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FAQ

What is Hack Club?​

Hack Club is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organisation that has set its mission to helping students learn how to code, engineer and take up stem as both a hobby and a career pathway. They do this through programs where they reward teens for making projects. Variant is just one of the many programs run by Hack Club.

What is Variant?​

Variant is a YSWS(you ship, we ship) program where you make a hardware project that has a weird gimmick to it, and we send you funding to make the project + a cool merch pack

How much funding can I get?​

The amount of funding you get is dependant on the project you make and the quality of it. Generally you can expect projects to be split across the following tiers:

Tier 1(5-15 hours): Macropads, CAD projects, Small PCBs - $50

Tier 2(15-50 hours): Keyboards, DIY Game Consoles, Dev Boards - $150

Tier 3(50+): 3D Printers, Custom Battlebots, Custom CNCs - $300

Please note that these tiers are guidelines. The hour counts and $ amounts are just recommendations and general averages. Spending more or less time on your project does not affect whether it is accepted.

Who can participate in Variant?​

Variant is free to all teens aged 13-18.

How do I know what tier my project is?​

If you are unsure on what your project would qualify as, Ask in the #variant channel on slack! Generally if you optimise your part costs well and polish your project then you will be able to qualify for the tier that gives you enough funding to make it.

Do I need to spend all the money in my project complexity tier?​

No! You can have a project that is really complex and costs $20 that goes into tier 3. The tiers are quality based and if you or a person reviewing your project believes your project deserves a different tier, you can change the tier!

Are group projects allowed?​

Yes groups are allowed! However:

  • Each person must individually journal what they did
  • You can only get one grant per project, not per person
  • You can only get one merch pack for the group

There is no cap on how many people can work on a single project however I advise against it for this ysws.

Can I submit an existing project?

Yes! You are perfectly fine to submit existing projects to this YSWS, however:

  • The project needs to have everything journalled from the start of you making it
  • The project cannot have been submitted to a different YSWS in the past.

Is $300 the max I can spend on my project?

No! You can spend any amount of money on your projects, however the more money you ask for, the higher the expected quality bar is for your project.

Can I buy my parts now and get reimbursed later?

This is complicated. I personally advise against getting a reimbursement because if your project gets rejected or the parts are deemed

I have other questions!​

Ask in the #variant channel on the Hack Club slack and someone can help answer!