Ask HN: Attending a hackathon weekend as a non-tech?
Would you attend a weekend hackathon or startup event etc as a non-technical person? What minimum level of skills and experience would avoid you being laughed out of the venue?
Would I look like a fool if I attended a startup weekend?
-- Steve Jobs
For people with a non startup background, who have never attended a hackathon, should they attend to learn new things, add a different perspective to a team, network?
What is the general experience like?
We're genuinely quite friendly people, us hackers - we should make you feel welcome :)
Have a beer or two with some of the guys and walk around to see what people are working on - most people will be more than happy to show you their hack!
For example, a startup weekend planning, project management, testing, design, marketing, pitching? I assume you don't just sit around looking over peoples shoulders for two days?
I've been to startup weekend and can say there is a good mix of people of all levels and backgrounds. When it comes to teams join one for the idea or for the people. That's about it.