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.

Ten Questions with Sanjay, Cloud Engineer and Hackathon Enthusiast

Posted on

August 24, 2021

At Hackathon.com we see a lot of repeat participants at hackathons and events continuously motivating people and bringing amazing ideas to the table. We wanted to give you a glimpse into the real people that attend hackathons, how they got involved and what they are looking forward to in the future.

First up: Sanjay, a Cloud Engineer and Big Data Specialist.
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1. What is your name? Tell us a little about yourself.

Hi! I'm Sanjay. I like making friends with people I meet and have joyful conversations. Love to build Software and am fascinated by the advances in technology and it's benefits for the people at large. My favourite hobbies are listening to music and Audiobooks. I recently read "The War of Art" by the author Steven Pressfield and "Mastery" by Greene and really enjoyed both of them.

2. Where are you from?

I'm currently residing in the city of Chennai in India

3. How long have you been attending hackathons? How did you get started?

I've been attending Hackathons from the sophomore years of my college. It all got started with the excitement to take part in a Hackathon and a curiosity to know the process of building an MVP of a product in a short time. I also recently took part in the BeMyApp Hackathons with Google Cloud Code and GiLead. I really loved the experience. The Organizing team from BeMyapp was very friendly. Kim and Patrick were very helpful, guided all the participants and shared resources for the hackathon. The Mentors were available to reach out and get clarifications regarding technical challenges and answered queries in an interesting way. The BMA platform was intuitive to present demos, share links and presentations with the Judges. Kudos to the BeMyApp Team for being an enabler of opportunities for developers.

4. What was your first hackathon?

My first Hackathon was back in 2017 during the 2nd year of my CS Engineering college days. It was conducted in CEG - Anna University - Tag Auditorium Organized by TechStars with Google. The concept was to start with an initial pitch on Friday evening, get people vote on each other's ideas, form a team and work on it over the weekend and present the demo on Sunday. Thanks for this wonderful question. It took me 4 years back down the memory lane and to relive some of it now :)

5. What is your typical role on a hackathon team?

My typical role on a Hackathon team is a Software developer and also contribute to the Business Model Canvas(BMC) sheet. My friends Suresh and Rishi help me with the Ideation and Design in the Hackathon team.

6. What kind of industries and use cases are you interested in building solutions for?

I'm interested in building on interesting use-cases in the challenges related to consumer, financial and healthcare industries. I've also had experience in Cloud Computing technology building CI/CD pipelines for DevOps workflows and managing clusters related to big data and analytics.

7. How do you use IBM Cloud in your everyday life?

I'm exploring IBM cloud with its awesome capabilities and the value proposition it brings to the Digital Transformation graph. I've been part of certain PoCs related to OpenShift.

8. What is your dream job?

My dream job is to reach a Leadership role in the Tech Industry someday in future. I've always been intrigued by Software and the way it makes people's life easier and better. I'm at the early stage of my career as a Software Engineer working with Cloud Technologies. With the blessings of almighty, on track to the dream job, that would enable to serve, have a good impact and give back to people and society.

9. What is some advice you would give to someone who wants to join a hackathon for the first time?

Just have fun. That's it. The pitch process, working in a team, understanding the dynamics of building tech, delivering the MVP and the final demo. All of it will give an unforgettable and valuable experience that can be cherished for a lifetime.

10. What are the next hackathons you are looking forward to?

I'm looking forward to the upcoming Hackathon with LiveStorm to build some cool plugins and experience the joy and happiness of it.

Have you connected with someone awesome at a hackathon and want to share their story? Drop us a line and tell us about them at hello@hackathon.com.

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