Q & A

Can I participate if I don’t have an idea?

You don’t need to bring an idea. You can join teams of people who have ideas. Who knows, you might get inspired at the keynote panel and have an idea!

Do I need to have a team beforehand?

No! We will have a team-building session on Friday after the keynote panel.

Can I start working before the start date?

No, participants are not allowed to work on their projects before the team formation activity, which follows the keynote panel on Friday. This is stated in our Rules. Teams or individuals will be disqualified if they violate this rule.

You may think up a product idea after the themes are revealed, but you can’t start working to develop that idea until after the team formation activity.

Should I/we pull all-nighters?

Definitely not! The main purpose of the event is to learn and practice skills applicable to solving real-world problems, collaborate with other Grinnellians, and have fun developing the team’s idea. Self-care is important, and you won’t be productive if you are exhausted and not fully present.

What should I bring?

Laptop and power cord.
Camera for photos/video.
Lots of creative energy!
And whatever else you need to get into a productive mindset.

How does judging work?

On the final day, teams will demo their prototype to a panel of judges. Judges will score teams on how well they demonstrate how the product would work, how well the product would work for the intended purpose, the social innovation impact of the product, how innovative the solution is, and how well it fits the selected theme. See Rules for a list of the judging criteria.