What is the purpose of a hackathon?

Published on the 11th of July 2024. 2.5 min read.

Hackathon meaning, definition, and key aspects

Meaning

Hackathons are events designed for collaboration to solve problems or identify new opportunities.

Definition

Hackathon is a competitive event, where people gather to collaborate on any kind of project in a limited time.

Etymology

The term “Hackathon" combines the words "hack" and "marathon.

• Hack: In the nerds’ world, "hack" refers to the rapid development of a new software application or system, often with limited resources.

• Marathon: a long-distance race that is typically run without stopping.

The word “ hackathon” was first used on June 4, 1999, for a cryptographic development event hosted by OpenBSD in Calgary, Canada.

Duration

• 4 to 72 hours, usually referred to as a classic hackathon

• More than 72 hours, usually called an innovation challenge

Types of hackathons

• Physical or on-site

• Virtual or online

• Hybrid

• External

• Internal or Company hackathon

Benefits of hackathons

Structure of hackathons

A successful hackathon should incorporate the following key stages:

We wrote a full article about this topic that you can read here.

Considerations about hackathons

Hackathons are a proven method to get solid results in a fast way.

However, organising a hackathon is not easy and it’s a matter of coordinating complex tasks.

If you want to know more, we created a comprehensive hackathon guide that explores this topic thoroughly.

Feel free to reach out today to have a chat about hackathons with an expert from our team.