Full Disclosure: I Never Wanted to Participate in a Hackathon Again
Hackathons can be stressful, extremely competitive, and exhausting. However, not TechTogether hackathons! The neat aspect of TechTogether hackathons is that you don’t have to have any tech experience, and we offer a bunch of fun and interactive programs that are *stress-free*.
Take it from Rowan Polster who previously had a negative experience after attending their first hackathon. It wasn’t until they attended a TechTogether hackathon (TechTogether Seattle) that they rekindled their love for hackathons.
My first hackathon was at a local university. It was an intimidating experience, one that forced me to realize a few key facts about myself: one, I am not competitive; two, I cannot run on two hours of sleep and work effectively; three, I don’t thrive within the hustle culture mentality that many of my peers exhibited over the 36 hours we had to build a minimum viable product; and four, perhaps the most jarring realization of all, was this: I am not passionate about coding.
By the end of that weekend, I was exhausted, apathetic, and discouraged. Our team’s 4th place ranking didn’t even excite me.
In short, I was burnt out. I decided I would never do another hackathon. Until, of course, I got wind of TechTogether’s virtual hackathon in Seattle.
Someone in my coding bootcamp’s Slack channel posted the link, and something told me I should give it a go. I couldn’t have joined at a better time — there were only 5 minutes remaining until the registration deadline. “I’ll just go to some workshops,” I told myself, nestled in a blanket on my couch. “I don’t have to actually build anything.”
Lo and behold, someone from my coding bootcamp instantly recognized me on TechTogether’s Discord channel and invited me to be on their team. Go figure!
But somehow, this hackathon felt different. Where the first hackathon was intense and competitive, TechTogether Seattle felt warm and inclusive. I instantly felt welcome during the opening ceremony on Twitch, and my anxieties were quelled by the hosts’, Mari and Natasha’s, lighthearted humor. The atmosphere was one of kindness and support.
As my team and I got to work building our website, a financial literacy tool geared towards teens and young adults, I popped onto the Discord channel to talk to other hackers about our favorite lofi music, Animal Crossing, and ice cream.
At my leisure, I took breaks to listen to a keynote speaker or relax with some tea and gather my thoughts (shoutout to keynote speaker Morgan Bell — you helped me out of my tech-induced existential dread!). I found myself building yet another MVP at yet another hackathon, but this time I was actually enjoying it.
In the end, our website Finance 101 was awarded Most Courageous Hack #3. Unlike the first hackathon, I was so proud and excited to have won something (Valerie and Krystal, you guys rock!). Despite working in a more laid-back atmosphere, I actually accomplished much more at this hackathon than I did the first. All on 8 hours of sleep per night, no less!
Here’s the secret — you don’t have to make yourself miserable to accomplish great things. If I had any advice for first-time hackers, this would be it. No, you don’t have to sacrifice sleep, self-care, and your firstborn child to participate in a hackathon. It’s far more important to communicate well with your team, focus on an area of the project that you feel comfortable with, and create something you’re passionate about.
For me, one of the most liberating aspects of TechTogether Seattle was seeing how many different kinds of coders are out there. I absolutely loved seeing everyone’s creative, thoughtful projects during the closing ceremony, and it’s my belief that such innovation can only be achieved through diversity. TechTogether elevated the voices of those too often underrepresented in tech, and the results, for me, were life-changing.
Like my first hackathon, TechTogether Seattle made me realize a few key things about myself: one, I love to meet other hackers and learn what inspires them; two, I thrive in a collaborative, supportive environment; three, I do belong in the tech community; and four, I may not be passionate about writing functions or running database migrations, but I am passionate about creating solutions to real-life problems.
TechTogether Seattle was what convinced me to not give up on coding. I look forward to attending the next hackathon.
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