4 Ways to Find a Team at a Hackathon
Finding a team at TechTogether hackathons can seem overwhelming and daunting — especially if you’re a shy and introverted person. While you have the ability to strictly attend the workshops at hackathons, read below for ways you can find teammates at the next hackathon.
1. Bring a Friend
One of the easiest ways to form a team at a hackathon is to join forces with the folks you already feel the most comfortable with: your friends! You’d be surprised to hear how many of your peers at school are interested in hackathons but are just like you: shy and nervous to form a team.
Trying something new with a friend, even if they don’t have any relevant experience, will equip you with the confidence you need to succeed. Every time you choose a new experience over fear, you build courage.
2. Reach Out to School Clubs
Don’t have a friend that wants to go with you, but still want to form a team before the hackathon? Check in with your schools’ clubs and ask your peers if they’d like to create a team with you.
Here’s a template you can use when reaching out to your schools’ clubs:
Hey there!
I hope this message finds you well! I’m reaching out because I wanted to know if anyone from this [Computer Science club] would like to form a team with me for this upcoming free hackathon that TechTogether is hosting. You don’t have to have any tech skills; however, you have to be from a marginalized gender.
Please let me know at your earliest convenience!
3. Reach Out to Hackers in the Discord
A couple of days prior to TechTogether hackathons, participants will be invited to join the Discord filled with various channels pertaining to multiple interests such as #LGBTQIA-Chat #BIPOC-Chat, to name a couple. The #team-formation channel in the Discord is specifically dedicated to folks interested in forming teams.
Check out the instructions below:
- Hackers will introduce themselves in this channel with the hopes of forming a team or finding teammates.
- They will share their interests, challenges they want to enter, and general information about themselves.
- To find teammates, reach out to folks that posted in this channel and ask if they want to work together.
Need help figuring out what to say when reaching out to a potential teammate? Below is a template to get you started.
Hey [Name]! I saw your post in #team-formation and I’m also attending my first hackathon this weekend. I’m a Bootcamp graduate interested in building a project. I’m open to working on any challenge or idea that my teams come up with. Would you be interested in working together? Happy to set up a call as well to see if it would be a good fit.
4. Join Team Formation Activities
In the event you’re still too shy to put yourself out there on the Discord chat, TechTogether typically hosts a workshop where folks looking for team members can connect with one another. The TechTogether team will take notes and suggest teams based on the information presented in the introductions.
Once you receive your team recommendation, TechTogether will put you in a break-out room with those folks. You’ll chat with them to see if it’s a good match. If it is, you break off and you’re all set! If it’s not, you rejoin the main room, and TechTogether resorts you into another team.
The most important thing to remember about team formation is that finding the “right” team can be hard, but TechTogether is here to help you. If the first team you form isn’t a good fit, don’t stay on that team because you feel like you have no other options.
It’s totally normal to be on several teams until you find the right fit for you. TechTogether has the policy, “No hackers left behind”. So, if you’re having trouble finding a team we will do everything we can to help you. Don’t be shy in asking an organizer for help, they spent months planning this event just for you — so they are invested in helping you succeed! This goes for other hackathons as well.
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