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Hacker Houses

Hacker Houses are intense, short residencies where teams live and build together for a few days. They are training camps for the global hackathons and grant programmes that follow.

Unlike conferences, Hacker Houses are optimised for shipping, not for talks.

Goals

  • Help teams ship Flare-native products, integrations, or experiments.
  • Prepare local builders to compete in global hackathons and accelerators.
  • Create deep social bonds that sustain hubs beyond a single event.

Typical format

  • Duration — usually 5–7 days.
  • Venue — a co-working space or large rental house with:
    • Reliable, fast internet.
    • Ample power and seating.
    • Quiet corners for focus and calls.
    • Simple food and coffee setups.

Sample daily structure

  • Morning — short workshops or office hours (Flare basics, FTSO, data connectors, AI x Flare).
  • Afternoon — uninterrupted building time for teams.
  • Evening — demos, feedback rounds, and informal socials.
  • Final day — a focused demo day with clear judging criteria.

Budget guidelines

Most of the budget goes into supporting builders on-site:

  • Food & drinks — often ~50% of total cost.
  • Venue & equipment — space, chairs, monitors, extension cables, recording.
  • Travel stipends — where possible, prioritised for high-commitment teams.
  • Recording & content — capturing talks and demos for later reuse.

Sponsoring partners (exchanges, infra providers, tooling vendors) can co-fund in exchange for dedicated workshop or mentorship slots.

Roles

  • Host / City lead — coordinates logistics, owns the schedule, and keeps builders unblocked.
  • Mentors — experienced contributors and stewards available for deep dives.
  • Ops support — manages registration, check-ins, and basic support.
  • Sponsors — provide funding, infra credits, and sometimes speakers.

How to host a Hacker House

  1. Align on outcomes
    • What should ship by the end (e.g. FTSO integrations, new dApps, tooling)?
    • How will you measure success (projects submitted, Community GDP, follow-on grants)?
  2. Draft the proposal
    • Use the event proposal flow from Community Calls & Events.
    • Include venue options, budget, target attendee profile, and timelines.
  3. Confirm funding and sponsors
    • Coordinate with programme ops and potential sponsors.
    • Lock in budgets and any sponsor commitments early.
  4. Recruit teams
    • Prioritise builders with existing proof-of-work or clear project ideas.
    • Encourage cross-functional teams (dev, design, content, growth).
  5. Run the event
    • Keep workshops short and focused.
    • Protect large blocks of uninterrupted build time.
    • Hold daily standups and end-of-day demos.
  6. Publish the retro
    • Document what shipped, who attended, and how much funding was deployed.
    • Highlight projects that qualify for Instagrants or Fast Track.

Metrics that matter

For Hacker Houses, optimise for output, not headcount:

  • Number of projects shipped or upgraded.
  • Community GDP generated during or soon after the event.
  • Teams that go on to win grants, hackathons, or raise capital.

These outcomes should feed dashboards and regional reports.

Disclaimers

  • Event formats and budgets may vary by region and regulatory environment.
  • Participation does not guarantee funding, employment, or visa support.
  • Always follow local laws and venue rules when hosting IRL events.

Next steps

  • City leads: propose a Hacker House once you have a core group of active builders.
  • Mentors and stewards: offer specific tracks (e.g. infra, UX, go-to-market) and publish your materials afterwards.
  • Sponsors: reach out via the sponsor contact listed in the programme hub if you want to back a regional Hacker House.