What is a hackathon?

What exactly is a hackathon?

The term "hackathon" blends "hacker," an expert in programming and problem-solving, with "marathon," symbolising endurance and effort. Coined by OpenBSD, the first hackathon took place in 1999 in Calgary, Canada.

Despite the name, a hackathon isn’t about “hacking” in the way you might think. Instead, think of a hackathon as a creative problem-solving marathon. It's about leveraging the collective intelligence of a group of people, in a time blocked space, to focus on a particular project or solution.

A hackathon is where people come together to work intensively on a project or to solve a problem. Although Hackathons started in tech, they’ve now evolved to become a useful tool for all areas of an organisation.They happen within a specified period of time, ranging anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks. The goal is for participants to build or create something innovative, whether it's a new app, a website, a solution to a problem, or even a new business strategy.

These events can vary in size and focus, from small internal company hackathons aimed at sparking creativity among a group of employees to massive global events where developers, designers, and entrepreneurs from around the world collaborate to tackle big challenges. They can be virtual, in-person, or even a hybrid of both.

Phase of a hackathon

The format and structure of a hackathon varies depending on the type of event and the desired outcomes. But in general there are several phases of a hackathon:

Kick-off and team formation: Hackathons usually start with a kickoff event, where the theme or challenge is introduced. Participants might come with their teams pre-formed, or they could be paired up with new acquaintances based on shared interests or complementary skills.

Brainstorming and planning: Once the teams are set, the brainstorming begins. This phase is all about coming up with a concept that fits the challenge and is achievable within the time limit. It’s a mad rush of sticky notes, whiteboard sketches, shared documents and intense discussions.

Development: Now teams dive into building, coding, creating, designing, or whatever the project requires. This phase is intense, with teams divvying up tasks and racing against the clock to develop their solutions.

Testing and refinement: As the deadline approaches, teams focus on refining their work, making final adjustments, and ensuring everything functions smoothly. This phase involves polishing details and making sure the final product/solution is ready.

Presentation and judging: Teams present their projects to a panel of judges, who evaluate based on criteria like creativity, technical complexity, and relevance to the theme. Sometimes, there’s even a live demo, where the team shows off what their creation can do.

Awards and wrap-up: The event typically ends with an awards ceremony, where the best projects are recognised. But beyond the trophies and prizes, every participant walks away with something valuable—whether it’s a new skill, a fresh perspective, or just the satisfaction of having built something from scratch or creating a solution to a problem. Often, recognition from senior executives is greater than any prize.

Public vs. private hackathons

Public hackathons invite participants from outside the organisation and offer a range of benefits. They’re used to tap into external talent and diverse perspectives to address specific challenges, explore new ideas, and accelerate product development.

• Product and solution validation: Public hackathons are a cost-effective testing ground for new ideas, enabling companies to quickly evaluate multiple solutions and gather feedback before committing to full-scale development.

• Crowdsourced innovation: Public hackathons leverage diverse external talent to generate creative, out-of-the-box solutions that your internal team might not have considered, often leading to breakthrough innovations.

• Talent acquisition: Hackathons are a great way to identify top talent by showcasing candidates' problem-solving skills, teamwork, and performance under pressure, offering a more effective recruitment tool than traditional interviews.

• Community engagement: Hosting a public hackathon creates community goodwill and strengthens your organisation’s reputation by demonstrating investment in local talent and contributing to the industry.

• Brand awareness and visibility: Hosting a hackathon boosts brand visibility and positions your organisation as a leader in innovation, attracting media attention, potential customers, and future employees.
  

Internal hackathons, as the name suggests, are for employees within your organisation. They’re a powerful tool for driving innovation, fostering collaboration, and solving internal challenges.

• Foster an innovation culture: Internal hackathons encourage employees to think creatively and innovate beyond their usual roles, fostering a culture that values and rewards innovation, leading to a more forward-thinking organization.

• Cross-collaboration: One of the most significant benefits of an internal hackathon is breaking down silos. Employees from different departments—like marketing, engineering, and sales—come together to work on projects. This cross-functional collaboration can lead to a deeper understanding of the business and spark ideas that wouldn’t emerge in a more siloed environment.

• Employee engagement and retention: Hackathons create a fun and collaborative environment that often energises employees, boosting their job satisfaction. When employees feel their ideas are valued and that they play a role in shaping the company’s future, they are more likely to stay engaged and committed.

• Rapid prototyping: Internal hackathons offer a space for rapid prototyping, allowing employees to quickly build, test, and refine new concepts, accelerating the development of products, services, or processes.

• Problem solving: An internal hackathon can effectively address specific organisational challenges by channelling employees’ creativity and expertise into focused problem-solving efforts.

• Upskilling and professional development: Hackathons offer employees the opportunity to learn new skills or deepen existing ones. The fast-paced environment of a hackathon is a fertile ground for learning which not only benefits the individual employees but also strengthens your organisation’s overall capabilities.

Spark creativity and drive innovation through hackathons

Whether public or internal, hackathons are a powerful tool for any organisation looking to be innovative, engage employees, and solve complex challenges. They are a great way to extract fresh ideas, foster collaboration, and position your organisation as a leader in your industry. Employees routinely cite, it's the one ‘training’ event they genuinely look forward to. So, why not consider hosting a hackathon? With the right planning and objectives, a hackathon could be the catalyst your organisation needs to achieve its next big breakthrough.