Contributor: Mike Lee, Co-Founder of EdShelf

Do you have a great idea and want to attract a team of developers at an upcoming Startup Weekend EDU? I’ve been to several of these events and have seen companies form out of them. I’ve also seen a lot of great ideas get passed over. Those ideas could have attracted developers, but they didn’t set themselves up well.

If you don’t want to be passed over by developers, here is how you can attract them:

• Break your idea down into something doable in a weekend – Startup Weekend events are only a couple of days (and nights). Developers go to these events looking for something fun and meaningful, yet doable in that weekend. I’m sure your idea is fun and meaningful, so make sure your project is doable in this timeframe too.If you aren’t sure how to break it down, seek advice from a developer before you do this event. A good developer ought to be able to tell you how to do this. To start, ask your own social network for a developer, or seek one out via Twitter, blogs, LinkedIn, etc. It’s possible a developer from an edtech company may be willing to offer you this advice. Then make sure you tell them you only need this info; asking for anything else may deter an already-busy developer from replying.
• Be a project manager for your team – If you’re one of the lucky ones to get chosen, it’s up to you to be the project manager and keep everyone in order. I’ve seen developers enthusiastically join a team, only to leave because they felt the team was too disorganized.This will require even more homework on your part. Read books and blogs about project management, especially technical project management. You only need an overview, since it will be difficult to absorb this entire discipline without years of experience. To make it easier, think of it as organizing a group project for your class.

The first tip is really key. Do that, and you’ll be far ahead of many others who are pitching their ideas at Startup Weekend EDU.

Good luck!