It All Started with Questions
This time, I didn’t start with an idea. I started with questions.
Instead of hiding away and convincing myself that my idea was the “next big thing,” I focused on understanding the problem. I talked to everyone I met—friends, strangers, fellow hackers—about the challenges they faced in the crypto space.
This approach was different. In previous hackathons, I’d get attached to my idea too early, only to realize later that it wasn’t solving a real problem. This time, I wanted to get to the right question before building anything.
The Spark: A Conversation at EthGlobal
Six days before the submission deadline, I attended events like Pudgy Penguins and Abstract Chain during EthGlobal. That’s where I met some incredibly interesting people, including the founder of Router Protocol.
During a discussion, I mentioned I was looking to build something on top of AA-Kit (Account Abstraction). He said, “Imagine a marketplace where you could sell your wallet. Let’s say you die, and your parents have to deal with your crypto assets. If they’re not crypto-native, handling hundreds of assets across different chains would be a nightmare. What if there was a service that could simplify this for them?”
That idea stuck with me. I pitched it to 0xbeans, and while he laughed and said, “Good luck,” he also pointed out the technical challenges. “If they’re traders, they won’t want their funds sold for less. Plus, building this in a few days? Technically, it’s very hard.”
But that conversation led me to a two-year-old tweet from my friend Sahil, who’s a DevRel at Alchemy. He had asked, “What happens to your crypto assets when you die? No one knows your private key.”
That was it. That was the problem I wanted to solve.
Talking to Everyone: Refining the Idea
Over the next three days, I talked to everyone I could—people at the hacker house, attendees at Devcon, even random strangers. These conversations were both fun and sad (imagine discussing death and crypto with strangers at a hackathon!).
But by the end of it, I had a clear idea of what to build and, more importantly, what not to build.
One of the biggest lessons I learned was this: Products fail because they ship late, not because they’re incomplete. Focus on the core features and one north star metric. If there’s no north star, your product will never appeal to anyone.
This was a concept I’d heard many times in the indie hacker community, but it truly hit home during this hackathon.
What We Built
We built “Willi”—a solution to the problem of crypto inheritance. It’s a decentralized protocol that allows users to securely designate beneficiaries for their crypto assets. If something happens to the user, the designated beneficiaries can claim the assets without needing access to private keys. For more information, visit Willi.
The key features were:
- Secure Designation: Users can designate beneficiaries without exposing their private keys.
- Multi-Chain Support: Works across multiple blockchains.
- Simplicity: Easy for non-crypto-native users to understand and use.
We focused on the core functionality and avoided over-engineering. This clarity and focus were crucial to our success.
What I Did Differently
- Started with Questions, Not Answers: Instead of jumping into building, I spent time understanding the problem.
- Talked to Everyone: I gathered feedback early and often, refining the idea based on real input.
- Focused on the Core: I avoided feature creep and stuck to the north star metric.
- Embraced Constraints: Instead of seeing the 36-hour deadline as a limitation, I used it to prioritize ruthlessly.
The Win
At the end of it all, we won. And not just won—we won big.
Here’s the Who Docs series by Alchemy that showcases our project:
Alchemy’s Tweet About Who Docs
What I Learned
- Ideas Are Cheap, Execution Is Everything: A great idea means nothing if you can’t execute it well.
- Feedback Is Gold: Talking to people early saves you from building the wrong thing.
- Focus Wins: A simple, well-executed product is better than a complex, half-baked one.
- Hackathons Are About Learning: Winning is great, but the real prize is the experience and the lessons you take away.
Final Thoughts
This hackathon was a turning point for me. It taught me that success isn’t about having the best idea—it’s about asking the right questions, listening to feedback, and executing with focus.
If you’re struggling with hackathons or any creative endeavor, remember: Start with questions, talk to people, and focus on the core. The rest will follow.