex problems that challenge the status quo and fundamentally re-shape the world. Parker graduated from Occidental College in 2021, where she majored in Critical Theory and Social Justice. Within her studies, Parker took a specialized focus on posthumanism: the idea that humanity can be transformed, transcended or eliminated either by technological advances or the evolutionary process. Her senior thesis aimed to explore the way brain-computer-interface technology will disrupt society’s prevailing models of ability and disability. She aimed to answer the question, are the medical and social models of disability most prevalent in our society today still relevant in the changing landscape commercialized brain-machine-interfaces bring about? Parker is a founding member of Boys Club, a social club and DAO designed to empower women & non-binary individuals in web3. Within her work at Boys Club, Parker is responsible for leading the design and creation of Boys Club DAO, including its governance and incentive mechanisms, treasury design and management, and more. Parker is also an early-stage investor at FinTech Collective’s DeFi Fund, where she sits as a member of the funds dedicated crypto investment team.
Grant Amount Requested
$10,000 USD
What it will be used for?
Building a website for the hackathon to invite participants, sponsors, educational institutions, tech Incubators, and collaborators to sign up, form teams, contribute to the prize pool, and support the event.
Attach any additional documents/resources about the project if you have any.
Code Adjacent Hackathon Overview
How did you hear about MGD’s Funding program?
Rika Goldberg - Consensys alumni telegram