Demystifying Hackathons: My Experience
Tags: webdev, opensource, career, beginners
Published: 2022-12-19 18:15:06

## Hackathons: the bigger picture

## The Myths

The common misconceptions:

*   **Hackathons are just fun competitions & have no real-life application**
    
    A hackathon is an exercise in creative problem-solving. It’s an intense period of work by a team of multi-skilled people that might include a competition element (and sometimes even prizes) but the purpose is to solve real-life problems.
    
    Hackathons are rapid prototyping sessions that allow teams to quickly produce working solutions that can be tested by users, adapted, and updated before they decide if the product is desirable (by users), viable (for the business), and feasible (to build). The ultimate goal is to deliver a working prototype or solution to a real-life problem, not to win a trophy.
    
*   **Only software developers and techies take part in hackathons**
    
    While software developers and interface designers can be invaluable participants in certain instances, not every hackathon is designed to create this kind of product. And, even if you do need to develop a piece of software, it takes a team of people with different inputs to create a successful tool.
    
    Without input from the users, people who understand the business, and those at the coalface, the “techies” alone wouldn’t be able to create a product that is fit for purpose.
    
*   **Hackathons = sleep deprivation**
    
    Participating in a hackathon does not necessarily mean packing a sleeping bag and working through the night. Typically, an event can last anything from a few hours to a week, and it’s possible to develop ideas into a working product in a single day.
    
*   **The only purpose of a hackathon is to develop new tech products**
    
    Hackathons can be used to improve existing products by quickly producing new features and tools for market testing. They are also ideally suited to developing business propositions.
    
    Hackathons can also be used to define new ways of working and solve existing operational problems.
    

## My Experience

### Expectations

As with anything new, I had no idea what to expect.

What I had always thought was that the participants must be the best hackers. They are people who must be competitive with a hunger to win. They must get bored by “just talking about it” and have the passion to see real results. They are superhumans who get energized by pressure deadlines.

### Forming Team

Team chemistry and makeup are some of the most important factors not only in winning but also in making sure that you don’t burn out.

Have a team of friends or previous hackers to participate with. Knowing each member’s strengths and weaknesses beforehand gives you an advantage in preparation and execution.

### Strategize

Make good strategies and make everyone on your team give their points and if you have a good team you will always have a chance to make sure that you are in the right direction.

Typically lasts 24–48 hours, and the time will fly (especially if you want time for meals and sleep!). Get a general sense of who on your team will work on what, and approximately how long you expect it to take. Timebox tasks, noting when you will “just move on,” even if you can’t get things to work. Bugs can creep up anywhere — and a hackathon is no exception. Deciding in advance how much time you’ll allow for the different parts of your project, and when you’ll move on to a plan B, will help ensure that you have something to demo some pitch time.

### Present your Idea

> 💡 Presentation is king. You have to present in such a way that the panel understands what you want to achieve.

You're the hackathon judge and you've to pick the best projects out of 50+ projects in a couple of hours (or even days). Each project has a nice readme, a 2-5min video, and a project sample. You cannot go through all of that in such a short time and decide the best ones (where each project may look great).

That's when the presentation matters.

*   Make your readme tell the most about your project. (I love to embed images in it, add emojis and keep it in points than long paragraphs).
    
*   Frame good GitHub commit messages, add releases, and license to the repo.
    
*   Invest good time in Demo Video. (add voice-over, BGM, animations, etc)
    
*   Invest good time in the homepage of your project too!
    

Don't go solo on this mission! Delegate work among your teammates to get stuff done faster and better.

## Conclusion

These events are fun. They are a good way to challenge yourself, get outside your comfort zone, and push your skills. I will continue participating in hackathons where I can, and work on new and exciting projects.

There were some truly inspiring people at these events. Some have become friends that I still reach out to, each inspirational in their own way.

## Links

Find me here: [https://pratyushjain.vercel.app/](https://pratyushjain.vercel.app/)

Get to know more about my team and our submissions here: [https://404enigma.tech/achievements](https://404enigma.tech/achievements)

**PS**: Also, feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section below & share this article with your peers. Cheers :)