Why reading a post about the benefits of hackathons? Because hackatons can be your secret weapon to help you face the turbulent times we live. Especially when turbulence came to stay. Who says it is the american consultant Mckinsey in the report Trends that will define 2021 — and beyond. From customer support services to the chains of logistical operations, there is no economic activity that escapes the ongoing digitalization process. So this is the perfect time to recover all those drafts forgotten in a folder called “Innovation Projects”. And start tinkering.
In fact, there are many ways to increase innovation in an organization. So why hackatons? What are their advantages over other techniques?
Hackatons are great to strengthen team camaraderie
First and foremost, we need to know what is a hackathon.
Although it is also known as hack day, hackfest, datathon or codefest, the central idea of a hackathon is quite simple: a hackathon is an event where teams of programmers and designers come together to build, in a given period of time, the best solution for a challenge. For instance, creating a prototype of a new product or service, developing the first version of an app or building a website. In theory, there is no limits to the type of challenge a hackathon can host.
Are you already convinced of the relevance of this design sprint-like event? Yep? Let’s then take a deep dive into the benefits of hackathons.
What are the benefits of hackathons?
In this section, we’re going to explain why hackathons are unbeatable in helping your organization keep up with the speed of the digital transition. Firstly, they’re short-lived: as a rule, hackathons are brief events because that accelerates the creation of new solutions. At Inspire, we like to organize 1-day hackathons. Secondly, they don’t require expensive equipment or special space requirements: you don’t need special gear to throw the party. If the hackaton takes place in a physical space, just a monitor, laptops, pencils and post-its. In a virtual environment, the must-have are laptops and… Wi-Fi 😁.
In conclusion, you just need a well-defined and challenging problem to motivate the restless and curious minds who compose your team. Ok, coffee and a lot of snacks (at Inspire we like pizza 😎 ) will make a difference too.
By the way, if you’re already interested in running a company hackathon, Inês, our marketer, wrote a essential guide. Take a look.
Benefit 1: hackatons help defining the scope of the problem
How many times did you have that strange feeling of not knowing exactly how complex is your project ? Don’t worry. It’s much more usual that you might think.
Running a hackathon can help you delimiting the scope of the project. In other words, map the territory that you are trying to explore. But first, you must write a briefing with a clear challenge. For instance, in this project we want to build [put here the technological solution you thought of] to solve [put here the problem that motivated the hackathon]. This document will help you manage stakeholders expectations and align teams. Remember: hackathons are very dynamic: expect different solutions from teams. Diversity is always welcome.
Take-away: when we know what the problem is, new perspectives and resolution angles come more easily.
Benefit 2: hackatons help creating innovative solutions
Hackathons help to stimulate creative juice because they take place in a relaxed environment, are brief and boost risk-taking. Consequently, teams gain a renewed look at problems that seemed to be in a dead-lock for a long time. Besides, without the burden of hierarchy and daily norms, everything becomes lighter. As a result, everyone have a voice and autonomy to define their roles and responsibilities in the project.
Take-away: when routine is left at the door, creativity shines.
Benefit 3: hackathons help strengthening team bonding
I know. This benefit can be seen as a cliché, but hackathons do a great job at strengthening ties between team members. A shared challenge – and a cool vibe, of course! – has an almost magical effect on unmotivated or unfocused teams. To overcome the challenge, people of diverse backgrounds and skills need to put aside differences and start communicating clearly: listen, speak, delegate… In short, trust each other. Above all, open-mindedness helps to create the “eureka” moments.
Take-away: when the objective clear and shared, paddling to the same side is natural.
I could indicate more benefits of hackathons. But less is more. Most importantly, i’m sure these 3 are powerful enough to help you convince your organization to run your first hackathon. Fingers crossed 😬
- Discover the Top 3 Benefits of Hackathons - 25 de Maio, 2021