It is not your coding skills that matter at a hackathon
This article is not only for female developers, it is also for designers, product managers, business modellers, makers of all kinds, and students who have been thinking about joining a hackathon but did not have the courage to do so yet. Together we are going to look at the four biggest myths about weekend hackathons. And as a bonus, I am also going to share a few tips on how to survive your first hackathon with grace. Let’s get started!
Wait a second! What is a hackathon actually?
A hackathon is (usually) a multi-day event, during which programmers, together with many other professionals, intensively work on a software project in order to develop an innovative interactive application. Participants are divided into teams that tackle the problem from different angles. The theme of a hackathon is announced in advance, as well as an operating system, application, or device that needs to be used.
So, now you know! Let’s burst the first myth:
Myth 1: Hackathons are only for male geeks and nerds
Anyone who has seen some photos from a hackathon must think that the event is only for introverted male computer maniacs who cannot survive a single weekend without their computers. That’s not quite true.
Hackathons are open to tech and non-tech people of all colors, ages, genders, and skills. The event is mainly about networking, collaboration, fun, and broadening your horizons. Since you work with a team of people with diverse capabilities and skills, the hackathons are indeed very close to the real work process. The particular opportunity to establish a team with different specialities is definitely a refreshing experience.
In addition to frontend, backend and software developers, participating teams need people with innovative business plans, UX researchers, designers and strategists, UI designers, filmmakers, business analysts and strategists, marketers, project managers, copywriters etc. The mindset is more important than the actual profession. The curiosity, desire to learn something new, openness, flexibility, and creativity simply rock on all hackathons!
Myth 2: I have to be a top-notch developer
I also thought I needed to have outstanding coding skills in order to participate in a hackathon. The good news is that the coding knowledge is certainly a big plus, but it is not a necessity.
First of all, what hackathons really test for, is your soft skills. Are you a strong team player? Can you connect to your teammates? How easy for you is to accept feedback and find a compromise? Are you good a planning and prioritizing tasks? How do you handle stress and conflicts? As you can see, especially your collaboration, communication, and organization skills are put to the test.
Secondly, don’t forget that you have a limited time to work on your project. Don’t strive for perfection. Hackathons are about turning your innovative conceptual idea into something tangible and presentable. Quick-and-dirty solutions are all right. What also counts are the group presentation skills. In order to illustrate your concept and show your interactive application you could even use one of the prototyping tools (like Sketch & Invision, Adobe Experience Design).
Myth 3: If I don’t know anything about the hackathon theme, people will think I am stupid
If you don’t know anything about the hackathon theme, do not panic. Nobody expects you to have a deep knowledge of the field. Do not forget that one of the reasons you go to a hackathon is to learn something new.
Organizers usually send out relevant materials in advance. These are often articles and studies, or data sheets provided by hackathon sponsors and partners. If you have time to read it through, do it. If not, don’t worry. There will definitely be at least one person in your team who has an expertise in the topic and can give you a brief.
It is also worth mentioning, that some of the organizers invite experts in the particular fields to join the event as mentors and consultants. The experts are go-to people if you have additional questions about a hackathon challenge or you quickly need to validate and test your ideas, the workflow, and user journey. In my experience, the mentors are happy to help and answer all of your questions!
Myth 4: A weekend hackathon lasts for 48 hours. I am expected to work non-stop without sleep
No one will force you to work non-stop from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon. There is definitely some time for sleep, relaxing, and laughing during the 48-hours event.
A classic weekend hackathon begins with the official opening on Friday afternoon. The evening is used for building teams and first brainstorming. Planning and execution of work starts Saturday morning.
Personally, I recommend that you take it easy with networking on Friday and go home early to get some sleep, so you are fresh for the toughest day of the hackathon — Saturday. Believe me, you’ll literally spend the whole day developing your project. And this is definitely something you don’t want to do with a hangover. I also find it important to get some rest during the night between Saturday and Sunday. In my experience, the best ideas usually come to me when I take a break and reflect on the day.
It certainly pays off to talk to other team members about how many hours they want to devote to the project and what their expectations are towards the hackathon and the rest of the team. Correctly set expectations among team members are beneficial for everyone.
Bonus: Hackathon tips
In this last section, I share few tips and recommendations on how to survive your very first hackathon-like event.
- Take a friend with you. The more, the merrier.
- Before you and your team start working on your technical solution, talk about mutual expectations, experience, and roles you would like to have in the team.
- During the hackathon, drink also something else than just coffee.
- Be sure to walk and stretch from time to time (I am secretly waiting for hackathon organizers to provide yoga mats and gymnastics balls at the event (hint, hint).)
- Things you want to bring with you:
- a laptop,
- stationery, paper, post-its, and pens,
- chargers for both your computer and smartphone,
- an extension cord,
- headphones,
- a mouse and a graphics tablet (if you are using any of them of course),
- some toiletries — deodorant, toothbrush and toothpaste, hand cream, lip balm, extra hair bands and hair pins etc.
- comfortable clothes and shoes for Saturday,
- something smart for Sunday’s presentation,
- an extra sweater or hoodie,
- a scarf or blanket in winter,
- breath mints or chewing gum,
- a water bottle,
- your favourite kicker (tea or snack)
6. Do not plan anything challenging for the Monday after the hackathon. You may feel a bit tired after the event and be missing the usual weekend rest.
Conclusion
Hackathons are one of the best ways to grow both your personal and professional network, and develop your soft skills. You don’t need to be an experienced coder to join this kinds of events. Indeed, diverse capabilities and a huge variety of professions are welcome at hackathons. What matters is your mindset. Be curious, be friendly, and be open to challenge yourself!
Are you excited to go to your first hackathon now? Do you think that all of the hackathon myths were covered in this article or did I miss something? Let me know in comments. I look forward to reading your thoughts.
