ATR HACKATHONS?
hi, my name is ellie and i have been to 40+ hackathons since 2020 both inperson and virtual.
As an event organizer and hacker myself, im here to show you how you can make the best out of your time going to hackathons. But what is a hackathon? To put it simply, hackathons are project based coding competitions. As the name suggests, you’re on a speed against the clock (typically 24-36 hours) to submit and pitch a project that judges then evaluate. After the “hacking period”, winners are announced at a closing ceremony. Depending on the hackathon, you can be competing against 10 or even 1,000+ people for different prizes and categories sponsored by the event or other companies! We’re going to dive into that more a bit later ;)
So... what’s the point of even going to one? Chances are you’re in tech or trying to break in, and want a supportive place to complete and finish a project for either academic or career purposes. Hackathons will give you that place! They’re a place for you to actually get a project done (maybe get your GitHub commits up), or meet new people in tech in the same place as you! In-person or virtual, this guide will help you make the most out of your hackathon experience + maybe even win!
1.
At this point, you might already have an event that you’re interested in attending! If not, we’ll go over some basics on how to find hackathons near you and some resources that can be useful when finding the right event!
3.
A simple google search will take you very far! Websites like Major League Hacking, Devpost, and Eventbrite will be ur best friends! “Hackathons near me” can let you know which events are happening and even the number of people going!
If you’re looking to go to an event in person, universities near you will be where to look! Computer Science and tech-related clubs are some of the main event hosts. ��
2. Some events are also themed! Wether that be sustainability or health or social good, you can also joined themed events to work on a project that helps a certain cause.
so you want to build a project
Part of the struggle at a hackathon is figuring out with your team what to even build! I’ll help you out with the brainstorming process ;)
SPONSORS
Sponsors at hackathons come with their own prize tracks. Easy part here is to choose a technology (API, software, etc) you or your team want to learn, and create something from there!
THE
TRACKS
The tracks are of course always the way to go! Tracks vary at different events, but typically give you a starting off point if you want to build for a certain category, industry, or theme. Decide on which track you’re tackling above anything else!
STACK
One of the best ways to get rid of hackathon project block is choosing your tech stack first! Figure out what you and your team are proficient in, and decide if you’re building a website, what languages, frameworks, and libraries you’ll want to use. Do you want to build something interactive? artistic? Informational? Static? Go from there!
THENEED
What’s a software idea that can solve a prob you have everyday? This might require some workshopping, but as a last resort, visit any past project ideas, and apply it to a fun new theme or software product. Remember that your idea can develop as you’re coding! Have the general gist of what you’re making and start! an excerpt from ellie~
one time at pennapps, my team and i were struggling on coming up with an idea for a while. we had chosen the education track, but were stuck on what to build. I thought about ways in my life that I thought software could help, and we built source scanner: a website that could scan text, and detect challenging words to immediately give you with the definition so you don’t have to google what words mean as you read! (annoying for me to do all the time)
mvp
the minimum viable product, and how to ACTUALLY build at a hackathon (several energy drinks involved) ��
The minimum viable product, or an MVP is the basic version of a technology that makes it functional. \You have your idea, and the hackathon is about to start. You have to get to building! but let me stop you here.
Now that you have your idea, you ’ re going to think about what your project looks like finished with the most basic functionality. Can your project preform a search, complete a level, play music? That is what you ’ re aiming for the entire hackathon.
At this point, decide what your projects needs ot function and what are nice to haves. These buckets will help you figure out all the important things you need to code before time runs out.
TAKING CARE
Wether you are virtual or in person at a hackathon, it is super duper important to take care of yourself. You have probably been looking at a screen for far too long, slept 4 hours total, and your system is out of wack. Listen to your body! Sleep in, get your zzz ’ s and don’t forget to drink lots of water.
