Phishing for Good: the surprise, the victory, and the plan for future

W Hub is honored to partner with the U.S. Consulate General Hong Kong and Macau and Ocean Park to host the Fishackathon over Earth Day weekend April 22-24. We are happy to have the winning team Phishing for Good to share their thoughts with us.

Why joining Fishackathon?

“It feels great to be a part of the global hackathon culture. The flow of ideas and creativity participants demonstrate cannot just leave you untouched. It is simply amazing how all the resources are brought together, so that in two intense days your team is able to come up with a viable business plan. Every time it is an experience that adds something new to you: opens up your mind and helps you improve your skills. ” Don Dyu Kim, leader of the team, said.

As they dream of creating something great and making an impact to the world, they think Fishackathon is the great opportunity to test their mind in creating a way-out to solve some of the greatest challenges in the fishing industry.

Why Ghost Gear Problem?

“Every year 640000 tons of fishing gear are lost globally in the ocean waters, which results in $7.4 million annual losses through ghost fishing in Hong Kong.” he said.

Kim also pointed out that, as there is a huge annual loss through ghost fishing in Hong Kong, it is an opportunity for them to create a solution to this problem. Besides, this problem appeared to them with more room to play and apply their creativity, as others described the expected solution in a very detailed way.

The TEAM and the secret to success

The team shares the same interests in entrepreneurship and technology, Kim pointed out that as a team, they are familiar with each other’s strength and weaknesses, each member had unique talents to offer.

“I believe that our team was so efficient because we share the same values: for us entrepreneurship is the power that can help solve world’s biggest challenges. We had the same goal to create a meaningful solution to the ghost gear problem, and therefore everyone was willing to learn from each other.” Kim added.

When we asked them to share some tips on how to run the team effectively, Kim stressed being respectful and open-minded is very important for making correct choices.

Fishackathon: the surprise, the victory, and the plan for future

“We were most of all surprised with the lack of technology in the industry that is aimed to solve the described problems.” Kim expressed.

He said there are a lot of opportunities for entrepreneurs to step in.

While the team said it is amazing to earn an achievement that brings the team one step closer to their goal, Kim also pointed out the fact that their success carries meaning and has potential to truly help to clean the oceans from Ghost Gear.

Talking about the plan for the future, the team has received interest about their solution from the government, NGOs and corporation. Kim said the team is planning to take a step back, re-evaluate and refine the concept, before reaching out to interested parties.