Hack the Travel

Recently, I have had quite a few people reach out to me regarding my crowd-funding campaigns (LA Hacks and YC Hacks) that I have used to get to my last two hackathons. Usually, hackers, concerned about travel expenses to a specific hackathon, ask me to share some of my strategies in successfully funding flights up to $850. This post aims to shed light on some of my go-to strategies regarding crowd-funding and provide guidance to hackers who are interested in giving it a shot.

A major expense for most hackathon organizers is travel reimbursement. The only thing worse than the allocation is the distribution. Usually, a hacker will only receive the funds well after the hackathon and only if they submit a hack during the competition. Thus, hackers are often forced to cover transportation and cross their fingers hoping that the funds show up in their bank accounts soon after the event. Flights are a very popular means of transportation but it is important to be mindful of the alternatives.

Generally, you should only start a crowdfunding campaign as an absolute last resort. Take some time to explore the multitude of travel options available based on your given situation. Major League Hacking (MLH) provides busses for a multitude of hackathons from various locations so reach out to them and see if there is one near you! Additionally, car-pooling and trains can be utilized to reduce costs. If you still need funds then you may consider crowdsourcing.

As a last resort, I started a Go Fund Me campaign from my girlfriend’s couch to attend LA Hacks in the Spring of 2014. I did not receive sufficient funding and even pulling strings didn’t get me anywhere near the $850 plane ticket from State College to Los Angeles. After launching the campaign, I messaged the organizers saying that I probably wouldn't be able to make the event despite the invitation. Much to my surprise, five hours later I had booked my flight to Los Angeles and was as giddy as a schoolgirl! For the next few weeks, I began to be referred to as “the guy who crowdsourced his way to LA Hacks.”

I saw this as a fluke and continued applying to hackathons with the hopes that I would never have to deal with funding issues again. And then, a few months later, I was accepted to Y-Combinator’s (YC) hackathon, YC Hacks!

At first, I was extremely excited but then I realized I was basically broke and YC wasn't offering any travel reimbursement. After exploring every last option, I turned, once again to crowdsourcing, this time using Tilt. I included some new sponsor prize ideas and set a modest goal of $600. With a better understanding of when people donated the most to a campaign, I was able to raise $610 in four days! At this point I knew I was onto something.

Now, you may ask, how can I do this?! It’s a simple three-step process. Start by understanding that hackathon goers are a community. Everyone wants to share the magic of hackathons with people, especially if that means getting you to a hackathon. Next, create a campaign with the goal of giving back. This is very important! If you simply ask for money, you are no better than a bum but if you offer something in return, you can be part of a community. Finally, thank your supporters and remember to pay it forward. Technically speaking, do the following:

1. Go to www.tilt.com and create an account, preferably by logging in with Facebook.
2. Click the “Create campaign” tab and select “Collect of Fundraise.”
3. Set the “minimum amount to tilt” and the “target amount.” Be sure to set “minimum amount to tilt” to $1 to ensure you get some money even if you don't reach your goal. The target amount should be your travel costs. Keep in mind, Tilt takes 2.5% of the money you raise so pick a target amount that includes this fee.
4. Select “Any amount is fine” and leave the next four bullet points empty.
5. Set an expiration date to approximately three weeks before your expected travel date to ensure that prices don't spike.
6. Create a captivating but simple “Title” for your campaign.
7. For the “Description,” you should introduce why you are crowd sourcing with about a paragraph and why this event is important to you. Following this paragraph, you should list multiple prizes for different amounts that people donate. Prizes may include teaching people to code, doing some basic freelance work, or something creative relating to your hack at the event. Remember, this is all about giving back!
8. Be sure to upload an image or a video to give your audience a visual representation of your campaign and so it stands out on social media.
9. Leave everything else as-is and hit “Create Campaign.”
10. Proceed to share this link on every single social media platform, in any groups you contribute heavily to, and especially with your family and friends! As you can see, my greatest contributors were relatives and friends. The most money is raised at the beginning and end of your campaign so be consistent with media posts and let people know if you are close! Encourage people to share your campaign if they can’t donate and definitely encourage those who donated to share. The more people that see your campaign, the better.
11. Finally, personally thank everyone that helped with your campaign even if you didn’t reach your target amount. They are all amazing people and they believe in you! Remember to pay it forward when you see a friend in need of a little help ☺

Once again, I recommend exploring all options prior to considering crowdsourcing as an option. Try getting the hackathon organizers to match the amount you raise so you don’t need to ask for too much. I wish you all the best of luck and I hope this post helped you in determining what option is best for your case. Never stop building.