FAQ

General Questions

What’s the goal of a Six Hour Startup?

We want everyone who participates to have a good time, meet someone new, and learn something new. If we can do all that and meet scope, that’s the ideal.

I’m not a programmer. Can I still come?

Absolutely! Every project needs writers, user experience designers, graphic designers, and marketers. You can work on any aspect of a project even if you have zero experience in that area - frequently the best results come from the .NET developer who tries his hand at writing web copy, or from the marketer who’s never done any marketing before.

I don’t think I’m a very good programmer, or I’m not very experienced in the language chosen for the next event. Can I still come?

Yes! It’s actually fairly common for the resulting web app to be written mainly by people with little experience writing in that language, with the help of more experienced programmers looking over their shoulders.

What if we don’t finish in six hours?

You don’t get any cake. (Kidding. The cake was a lie.) Nothing happens if you don’t finish. Our goal is for everyone to have a good time and experiment with something new. Finishing on time feels great, but it’s just icing on the cake.

Project Lead Questions

How many Six Hour Startups do I need to attend before I can lead one?

None, although it will help a lot if you’ve been to at least one.

How do I know if my scope is too large?

Explain your scope to at least two developers who are very experienced in your chosen platform. If they think they could reasonably do it alone in a single weekend, your scope is (probably) okay.

Where can I find a tech lead to ply with beer?

The Six Hour Startup mailing list is a good start. You could also try dropping by Saturday House or attending any Seattle tech event. If that’s too much social interaction for you, try strategically positioning yourself by the door of a neighborhood bar or coffee shop and pretend to read an O’Reilly book. If anyone gives the cover a lingering look, you’ve found a dev!

Where should the event be hosted?

Anywhere that can comfortably fit up to 30 people that has power outlets, a restroom, and wireless Internet access. Food and beer are optional, but surveys show that 9 out of every 10 past participants prefer them to be in close proximity. Collins Pub has been a consistently fabulous location (if we bring our own Internet).