hackathon-problem-space

Goal

Map the problem domain for a hackathon project by identifying target users, core pain points, existing solutions, and whitespace opportunities.

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Trigger Conditions

Use this skill when:

• A hackathon track has been analyzed and track_summary is available
• The team needs to identify who the target user is before generating ideas
• The problem domain is broad and must be narrowed before ideation
• Existing solutions must be surveyed to identify gaps worth exploiting
• Invoked immediately after hackathon-track-analyzer completes

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Inputs

Input	Type	Required	Description
track_summary	string	Yes	Output from hackathon-track-analyzer or manual description
domain	string	Yes	Broad domain area (e.g., healthcare, fintech, education)
target_user_hint	string	No	Initial hypothesis about target user segment
constraints	string[]	No	Known technical or sponsor constraints

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Outputs

Output	Description
user_segments	Identified user groups with brief profiles
pain_points	Ranked list of pain points per user segment
existing_solutions	Known tools or approaches currently addressing the problem
solution_gaps	Gaps in existing solutions that represent opportunity
problem_statement	One-sentence problem statement (how-might-we format)
market_signals	Evidence that this problem is real and worth solving
recommended_skills	Suggested next skills to invoke

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Rules

1. Identify at least 2 distinct user segments.
2. Rank pain points from most to least severe for each segment.
3. List at least 3 existing solutions with their key limitations.
4. Derive solution gaps from the delta between pain points and existing solution limitations.
5. Write the problem statement as: "How might we [action] for [user] so that [outcome]?"
6. Do not invent market signals; clearly mark inferred signals as [INFERRED].

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Output Format

user_segments:
  - segment: "<name>"
    profile: "<brief description>"

pain_points:
  - segment: "<name>"
    pains:
      - severity: "<high|medium|low>"
        description: "<pain>"

existing_solutions:
  - name: "<solution>"
    limitation: "<key gap>"

solution_gaps:
  - "<gap description>"

problem_statement: "<How might we ...>"

market_signals:
  - source: "<real|[INFERRED]>"
    signal: "<description>"

recommended_skills:
  - "<skill-name>"

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Example

Input:

track_summary: "Use AI to improve mental health outcomes for young adults."
domain: "mental health / digital health"
target_user_hint: "college students experiencing anxiety"
constraints:
  - "Must use OpenAI GPT-4 API"

Output:

user_segments:
  - segment: "College students"
    profile: "Ages 18–22, high stress, low access to campus counseling"
  - segment: "Young professionals"
    profile: "Ages 23–30, work-related burnout, too busy for scheduled therapy"

pain_points:
  - segment: "College students"
    pains:
      - severity: "high"
        description: "2–6 week wait times for campus counseling appointments"
      - severity: "high"
        description: "Stigma prevents help-seeking behavior"

existing_solutions:
  - name: "Woebot"
    limitation: "Rigid scripted responses; no memory across sessions"
  - name: "BetterHelp"
    limitation: "Expensive ($60–$100/week); not accessible to students"
  - name: "Headspace"
    limitation: "Meditation only; does not address acute anxiety episodes"

solution_gaps:
  - "No affordable, always-available, context-aware emotional support for acute moments"
  - "No peer-community facilitation layer between self-help and professional care"

problem_statement: "How might we provide always-available emotional support for college students so that they can manage anxiety between professional appointments?"

market_signals:
  - source: "real"
    signal: "40% of US college students reported anxiety as top mental health concern (ACHA 2023)"
  - source: "[INFERRED]"
    signal: "Rising demand for async, text-based support given phone anxiety in Gen Z"

recommended_skills:
  - "hackathon-idea-generator"

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Context Files

Knowledge Base

• knowledge/hackathon-judging-criteria.md
• knowledge/hackathon-winning-patterns.md
• knowledge/hackathon-mvp-strategy.md
• knowledge/hackathon-common-failures.md

Playbooks

• playbooks/hackathon-workflow.md