Often when I'm navigating the web I find people talking about "Hackathons", I have participated in many of them and I have my own considerations about what is a good one and what is a bad hackathon.
Today I have found people appearing that they have some fun about, and others talking about how they shouldn't do that and how the company that arranged that doesn't have "social-responsibilty", which is another thing that I have my considerations about.
But about Hackatons, I want to ask, what makes them enjoyable? What makes the good ones? What makes the bad ones?
What do you think about folks?
Top comments (4)
Hackaton is a way to boost creativity for the company. People are working a lot, in different conditions. Some people like that.
It can also be good for team building.
For me the benefits are more for the company than the employees.
You may provide an idea that was only a concept you started thinking about ages ago, and you may have done something with. In that special conditions, you may talk about it, you will discuss, and you will find out your idea was great. You know what? Now, the idea is owned by your company.
That's why I avoid all hackatons, unless they are intended to contribute to an open source project.
Because you know what? If it's free, and even more if the coffee is free, you are the product.
Hackathons don't need to be created by a Company, I think that the ones created by groups are great, the most fun that I have participated have the same feel as the old Frag Nights to play games, with people searching for solutions and having fun about.
The worst ones are Company/Group handled ones, you don't have space for creativity or entrepreneurship, and generally, they have defined topics to participate and the solutions never go ahead, the groups/teams have limited decisions because they have impositions to have a member of each specialization, etc, there's no self-organization.
If the hackaton is initiated by the employees themselves then it's awesome. But if the company asks for it, it is not a hackaton but extra work.
I avoid them, they just don't seem like fun to me 💁