Why Hackathon?
Rather than just meetups of nearby developers who may or may not be busy hacking your computer/car/toaster/home/mirror/TV while having their morning cup of caffeine (Red Bull), hackathons are actually places where people “hack” solutions. While the usual definition of hacking is of course related to taking over control of other devices, it’s literal meaning is “to find a way/means/solution into something”. And hackathons find a way into the future by solving the problems of tomorrow through solutions made in the moment.
Definitely, hackathons are not just of a single kind. There are a gazillion different kinds. Some for kids, some for graduates, some for professionals, some open for all, some only for women, some only for residents of a specific country, some held in series internationally, some held over the internet, some for 24 hours, others for 48 hours and some that even go on for months. So, even hackathons don’t believe that one size and definition fits all, then why should you decide to believe so? But leaving philosophical thoughts behind, and after (almost) successfully enlightening you about the various kinds of hackathons, let’s see what really happens in a hackathon.
Long talks by the sponsor(s) to enlighten you about their API/product that you could use in your “hacked” solution and also to let you know about the amazing prizes they would be giving away, breakfast, lunch and dinner (most of the times), interactions with fellow hackers, like-minded professionals and we’ll experienced mentors who have seen their fair share of the industry and hackathons. Above all, feedback from great judges who actually really want to see you all win and are really ready for the tough task in being…. Tough.
The spirit of a hackathon is not in a. The food or b. The venue or c. The kind of prizes that are given away. The true spirit of a hackathon lies in that vibe, the buzz and the sudden waves of adrenaline that begins rolling during the first brainstorming sessions, carries on with you to the initial pitching minutes and then just engulfs you by the time you form your teams. This gradually pushes you along till the rush gently subsides, which is when we feed you and let you sleep for a while. But then, either the adrenaline (or your very enthusiastic teammate) may wake you up in the early morning, and with your umpteenth can of Red Bull, you’d be right back in the game. Then the buzz in the atmosphere gradually picks up as the rest of the teams slowly gets into the gear and then everybody gets together for that final push till the last minute to submission. THIS is the spirit of hackathons. The spirit that actually makes you sit awake and code, that makes you create teams with people you have never seen before and collaborate, that makes you realize that Red Bull and coffee may not really work for you as well as it works for the highly strung guy on the next table (learned it the hard way).
So, want to experience the true spirit of a hackathon? Let it be your first experience, your second or maybe even your gajillionth, no one cares and it really doesn’t matter, as long as you have fun (And you stick by the rules).
Join us AngelHack during our #AH10 Global Hackathon Series and unlock your true potential as an ideator, a coding specialist, a UI/UX designer or maybe even as a captivating presenter!
See you at the Red Bull… uhh… registration counter! ☺
