Hackathons
“Flock” Hackathon
A 48-hour hackathon project to build a social event coordination app.
Project brief
Design an equitable, cooperative online platform for creators—an alternative to extractive models (Patreon-style)—grounded in feminist principles and 'care before code'.
The problem
- Layered fees and extractive economics disadvantage creators.
- Creators bring audiences yet lack governance power and upside.
- Equity, inclusion, and sustainability are often peripheral to product choices.
The approach
Team formation & setup
Community call → The Codehers; shared Slack; expert wall.
Discovery in a weekend
Business Model Canvas; rapid survey; light competitive scan; principles first.
Shaping the opportunity
Narrowed to a creator co-op with transparent governance and revenue.
Our question is: what could a cooperative, equitable online platform (like Patreon and let's call it Matreon for now) that will disrupt patriarchy, look and feel like?
— Moira Were
The concept — Flock (working name: "Matreon")
- Co-op ownership & governance with member voting and transparent policy hub
- Distributive revenue with clear fee split and member dividends
- Inclusive onboarding with safer community guidelines and identity options
- Supportive growth via spotlights and peer boosts, not just paywalls
- Ethical tech with privacy-respecting defaults and anti-harassment tools
Ethics & governance
Feminist principles; safe-workplace policies; diverse advisory board; income-distribution scenarios; sustainability and carbon considerations.
Outcomes
- Pitch deck and concept brand delivered; presented to judges and peers.
- Feedback: strong visual identity and values; requested deeper identity/distribution design.
- Clarified next-step questions on niche focus and early partners.
Reflection & next steps
- What worked: Principles-first framing; co-op model clarity; fast identity.
- Challenges: Sharpening target segment; robust policies; limited time for interviews.
- Next: Validate a niche creator group; prototype governance flows; test fee scenarios; pilot with local partners.
Interactive artefacts
Gallery
Slack announcement for the hackathon
Team photo of The Codehers
Event brief slide
Business Model Canvas in Miro
Slide outlining the feminist principles of the project
Early sketch of the onboarding flow
Brand exploration concepts in Figma
The Phone-a-Friend expert wall
Cover of the final pitch deck
Presenting the concept to judges
Interested in the process behind the concept?
Happy to walk through the Business Model Canvas, survey results, and final pitch deck.
Contact me