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Comment by jnbiche | Hacker News Reader

So it costs $99 to participate in this? Let me get this straight -- I pay Salesforce $99 for the privilege of developing mobile software for them, using their API, in return for a (very small) change of winning a big prize?

Yeah, I'll stick to developing for those companies who don't charge developers for this kind of free exposure and software (for Salesforce).

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This hackathon is part of Dreamforce (http://www.salesforce.com/dreamforce/DF13/), Salesforce's big annual user / partner conference. Dreamforce normally costs $1199 to attend, but that was way to big of a cost barrier for a hackathon, so they created a $99 pass that doesn't include sessions or the concert, but does provide access to the developer area (all of Moscone West) and keynotes (Sheryl Sandberg is a headliner).

I'd ask yourself not if $99 is worth it for the hackathon, but if it is worth it to attend Dreamforce as a developer. I have found it to be a useful view into the world of enterprise software-as-a-service, both in what solutions are and are not available, but also in the way they are marketed to businesses. You might even get an idea for your next startup...

And if $99 is too expensive, there is also a free pass that provides access to the keynotes and expo floor only. But not the developer area where the hackathon is located.

Full disclosure: I work for Heroku, a Salesforce company

Dreamforce is typically free for most attendees. They even advertise it as free: https://www.dropbox.com/s/pr1q10lp58j4kfu/2013-10-25%2009.26...

Each entrant presents an additional administrative cost. You need to be able to judge all aspects of the application, in addition to the location costs, support costs, etc.

When offering a prize of this magnitude, you need a way to filter entrants such that you don't have a trillion apps to judge, and ensure that those that are entered have a reasonably accurate view of their relative competence. $99, while offensive to you, will probably do the trick.

This answer makes the most sense.

And if you're a corporate developer these days, $99 is really not very much money at all.

It sounds something like those "design contests" -- with an entry fee -- sponsored by companies who would otherwise select and hire a designer or design firm. The company is actually buying a vast pool of ideas, only one of which they have to "buy" -- usually for substantially less than what a real engagement would cost. But in this case, the $1M prize is big enough to add a lottery-like element.

You're spot on. Paying to participate is ridiculous. It also works against Salesforce by creating a barrier to entry for people who are on the fence about participating.

If you don't want to spend $99. Don't. Someone is going to, and for spending that $99. They are going to win a million. Many people spend more than $99 to win nothing. Many people spend more than that buying the latest mac book air, registering on the apple store, buying IDEs and libraries to develop their app and they end up making $500 when all is said and done. What's your point? It take's money to make money.

Even though I disagree with the $99, I agree with you on this one: It takes money to make money.

I've developed some great mobile apps, but I'm not as proficient as someone that has done it every day for the past 5+ years...

$99 is going to be weed out a lot of people that just don't feel they have the talent in mobile web development to actually have a shot at the $1M (or even the second or third place spot).

$99 is the price of the lottery ticket. If you have an amazing idea and want to show it off at this event, you can do so, and still have a chance to win $1M.

People like to complain too much.

This is the backwards version of contract-to-hire.

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