Hackathon best practices

Last week I had the pleasure of participating into another hackathon, this time here at Lancaster University. Tasked with creating a concept to evolve the famous “Lake District National Park” here in the UK into a Smart Park using IoT, we spent two days in small groups imagining the future. With approximately 40 participants in total, the hackathon was a bit smaller than recommended, but the narrow topic balanced this aspect well.

Despite the short time, all teams were able to deliver exceptional results ranging from augmented reality adventure hunts, over “smart” cycle routes, to outdoor museums. But what was it that allowed this plethora of innovative ideas to emerge within this limited time? After reflection, I can share here some of the best practices for future events.

1. Have a concrete problem: As mentioned, again and again, be concise when defining the problem the participants set out to solve. These guidelines will help to fully focus all the efforts on a goal. However, be always careful to only give the problem and not to restrict the possible solution too much.
2. Have industry experts: As the participants push into unexplored territories they will need all the help they get to ask questions and to clarify the possibilities. Have experts from different areas to support the participants on every step
3. Remove obstacles: For us, rooms, food, guidance was provided. This allowed again to fully focus on the problem at hand. This best practice sounds logical, but really take your time to go through the whole process when planning and see where obstacles might arise. A good example is a centralized food catering. Even though it sounds like a good idea at first, if it is limited to a certain timeframe it might significantly disrupt the workflow of certain teams and thereby impair their results.

Overall it was a great experience and the ideas kept flowing even after the hackathon was over. I am looking forward to my next experience.

What a happy Jury

Photo credits: “Creative Commons attribution and MSc. in E-Business and Innovation, Lancaster University Management School, 2017”

Sizing your Hackathon

Once you have defined the key problem the participants of your Hackathon set out to solve you have to start thinking about the size. If it is too small, your event might lack participants with capabilities and ideas that are key to solve the problem. If the Hackathon becomes to big, complexity increases, good ideas might not be heard and costs surge. However, what might the right size be?

In general the sizing is dependant on two variables. The scale of the problem on one hand, and the available resources on the other. Let’s first have a look at the scale of your problem that should be solved by the Hackathon participants.

1. Narrow Problem: You have defined a very specific area in which the innovation can happen and provided a clear scope of the solution. E.g. in FinTech there are multiple events happening, focusing specifically on innovating the insurance branch of certain companies. Narrow problem events require usually a smaller number of participants with highly specialised knowledge in the area. A good mix of outside and inside experts will be sufficient to achieve the level of innovation expected. Concrete, we would speak about 50-250 participants
2. Mid-scope Problems: When tackling problems that impact a region or broader industry you will need a wider audience participating in your Hackathon. An example would be the MedHack at the Johns Hopkins University, showing a focus on a the health sector but not on a specific region. A Hackathon of this scale will require multiple experts from several disciplines as well as outsiders to spark new ideas. Concrete, from 200-1000 participants should be participating
3. Broad Problem: If the problem is not clearer defined in sector or region it is considered broad. Tackling global issues such as global warming or Human rights would be in this category. A good example is Hack the North in Canada with no concrete definition but more of a general theme. Experts from all possible areas are required to exchange to be able to tackle these problems. A Hackathon of this magnitude could span anywhere from 500-10’000 people or more.

Of course, all depends on the resources available. Not every institution can run a Hackathon with 10’000 participants. This implies that it might be necessary to narrow the problem to a solvable scope.

Whatever the size is, make sure to have a divers and interdisciplinary crowd participating, but also a structure in place to capture innovation as it happens to ensure the best possible outcome.

Thank you for reading. As always I am looking forward to your feedback and questions. Until soon, cheers.

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You should read these books about innovation

In this short post I will give an overview over the five best books you should read when going deeper into the topic of innovation:

1.  The Innovator’s Dilemma (Management of Innovation and Change)
2.  The Art Of Innovation: Lessons in Creativity from IDEO, America’s Leading Design Firm
3.  The Lean Startup: How Constant Innovation Creates Radically Successful Businesses
4.  Blue Ocean Strategy, Expanded Edition
5. The Innovator’s DNA: Mastering the Five Skills of Disruptive Innovators  

 

 

You don’t have to know about innovation to be a great innovator, but it will certainly increase your chances to succeed. It is up to you.

 

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Hackathons and why you should participate

Technology has become one of the cornerstones of our modern world. For most people in the west, a life without internet access and mobile phones would be unthinkable.

Looking at the current trends in computer science and technology, ranging from artificial intelligence, the blockchain, quantum computing, to self-driving cars and drones, and much more, show that we have only just begun to explore the possibilities. However, to keep up the fast pace of development we have to change the way we think and especially the way we work. A new set of methods and processes is needed to endure and thrive in this time. The almost all present lean software development method, replacing older legacy methods serves as a brilliant example of such a shift in methods.

The hackathon is a so far often overlooked new method, which, if used correctly, can yield extraordinary results for a company or a team. A hackathon is broadly spoken, an event where a large group of people collaborates for a defined time period, to solve a problem through a digital solution. It is comparable with a sprint for Software development or design but differs due to its participants and time frame. A typical hackathon will last from one to four days, to allow an intense problem-solving process to occur. The number of participants can range from a few dozens to a couple of hundreds, depending on the topic.

As a plethora of diverse experts and specialists join to solve a shared problem, the hackathon allows a steep learning curve for its participants. Iterating and learning together is part of the magic of such an event.

The ultimate result of a hackathon is usually code. However, many companies start to use the methodology also for other topic areas. Therefore, in this blog, we will talk about a hackathon centering about creating and pushing innovation. If you are planing a hackathon by yourself or if you are genuinely interested in the topic, follow along as over the next weeks I will share how an ideal innovation hackathon should be structured. If you haven’t already, join the next hackathon in your area and experience the fast learning and development. You won’t regret it.