Hackathon’s are curious events; they are occasions where a diverse group of people come together to create something new in a 48 hour period.  They are a strong argument as indicators of a latent desire of many persons to create something new and to experience the energy and risk that come with innovation.  

While they have now become closely associated with the world of Blockchain, Crypto and Decentralization, they go back much further than this, back 10+ years (I remember my first hackathon event back in 2009, in New Haven, Connecticut).  That said, the volume and creativity in how to run these events, has come to new levels with the advent of Blockchain ecosystem.

Thoughts for Organizers

I have been going to hackathon events for over 10 years, and had come to the conclusion that these events were mostly a waste of time, until this past weekend.  In the old (or usual model) teams show up with little concept on what they were going to do, or what field or area they were going to work on.  Individuals pitch ideas and try and recruit participants to join their team.  The lack of up front preparation greatly reduced the potential impact of the event.  However, after spending the past four days as a ‘Jedi’ at the Odyssey Hackathon in Groningen, The Netherlands, I have changed my opinion.  This was the best organized and run hackathon event I have every been to, and (IMO), certainly should be considered ‘The Standard’ to which any other event should be measured. 

The event was meticulously planned and the results of this effort were clear.  The event had 12 theme’d tracks, sponsored either by industry members or governmental organizations.  Each of these sponsored tracks had a clear problem/challenge that the sponsor was trying to address.  The sponsor provided experts (technical, legal, business) and background information to the teams well in advance of the event.  Two months prior to the event, technical deep dives for each of the tracks were carried out.  These deep dives further refined both the challenges and the number of participating teams.  

The facility for the event was excellent; an old sugar factory in Groningen that had been converted to an event space, rough and edgy and it set the perfect tone for a Blockchain Hackathon.  The most distinguishing characteristic of the space was the total lack of windows in the working area.  Like a casino.  Once inside, time disappeared.  One was just ‘present’ in the buzz and action of all that was going on.  Hackers, Jedi, Track Supporters, all just focused on creating something new and exciting. This total absence of awareness of what was going on outside, I am sure this had a dramatic impact on the quality and quantity of what was created.  

Thoughts for participants

The objectives of a hackathon are multi-fold; collaboration, ideation, hiring, creativity, group working, and whether you go to participate, to find a job or to win, it is important to keep in mind the ultimate objectives of the group organizing or running the event.  In most cases, these are pipeline creation events.  The organization behind the event, or the organizations sponsoring the tracks in an event want to be able to fund a concept, hire a team or explore in ways that their default organizational structure does not allow them.  

Going to a hackathon as a company team, and participating in the event can be an opportunity for fantastic networking and collaboration, but do not expect to win, regardless of how fantastic a product you create.  Again the purpose of the event organizers is not to find vendors but investment opportunities, as an existing company, especially if you are already financially sound, you are not an attractive candidate.

When you are an existing company, a better way to approach a hackathon is to regard the event as a learning event.  Use it as a means to pick up insights and unconstrained ideas from other members of the community. Do not provide a fully staffed team, but limit your company team to no more than 50% of the roles/slots available, then fill in the rest from the community.  Encourage your own team members to participate on ad-hoc teams, the objective is to learn and grow.  

Likewise, do not use your own product stack (in its entirety) but allow yourself to experiment with other technologies that you have been curious about.  A hackathon is a great opportunity to dig into them further, accelerate the learning process with the concentration and pressure of the event.  

An Adjusted Opinion

As a result of my experience at the Odyssey Hackathon, I have now adjusted my opinion of these kinds of events.  My congratulations to organizers of the event, Dutch Chain and to the fantastic support for Blockchain innovation by both the private and public sector in The Netherlands!  This event has shown what can be realized when the planning is done right.

It was a great experience participating as a Jedi and working with all the teams working to impact the world we live in.  I look forward to participating again in 2020!