Believe it or not, hackathons are not very popular or commonly heard of in business schools, but they are always a buzz in Engineering schools offering a Computer Science program. A hackathon is a hacking marathon, in simple words. It is a sprint-like event wherein teams of two to six people work intensely to design, develop, and ship a project in a short period, typically 24 to 48 hours.
Universities and companies are also beginning to use hackathon-like events to promote their technologies, encourage their employees, and generate ideas for their R&D departments from the community. Initiatives that have aimed to connect the gap between entrepreneurs and investors prove the value that hackathon programs offer.
While hackathons began on software development, it has expanded to other fields. Now, people of different backgrounds and fields can benefit from attending these events. If you are a business student, here are a few benefits you can get from a hackathon:
- Team Management
During a hackathon, there is real management of real teams. Participants will work with people with different backgrounds, beliefs, and personalities. They won’t always be like the buddies you have in Business School, so you need to keep an open mind. In most hackathons, you can’t choose the team you are in, which is the first challenge. However, it is an opportunity to exercise your management and leadership skills.
- Learning to Code
If you are beginning or want a path in management, you’ll likely be managing programmers in the future. Even if your employer is not selling technology, it will use it. When you have basic programming skills and prototyping skills, you’ll better understand how things are made. Then, you can effectively communicate your ideas and use tools effectively. There’s no more perfect place to learn to code than in a hackathon!
- Diversity
In a hackathon, different people put their heads together to come up with excellent ideas. The creative capacity of a team is better than what an individual can come up with. It also helps that there are different perspectives, experiences, skills, backgrounds, and ambitions.
- Out of Your Comfort Zone
If you are a business major, then there is a high chance that you’ll become an entrepreneur or a manager soon. That means you have to take risks and leap into the unknown, even if it’s uncertain. If you want to train those skills, hackathons offer an excellent and challenging environment where you are thrown into new projects. It’s also a way for you to get out of your comfort zone and do something you haven’t done before.
A hackathon is simply a short, 24 to 48-hour version of entrepreneurial life. Here, you’ll be thrown into the unknown and test your skills according to what you can do under pressure. It’s a good exercise of your habits, dedication, skills, and commitment to get the job done!
Hackathon.com is the biggest online hackathon community globally, connecting more than 2000 hackathon organizers with our 10 million member innovators. We organize hackathon activities and competitions for data science, web developers, and more. Whether it’s an external, internal, or online hackathon, we’ve got you covered!
