Startup Weekend • 54-hour MVP blueprint

Deposit+ PDX

Portland

Policy + Climate + Civic Tech

Make reuse easier than single-use.

A reusable-container return network demo that coordinates drop points, tracks container turns, and generates policy metrics for city and business partners.

Local fit: Strong civic engagement, sustainability culture, and active transportation; good fit for reuse/repair and community-driven planning tools.

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Core user stories

As a customer, I find the nearest return/drop location and see container types accepted.
As a restaurant, I track container check-outs and returns with a simple QR code scan stub.
As a program manager, I see turn rates and loss rates to tune deposit levels and placement.

Clickable demo scope (what you build)

Map of drop points + filter by container type.
Check-out / return flow using mocked QR codes.
Program dashboard: turns per container + weekly trend (seeded).

Team of four roles

Product & Policy Lead: Define container types, deposit logic, and program metrics (turn rate, loss rate); outline governance options for a cooperative.
UX / Frontend: Build drop-point map + QR scan stub + customer return flow; ensure it works on a phone in a café.
Backend / Data: Implement container inventory + check-out/return events; compute turns and losses; seed sample locations.
Partnerships / Story / Ops: Interview 1 café/restaurant + 1 reuse org; craft cost-savings story; deploy and pitch.

54-hour build plan

Hours 0–6: Pick one user segment; do 5–8 quick interviews; lock the “one workflow” MVP.
Hours 6–24: Build the clickable flow end-to-end with stubbed data; draft the policy narrative.
Hours 24–40: Add one policy-ready output (brief/dashboard/export); tighten UX; seed data for 2–3 neighborhoods.
Hours 40–54: Polish demo script; add analytics mock; finalize pitch + one-page handout.

What to show in the final demo

The “happy path” (one user completes the core task in under 2 minutes).
One policy-ready output (a brief, dashboard view, or export).
One local proof point (seeded neighborhoods / agencies / partner types relevant to Portland).

How it can earn revenue without becoming extractive

Revenue fit (values-aligned): sell a low-cost subscription to local governments/nonprofits, or charge implementation/support for pilots—avoid extractive fees on community participation.

Guardrails: publish scoring criteria, minimize data collection, and default to community ownership where possible (co-op/commons patterns).