Hack the Hackathon (Part III)
Tags: hackathon, experience, blockchain, webdev
Published: 2020-08-11 09:42:08

All the good things come to an end and our mini-series is a proof of that.

So, right now you already choose if you are [participating in an online or offline hackathon](https://dev.to/taikai/hack-the-hackathon-part-i-116j), and [how to gather your A-team](https://dev.to/taikai/hack-the-hackathon-part-ii-3gj0). Now it’s time to show the judges who’s the best.

![](https://media.giphy.com/media/rYReikGDIbRcY/giphy.gif)

Almost all *hackathons* end with an evaluation of the projects presented, and it is probably the moment when the participants feel less comfortable.

A lot of energy was spent on developing a project, thousands of lines of code were written, creativity is exhausted throughout the process. But even after that, you still have to prepare a pitch for the project.

Anyone participating in a *hackathon* has the right to feel like a superhero. It is not easy to build something that is normally developed in weeks or months and with a probably larger team. It is not easy to be creative when the body asks us to rest. It is not easy to prepare a pitch for a jury in different areas and with diverse backgrounds. All of this is only available to superheroes!

We usually leave the preparation of the pitch until the end, even towards the end, when there is no time to prepare it. It is normal, we are focused on developing the project, and we want everything to work, nothing to fail, and this takes time. It takes all the short time we have.

The reality is that we must safeguard this and take the time to prepare the pitch. A good pitch is not easy to do when we have time, much less when we are against the clock and exhausted. You need to know who the jurors are, what their backgrounds are, to find the best way to get the message across and make it understood clearly and objectively. Does the jury want to know how I got to the solution? What technologies did I use? Or does the jury prefer to understand how the solution solves a problem and why? It is necessary to refine this message and sometimes balance it so that in a way everyone will appreciate it.

And as with everything in life, injustices happen. Incredible teams, create incredible projects. But when it comes to deciding who the winners are, not everyone can stay at the top of the ranking.

There will always be those who think that the winners should not be the real winners. In fact, this happens very regularly, and sometimes it becomes quite obscure how the best projects of a challenge were determined. Yes, this happens ... and it sucks!

But, we at TAIKAI have a solution for that! At TAIKAI, we are proud to have a voting system equivalent to investments. We use KAI's (TAIKAI's virtual coin) to back the best projects for each one of us. And each of these transactions is recorded on the blockchain, making the entire process transparent and auditable.

In the end, it is important to keep in mind that the most significant value that can be taken out of a hackathon is knowledge, for better or for worse. What comes beyond that is an extra.

## Win-win situation

![](https://media.giphy.com/media/6brH8dM3zeMyA/giphy.gif)

To conclude, in a *hackathon* you learn a lot. We evolve as people and as professionals. We manage to enrich our portfolio. We are able to network with an endless number of people. At best, we can win some prizes.

But at TAIKAI, it's not just the Top 3 or Top 5 that end up winning. In fact, the voting system is designed for when we invest in projects. If they end up in the top places, that investment translates into dividends, not only for the promoters of that project but also for those who are investing in them. It is equivalent to an investment in a startup when the investment I madereverts in dividends if it turns out to be successful.

Participating in a hackathon is a unique experience. There are not one *hackathon* that is the same as the other. The difficulties you have in one hackathon won’t be the same in the next. You end up always having something to learn. Don't forget, failing is still be part of the process, but the knowledge you gain is crucial for your progress.

You can regularly find new [challenges](https://taikai.network/challenges) at TAIKAI. Stay tuned!

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