An online hackathon is paid but some organisations conducted free of cost, highly-competitive events in most cities now. The goal is to create a digital product at the hackathon’s designated location within a given time frame. Hackathons have become so popular that some companies host their own Hack Day events. With the current spike in popularity of these events, it seems like everyone has jumped on the bandwagon, making it more challenging for those who wish to rise above others. You are probably wondering what to do to have success in a hackathon, and we wrote this blog post for you. Here are nine essential tips you should remember before entering your first one.
The list of 9 Things You Should Do For Online Hackathon Success.
1. Know your audience
Before you even set foot in a hackathon, you need to know who will attend. Aiming for beginners might not be the best idea if you want to reach your goal. You should pick a venue that caters less to beginners, such as a university or a technology firm. Research the people who attend and get an idea of what they do. This might help narrow down your choices of what types of projects you could develop at a hackathon comparison between invite-only and open source competitions. Once you have gathered all this information, think about how best to present it in just three minutes!
2. Make sure to prepare properly
If you want to be successful in a hackathon, you need to make sure that you are prepared. Be sure to take care of any pre-hackathon jitters by booking a hotel nearby and getting enough sleep the night before. You must also familiarise yourself with the ins and outs of programming beforehand, which will help prevent you from feeling anxious when it comes time to do it at the event. Familiarity with popular coding languages will also make everything easier for you down the road, regardless of what type of product you are trying to develop.
3. Analyse your competitors
At a hackathon, you are often surrounded by many different developers competing for the same prize pool. You must clearly understand why your competitors are at the event and what they hope to accomplish with it. By keeping track of everyone else, you can anticipate how they will try to reach their goal and what makes them stand out from the other participants. Doing so will allow you to predict how the other developers will respond to any competitive actions that you take during the contest. You can use this information to make strategic decisions that will help you steer clear of any potential pitfalls.
4. Create specific themes:
The success of a project can often be dependent upon its theme. It would help if you took some time to think about what you would like to accomplish at a hackathon in advance so that you can create one well received by the people attending. You might even want to work on a project that helps promote something related to your local area because there is nothing better than plugging your community into one of these events. The more specific your theme is, the higher level of interest it will generate from those who have never heard of a hackathon before.
5. Choose the right team:
You will never win anything alone, and a hackathon is no exception. You will need to form a solid team to ensure you can achieve your goals. Looking for smart people with different skill sets is essential, but also be sure to find someone easy to get along with. They need to be able to adapt when things don’t go as planned in your project and still follow through without any complications. Even if you come up with the best idea in the world, it will mean nothing if there are problems within your team. Cohesive teamwork could make all the difference in a hackathon, so pay attention when picking the right people for your group.
6. Create quick and simple forms:
You will have a lot of people to deal with during a hackathon, so be sure to make things quick and straightforward when handling the registration process. You could have people come in and sign up immediately before the event begins, or you could have them fill out forms online beforehand. Be sure that there are no significant hiccups that might cause problems in your event. This holds even if you are running an open-source competition! If you want everyone attending your event to feel welcome, then make sure they can quickly get registered without any hassles from beginning to end.
7. Announce the hackathon at least one month in advance:
You should always make sure to give your target audience plenty of notice about your hackathon. A month is a minimum; however, we would recommend that you give at least two months’ worth of information. People tend not to have the time required to devote themselves to a good hackathon because they are too busy working or dealing with other issues in their lives. You should try your best to publicise the event locally and online as much as possible to get many people coming out for it. It only takes one winner!
8. Be clear about desired roles:
You must clarify your expectations for the roles of your participants before the event starts. It would help if you were clear about what you expect from others and what they can expect from you. Everyone attending must know how they will be rewarded if they win, such as having their work featured on a popular show or signing a significant contract with a firm. It would help if you also made it known beforehand whether or not there are any additional prizes at stake, such as Q&A sessions with investors for more information about possible funding opportunities.
9. End the hackathon on a high note:
The last thing you want is for your hackathon to end in a big disappointment, which is why you need to do whatever you can to make it an experience that will be remembered fondly by all participants. One of the best ways to do this is to create a fun closing ceremony where everyone can say goodbye together. This will give everyone involved in the event a chance to reflect on what they have done and what they might like to do again in the future. It can also provide an opportunity for sponsors and developers alike to share a meal, so be sure not to overlook this aspect of your planning process.
What is a hackathon organisation?
If you plan to be part of a hackathon, you must understand its organisational structure. The term hackathon organisation is used to refer to any event where developers come together to work in teams to create a new application or solve a problem that might have been previously unsolved. These events are very different from anything else that you will ever experience in your life. It can be difficult for an inexperienced person to know where to begin when it comes time to organize one.
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