What Is a Hackathon and Why Attend One?

If you’re interested in computer programming, hackathons are fun opportunities to compete for prizes, learn new skills, and network with professionals in the industry. Programmers come together for a day or two at these coding marathon events to complete specific challenges.

Many types of hackathons exist, with different objectives and in different settings, both online and in person. For example, some hackathons involve competing in teams to find the best solution for a problem, with the winner chosen by judges. Other forms of hackathons include a university or health care organization hosting a hackathon to find new ideas and strategies. Hackathons are also great for connecting with talented individuals in your larger organization or industry. 

Explore how hackathon events operate, why you might consider attending one, and how to find beginner and popular hackathons.

What is a hackathon?

Hackathons are events hosted by major companies, hospitals, universities, and other organizations to bring teams and individuals together to solve a specific problem, often related to computer programming or software. These events usually last for a day or two, and participants race to complete the objective, possibly even forgoing sleep to do so and win. 

While some hackathons are open to the public, internal hackathons are a strategy where companies focus their employees on creating a solution to a specific problem, allowing them to concentrate on a shared goal. In some cases, organizational leaders will view the top ideas from internal hackathons for the chance to become integrated into the organization. For example, the Facebook “like” button stemmed from an internal hackathon. 

What is the purpose of a hackathon?

For organizations, hosting hackathons can serve many purposes beyond solving a specific problem. Hackathons promote awareness and market a company. Even internal hackathons will sometimes invite outside guests to collaborate. 

Additionally, as a participant in a hackathon, you and your competitors can demonstrate valuable skills. Companies can evaluate the participants to find potential employees, making them a great tool for recruiting qualified candidates.

Read more: What Is Ethical Hacking?

Why should you participate in a hackathon?

You might consider participating in a hackathon for several reasons. First of all, hackathons provide an environment where you can work on developing technical skills. The practical learning experience of a hackathon helps grow your skill set while making you aware of other people in your industry and their abilities. Even if you aren’t as advanced as some participants, hackathons still provide a great learning environment in which to develop your abilities. 

Another reason to participate in a hackathon is the networking opportunity. You can meet people involved with hosting the event who can be a resource for learning more about employment opportunities, collaborating with other participants, and building relationships. Performing well can result in job opportunities and prizes, with some hackathons paying winners thousands of dollars.

How does a hackathon work?

Typically, for a corporate hackathon, you pitch ideas and then vote to determine the best one. Next, you assemble a team and either leave for the day or begin working immediately.

If your hackathon transitions directly into the working phase, you and your team can begin using technology while piecing together vast amounts of code from various sources in your efforts to achieve the desired outcome. Usually, the competition provides meal breaks for participants, and finally, all teams will present their projects to the judges, who will confer amongst themselves to determine the winner. Other hackathons might offer workshops and guest speakers; some even pair you with mentors. 

Depending on the length of the hackathon, you will have a limited amount of time, usually a day or a weekend, to build your solution. On the final day, your team will present your solution to the judges. On many occasions, large companies such as Google, Microsoft, or Apple will sponsor the hackathon and provide prizes.

Types of hackathons

Hackathons come in various types, with differences such as who can participate and where it’s located. Some of the common types of hackathons include:

• Internal hackathon: Internal hackathons are specifically for company employees to gather and crowdsource solutions in an environment that encourages networking, collaboration, and innovation. 

• External hackathon: Rather than being exclusively open to employees, external hackathons encourage members of the public to join the event. They are a way for companies to find new employees and gain publicity. 

• Virtual hackathon: Virtual hackathons allow all participants to work remotely, which can minimize costs and environmental impact while expanding access to people worldwide. 

Can a beginner do a hackathon?

Beginners are welcome to attend a hackathon. Some hackathons are specifically for beginners, with workshops to help you learn new programming languages; others can provide networking opportunities. Beginner hackathons are usually less intensive but provide an opportunity to have fun while developing skills and meeting new people.

Popular hackathons

Because of their popularity, you can find hackathons happening in different locations multiple times yearly. Some well-known hackathons across the country you might want to check out include:

• HackMIT: Hosted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, HackMIT is a 24-hour event featuring software and hardware projects with applications in various industries. This event also has workshops for beginners and is free to attend for all college students.

• MHacks: The University of Michigan hosts MHacks virtually, where, over 36 hours, individuals and teams from all over the world have an opportunity to compete, learn new skills, and network. MHacks also welcomes beginners without coding experience.

• NASA International Space Apps Challenge: This popular hackathon offers virtual and in-person attendance options. Participants come from around the world and use NASA’s open-source data to solve problems as a team. 

Read more: 4 Ethical Hacking Certifications to Boost Your Career

Where to find hackathons

You can find hackathons to attend through a quick Google search or through specific websites, allowing you to find the event that fits you the best. Some of the specific websites you can explore online to find the right hackathon for you include:

• Major League Hacking

• Devpost

• Hackalist.org

• Hackathon.io

• HackathonsNear.me

• Hackathon.com

• Eventbrite

Explore hackathon skills on Coursera

Hackathons are a fun and engaging way to show off your existing technical skills, build new ones, and connect with like-minded professionals. Whether attending an external or internal hackathon, these events are an exciting way to build new relations and open new opportunities.  

On Coursera, you can find a variety of highly-rated courses for expanding your programming skills. Python for Everybody Specialization from the University of Michigan serves as an introduction to many of the fundamental programming concepts in Python, allowing you to gain the skills to process, analyze, and visualize data. You can also earn an IBM Full Stack Software Developer Professional Certificate to prepare for a career in application development with the knowledge of valuable programming languages such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.