Cooperathon FAQ
PRE-COOPERATHON
How do I know if I am in the right track?
If your problem is focused on a financial issue or has a strong financial component, then you are in the right track (Finance).
What if I can’t find a team before it starts?
You will be able to see the challenges posted on sparkboard and can start getting ideas of who is working on what.
You will be asked to join or should be already on slack. You can reach out to people there and either share your idea or your skill sets.
This is a great time to network – launch – make sure you meet as many people as possible.
If by day 1 (Saturday October 5th) you don’t have a team, dont worry. e will help you find one!
How will communication happen throughout the Cooperathon?
Through Slack (Cooperathon – International). It is very important you are part of this slack work group. After that, please make sure you join the channel “Finance-Canada”.
Emails will also be sent on a weekly basis to let you know what is coming up.
What should I know before Sprint 1?
If you have an idea, then make sure that it is posted on sparkboard.
Make sure you join all the slack channels mentioned above.
Make sure you have signed up on eventbrite for the Saturday session. And please do so for all consequent sessions
How many people can be in my team?
You have to have a minimum of 2 people and a maximum of 8 people in your team to be able to pitch in the Semi-Finals. Please note we highly recommend that you are no more than 5 people.
Is there any criteria for who can be on my team?
Anyone can participate in the Cooperathon. We, however, highly recommend you have diversity in your teams (skills, experiences, etc.) to develop the best solution possible.
DURING COOPERATHON
What if I can’t make every session?
It is understandable. In this case, we recommend that at least one person from you team attends the session. . We also recommend that once a week your whole team attends the session.
What if we can’t find the right people for the team?
You can always bring people in throughout the process. Once people start working together they may change their teams. But we suggest that you have your team and role locked-in at the earliest possible, so that you can focus all time an energy on building the product.
What if I’m not sure of my idea?
The purpose of the Cooperathon is to validate – your idea doesn’t need to be final – unless you have already tested it with potential customers.
What if I’m not sure how to build my idea?
This is the purpose of the Cooperathon Sessions have been purposefully designed to help you with the process of ideation and building a product that has strong market demand.
How many people can pitch the idea in the Semi-Finals?
1-2 people should pitch in the finals on behalf of the whole team. If you have more than one person pitching, then make sure that you practise well as your time on the stage is limited.
How do I know if my idea is too advanced?
The Cooperathon is designed for early stage startups to pre-ideation stage. As long as you fall in this bracket you can participate. Early stage means that you haven’t started making more than $1million in revenue.
What does a Sprint mean?
A Sprint is representative of a week topic. There are 4 sprints throughout the Cooperathon. Each Sprint starts on a Saturday and ends on a Friday.
What are the of the times of the sessions?
Saturday’s: 8:30am-3pm
Tuesday’s: 5:30pm-7:30pm
Wednesday’s: 5:30pm-7:30pm
Where do the sessions take place?
Saturday’s & Tuesday’s – Palais de Congres
Wednesday’s – District 3
What if I only speak French or English?
The Cooperathon is a bilingual program, all languages will be accomodated. You can pitch your solution in any language.
