Tips for Submitting a Hacks with Friends Pitch

Tips for Submitting a Pitch

Anyone in the U-M community can pitch an idea for a Hacks with Friends project. IT professionals can partner with U‑M faculty or staff to formulate a pitch for a project to attempt to find an IT solution to a problem they are facing in their unit or department. You do not have to pitch an idea to participate and attend Hacks with Friends. Participants will have the opportunity to review the pitches for hacks and join a hack team when registration opens the week of October 14, 2024.

IMPORTANT: If you submit a pitch proposal, you are committing yourself to lead the hack team (virtually or in person) that will work on your proposed idea at the HWF event on November 14 and 15.

What to include in your pitch proposal

  • Name your pitch

  • Describe your pitch. Briefly describe your idea in 150-200 words or less. What inspired it? Describe the goal or objective. This description will be published on the Hacks with Friends website with all other approved pitch submissions.

  • Pitch Track: Select the track your pitch fits into.
    • Gen AI Track: Unlocking the Power of Artificial Intelligence
      Designed for pitches that delve into the transformative potential of generative AI. Pitch projects in this category would foster collaborative learning and growth to create groundbreaking AI solutions that have positive ramifications on higher education at U-M. (Ensure you have the basics of AI for your pitch. Refer to the ITS AI Services Support page for learning resources.)
    • Technology Track: Revitalize Traditional Hacks and Bring Ideas to Life
      This is the “classic” hacking track! Pitches in this track tackle those back-burner projects that have the potential to make a significant impact at U-M. You might want to refine an existing tool or develop a new solution by focusing on those creative ideas that often get sidelined.
    • Human-Based (Non-Code) Track: Empowering People, Enhancing Processes
      The “human-based” track is designed for pitches that would look to enhance non-technical aspects of the IT environment, such as leadership, professional development, change management, mentoring, or diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. These pitches would encourage participants to come together and address common challenges, develop new processes, and innovate business practices, using the collaborative HWF environment to draw together people who want to drive meaningful change and improve the overall IT ecosystem.
  • Sell it with a video Create a short video about your pitch that is under 3 minutes in length. The more creative the better. Use it to sell your idea and recruit people to join your team. Be sure to state the problem your project will try to solve. Use your phone or a private Zoom meeting to record and provide a link to your video. Videos can be shared on Youtube, Dropbox or Google Drive. There is a place for you to provide a link to your video on the pitch submission form.

  • Attract talent. You will be asked to identify the skills and talent you think you'll need to complete the project. Remember your team will benefit from non-technical team members, too! Project managers, documentation specialists and business analysts bring a lot to the success of a project. Will your project benefit from a designer, business analyst, or project manager? What about someone who is great at documentation or someone who excels in thinking about process? With the right people on your team, you'll have an easier time getting to a working prototype! Review the list of possible positions you may want to consider for your team.

  • Technical Resources: Reach out to the HWF planning committee for help rounding up the technical resources you may need to have available for your team to start the hack process. Available resources: GitHub, Container Upgrade, Augmented Reality, MiDatabase, MiServer, MiDesktop, MiStorage, Adobe Creative Cloud, Microsoft Azure, Office 365, and GitLab

  • Have fun!

Submit a Pitch

Submit your pitch for the 2024 Hacks with Friends. Pitch submissions for the event will be accepted through the end of the day, Friday, September 27.