HACKATHON

A hackathon, also known as a codefest, is a social coding event that brings computer programmers and other interested people together to improve upon or build a new software program.

The word hackathon is a portmanteau of the words hacker, which means clever programmer, and marathon, an event marked by endurance. The concept of the hackathon, also called a hack day or hack fest, was born out of the open source community. The first event labeled a hackathon was the OpenBSD Hackathon in Calgary, Canada, on June 4, 1999.

Today, engineering departments, especially those at web-based companies, adopt the practice to introduce intrapreneurship into the enterprise. Hackathons are sometimes undertaken to achieve a specific goal, but often they are a chance for businesses to pursue employee-driven, out-of-the-box ideas in a low-risk environment. Employees are given the freedom and support to collaborate with colleagues in other departments within a given timeframe, and without the pressure of having to produce a viable product.

Participants in modern hackathons not only concentrate on creating products and ideas, but also engage with sponsors, go to workshops, give presentations and speak with recruiters.

A hackathon, also known as a codefest, is a social coding event that brings computer programmers and other interested people together to improve upon or build a new software program.

The word hackathon is a portmanteau of the words hacker, which means clever programmer, and marathon, an event marked by endurance. The concept of the hackathon, also called a hack day or hack fest, was born out of the open source community. The first event labeled a hackathon was the OpenBSD Hackathon in Calgary, Canada, on June 4, 1999.

Today, engineering departments, especially those at web-based companies, adopt the practice to introduce intrapreneurship into the enterprise. Hackathons are sometimes undertaken to achieve a specific goal, but often they are a chance for businesses to pursue employee-driven, out-of-the-box ideas in a low-risk environment. Employees are given the freedom and support to collaborate with colleagues in other departments within a given timeframe, and without the pressure of having to produce a viable product.

Participants in modern hackathons not only concentrate on creating products and ideas, but also engage with sponsors, go to workshops, give presentations and speak with recruiters.

Types of hackathons

Teams of developers, innovators, data scientists and software engineers are generally assembled during a hackathon to build product prototypes in a short amount of time. However, the goals and themes of hackathons might differ.

The following are the common types of hackathons:

Internal hackathons. Internal hackathons are organized by medium to large-sized companies with multiple offices and departments around the globe. These in-person hackathons bring different teams together so they can work toward a similar goal. Tech giants like Facebook and even appliance companies like Whirlpool conduct yearly hackathon events to promote product innovation and creativity among their employees.

External hackathons. These events engage a bigger and broader audience as organizations work with both internal and external participants. External hackathons are great for recruiting new talent, developing creative ideas and speeding up product development.

Online hackathons. Online or virtual hackathons are an efficient resource for recruiting and collaborating with talented individuals around the world. This type of hackathon is conducted online using collaboration tools such as Zoom, Asana, Slack or Skype. Online hackathons can be both internal and external. Internal ones are best for businesses with geographically dispersed remote employees, while external hackathons are good for companies on limited budgets who want to market their brands on a broader scale.