What is the purpose of a hackathon?

Hackathons are not single-purpose events, but rather multifaceted opportunities for both the host organization(s) and participants to achieve a diverse set of objectives. Some of the most common applications for the host(s) include; discovering business solutions, accelerated product/service launch, staff training and engagement, canvassing for new talent, and improved developer relations.

What happens during a hackathon?

A hackathon is a versatile competition that brings together creative thinkers to solve various problems in a predetermined (typically short) amount of time. There is a wide variety of hackathon event structures but the typical framework is as follows; 1. The event challenges, objectives, rules, parameters and timelines are clearly defined by the host organization(s), 2. Members from ideal/target demographics are invited and encouraged to participate, 3. Participants form teams of 4-6 people, 4. Teams work to find creative solutions to the challenge and build a prototype of their concept, 5. Once complete teams demonstrate their product to a panel of expert judges, 6. Winners are announced and prizes awarded, the organizer announces the winning team

Why is it called a hackathon?

The term “hackathon” is an amalgamation (more formally known as a portmanteau) of the words “hacker” and “marathon”. A “hacker” generally refers to computer programmers, designers, innovators, and other domain experts. The marathon component is derived from the short time frame in which most hackathons are structured. Challenges typically push participants to work for extended hours without sleep in order to complete their prototype. The term hackathon was first coined in Calgary, Canada, on June 4, 1999 for the OpenBSD Hackathon. Check out our article What is a Hackathon?

How long is a hackathon?

Typically hackathons run for 24-48 hours depending on the expected outcome, however some extend beyond this typical frame if more extensive prototyping is needed.

How do I prepare for my first hackathon?

1. Study and explore previous hackathons by the host organization and winning solutions. These insights will help you to anticipate the types of challenges you’ll face, 2. Determine where to find the resources you will need during the hackathon, 3. Learn how to effectively work in teams, by attributing the right task to the individual with the correct skillset, 4. Explore and research the host organization’s industry

Are hackathons worth it?

Hackathons offer added value to both organizers and attendees. They are a great option when looking to find and assess business solutions, work with startups, train your staff, build a talent pool or launch a new product/service. As an attendee it’s a chance to network with others in similar fields, bring your ideas to life, learn new skills, or push outside your comfort zone and improve your skills.

Who can take part in Hackathon?

Each hackathon is unique and may or may not have specific prerequisites. Some events are open to anyone interested, while others may be specific to students, those with particular certifications or credentials, for example. It’s best to explore the guidelines before registering.

5 Simple Questions to Ask Yourself Before Hosting a Hackathon

Posted on

September 1, 2022

Successful companies and communities plan and hold hackathons to solve consumer needs quickly. In this frantic environment, it’s important for organizers to ensure that hackathons fulfill their core purpose.

When you know what you’re aiming for, you can develop a plan that includes the goals of each team in the competition, a timeline for the competition, and ways to structure the judging process.

Also, think of ways to keep participants motivated to work hard and respect their time—perhaps by offering them food and refreshments or by setting a time limit per team or per round.
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1) Why Are You Organizing This Hackathon?

Hackathons can bring together a lot of different people, each of whom can add their own qualities of creativity, intelligence, or technical skills to solve a problem. You need to decide on the problem you want to solve and identify the type of people you’re looking for.

For example, a hardware hackathon would attract designers, hardware engineers, software engineers, and manufacturing experts. If you’re looking for a new way to improve your website, you’d want designers, engineers, and developers.

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2) How Will You Entice People to Join?

One reason people don’t participate in hackathons is that they aren’t convinced that they’ll be able to make something that works. A successful hackathon will attract people who can create amazing stuff in a limited amount of time. The best way to attract them is to offer interesting problems to solve and some incentives.

This may be things like prizes or company swag, or you may offer a chance to meet new people who are working in the same industry.

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3) How Will You Make Participation Smoother?

A hackathon is a marathon, not a sprint, and so there’s bound to be some attrition. The more time teams receive for an idea, the better the results will be in the end.

It’s important that your hackathon not be set up like a race. You want to give participants the freedom to create and make mistakes so they’ll learn from them.

Make sure you have a clear idea of how long everyone has to work on their ideas, how many teams will be involved, and how many ideas each team will need to come up with to make the competition fair.

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4) Will You Get a Sponsor?

Depending on the type of hackathon, you may be able to get help from sponsors. If you’re planning to offer cash prizes, you may find a sponsor to pay for the winners.

Another benefit of getting sponsors is that they’re likely to have some of their own developers work on their idea if you offer an opportunity to work with their engineers.

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5) Will You Offer a Prize?

If you’re offering a cash prize, you might also want to consider other strategies to give participants a sense of achievement. You could provide a gift card to a restaurant or a discount code to a marketplace.

You could even give them a Hackathon Award Certificate, which will encourage them to keep working even after the hackathon is over.

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Host a Hackathon Event

If you want to gain a competitive advantage in your industry, the first thing you can do is win a hackathon. The most important thing is to set your goals, define your strategy and perform a thorough market analysis before you do anything else.

Hosting hackathons is one way to grow your tech business. Hackathon.com will help you organize activities for hackathons so that you can connect like-minded people and cultivate creativity among aspiring data scientists and developers. Contact us today to get started on YOUR hackathon event!

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