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.

Casual and Engaging Hackathon Ideas

Posted on

September 1, 2022

Organizing a hackathon can be rather tricky. One of the most difficult things about putting together your own hackathon is trying to find a way to make the event interesting and fruitful. Given this, we thought it would be useful to put together an article discussing possible hackathon ideas for your next event. If this is something that you want to learn more about, read on for four casual and engaging hackathon ideas.
‍

Create a Game with JavaScript

This is a web development project in which participants will use their JavaScript skills to create a game. There are many games available online that were built using HTML and JavaScript, which gives them a certain advantage when it comes to this project. Participants can create a game based on a simple snake where the player controls the snake and earns points by eating fruit, or they can create a full-blown advanced platforming game.
‍

Build a Chatbot

Among the best hackathon ideas for both beginners and experts in AI is a chatbot. This is a system that simulates a human conversation with a user through a text or text-to-speech conversation. Chatbots enhance the experience of using a website by answering users’ questions as humans would. To create a chatbot, you must be familiar with Python, AI, and NLP (Natural Language Processing). Your chatbot should be able to identify and respond to the message with which it is interacting.
‍

Create a Smart Assistant for Businesses

Smart assistants are some of the most popular IoT and AI-based solutions. These solutions help users perform small tasks such as ordering something online or doing a Google search. Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant are three of the most popular solutions to date. Considering how popular they are nowadays, it makes sense to integrate them into your hackathon. Participants can build upon current smart assistants to create a machine that can handle the day-to-day chores of an office. These assistants will be capable of finding documents and scheduling meetings.
‍

Build a Tool That Generates Weather Reports

In this project, participants will build a weather report tool, an application that generates and delivers weather reports for the user. It requires only a basic familiarity with web development and APIs, so they’ll probably be familiar with the prerequisites from general web-development knowledge. This project is a popular hackathon project, as it has a simple structure that’s easy to grasp, but a few real-world complications that give it some depth and added difficulty.

People participating in the hackathon will need to create a website and give users an interface they will want to use frequently. They will also need to program a weather API that takes in weather data, which the website on their servers will then display. Finally, the website will connect with the weather API, so that it receives and displays relevant information.
‍

Organizing Engaging Hackathons Don’t Have to Be Difficult

If you’re thinking about organizing or participating in a hackathon, we can surely help you out. Hackathon.com is the largest online hackathon community in the world. We’ve connected over 2000 hackathon organizers with our 10 million member innovators from all over the world. Want to host your own hackathon? Check out our Corporate Services page to get started!

You Might Also Like