Resolving the Gordian Knot of Complex Data Flows: A Winning Perspective from MANTA’s First Hackathon

Solving complex challenges is in our DNA. That’s why we were proud to team up with Profinit and Česká spořitelna, the largest Czech bank by number of clients, to host our first Hackflow Hackathon. During the Prague-based event, teams and individuals competed to create a unique solution for the data lineage needs of Česká spořitelna. In just two days, more than 30 developers, data engineers, analysts, and students dedicated over 600 hours to solving complex data flows between large systems, and establishing the foundation for a digital map of Česká spořitelna’s data landscape.

“We wanted to look at data flows in a large institution from a new perspective, and to test unconventional ways to conduct data lineage that we don’t have time to experiment with in our regular workday,” explained Jan Ulrych, MANTA’s VP of Research and Education. “This ability to explore new avenues while creating a practical solution is exactly why we wanted to do this event.”

Prizes were awarded in two categories: best individual and best team. In the team category, the big win went to a four-member team of data experts led by Česká spořitelna’s Josef Duchecek. Hear what he had to say about the experience.

What inspired you to participate in the Hackflow Hackathon? What were you hoping to learn and accomplish?

We were inspired to attend the Hackflow Hackathon to represent the data expertise we have at Česká spořitelna. I was hoping that my experience would help resolve the so-called “gordian knot of data flows.” I also hoped to try something new — more specifically, working with Neo4j.

What was the most surprising thing you learned about creating a solution for Česká spořitelna’s data lineage?

The biggest surprise for me was seeing how easy it was to cooperate with other data experts. During both days, I could feel the excitement that was present in the room. We ultimately implemented an agile-pragmatic approach by solving tasks in SQL, which sped up our work because we know how to work with it. Looking back, I do wish we had taken the round to learn a new approach. If I had a second chance to choose our approach, I would use Neo4j, even though I’m unsure that we would have solved the task at hand.

How will your experience at the Hackathon impact your career?

As of now, there are no changes in my career due to the Hackathon — but we’ll see what happens! I would definitely like to attend other Hackathons that interest me. During the event, I also learned that my presentation skills can be improved.

Do you have any advice for data engineers, analysts, or students interested in participating in a Hackathon?

What helped our team a lot was breaking the large task down into manageable pieces. By doing so, we were able to solve smaller issues one by one. The various strengths individual members brought to the team also helped us. For example, we had our own project manager who oversaw the entire process, and kept us on track and doing relevant work.

Participating in a Hackathon is a good way to work with new technologies — or with data that isn’t otherwise available — without having to be concerned about completing the task. Doing the work itself is very rewarding, regardless of the result. Current students who attended the event told me that the Hackathon allowed them to experience what it was like to work for a real company, which they truly enjoyed.

Want more first-person perspectives on the challenges that data lineage helps to solve? Explore our engineering blog to hear from MANTA’s team of talented engineers.