There are certain things you need to consider when you want to create an efficient framework for your hackathon. But it all starts with redefining what your goals are for the event. To do this, you need to answer three key questions:
- In your company, what does innovation look like?
- Aside from hackathons, how are you able to encourage citizen development?
- What types of governance and organizational systems will support a no-code program?
Once you have answered these questions, you can now determine the intention of the no-code hackathon. But for this program to become successful, you need to take a few more steps in order to properly plan and hold your event.
So in order to help you organize your hackathon based on your company's specific needs, here are four essential steps for a successful no-code hackathon.
#1 Determine Your Objectives
Just like any other event, an event such as a no-code hackathon wouldn’t become successful if you only do it because you just need to do it. Your program needs to have a purpose, intentions, and clear goals. Especially now more than ever that most employees may have been experiencing digital fatigue that blinds them from accepting new technical solutions and innovations. So to get their attention and inspire them to join your hackathon, you need to determine your objectives.
To do this, you can align your company’s goals with what your citizen developers can do. For instance, you can identify manual tasks that can offer potential long-tail solutions or become fully automated. Whatever the approach may be, no-code hackathons most likely focus on using cases and considering functionality.
#2 Create Executive Support
No-code hackathons become more successful when company leaders lead and advocate the program for their employees. Because usually, when employees use digital platforms and tools for the first time without any knowledge about them and without knowing the benefits and intentions, then they may not use these tools and platforms. But if the executive leaders support the whole cause and are able to lead and navigate the workforce by using the new technology, then the employees will be able to understand how and why they need to use it.
#3 Expect the Participant’s Needs
The fundamentals of application development are the same for both citizen developers and professionals. No-code applications will require less technical knowledge and background but will need the necessary training coming from the hackathon and activities outside of it.
Now, to have a successful no-code hackathon, you need to be able to anticipate the participant’s needs, so you can provide the necessary training tailored to what they need.
You can gather outside experts, internal experts, or use self-learning modules or a combination of the three to guide non-technical individuals during the no-code hackathon.
#4 Secure the Final No-Code Hackathon Ingredients
There are three primary ingredients for a successful no-code hackathon that you shouldn’t miss.
- Build Awareness - Proper planning and promoting your no-code hackathon should be timely and effective to ensure that your employees, leaders, and organizers are aware of the program.
- Stimulate Participation - Hackathon will greatly depend on how many will take part, so you can decide if participants will be a team or just individuals. So, make sure that your company will stir up the workforce to participate in the event.
- Make It Fun - Providing awards, incentives, or rewards can step up the game on your no-code hackathon. In this way, you gamified the event, making it more interesting and fun for the participants.
Make Your No-Code Hackathon Successful
A no-code hackathon, just like any other event, will not become successful if your objectives are not clear. In the same way, you need to implement the four essential steps so your program can help your employees bring out great ideas and create innovations.
Hackathon.com can connect you to over 2000 hackathon organizers around the world so your company can become more technologically advanced. If you’re ready to host company hackathons and take the next step in integrating new tech solutions into your business, contact us right away so you can get started.
If you’re ready to join your first hackathon and don’t know where to start, Hackathon.com has tons of event listings online and in-person to suit your needs - including a no code/low code hackathon you can register for RIGHT NOW!
