How can you drive tech innovation in your organization with hackathons?

Hackathons present an excellent opportunity for HR to drive tech innovation within the organization. By hosting these events, HR encourages employees to collaborate, think creatively, and push the boundaries of conventional problem-solving. Hackathons also provide a platform for cross-functional teams to work together, fostering diversity of thought and skillsets. Additionally, these events promote a culture of experimentation and learning, empowering employees to explore new technologies and approaches. Ultimately, hackathons not only drive innovation but also contribute to employee engagement and satisfaction, making them a valuable tool for HR in fostering a dynamic and innovative workplace.

The first step is to have a clear understanding of what you aim to achieve. Whether it's to generate fresh ideas, prototype new products, or solve specific challenges, setting definitive goals is crucial. For instance, at my company Envision, we focus on utilizing artificial intelligence to aid blind and low-vision individuals. Our hackathons are geared towards innovations that can be integrated into our smart glasses technology, enhancing the independence and experience of our users.

Not everyone at your organization will have the same level of technical ability. I think its a great idea to democratize hackathons by (1) providing resources and some professional development ahead of time to get colleagues' confidence level up (2) strategically organize the teams so there are various skillsets on each team (3) provide some "rules" that promote inclusion - one I really like is 'all members of the team have an equal voice in the discussion, regardless of skillset'. Including everyone is important - diversity is what leads to real innovation!

Having a clear direction of the end picture in mind from the onset is always an awesome strategy to get your desired results during hackathons

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All types of hackathons require a fresh look at the audience to attract to join in as participants, partners, data providers, most often schools (knowledge institutes) and case owners.

Choosing the right hackathon format is like selecting the perfect tool for the job. We believe in versatility. For our internal hackathons, we focus on enhancing our team's skills and fostering collaboration. When reaching out to the wider community, our external hackathons invite customers, partners, and experts to join the innovation journey, providing valuable insights. Our hybrid approach, blending online and offline elements, ensures inclusivity and diversity in participation. Thematic hackathons are a chance to spotlight our expertise, values, and commitment to making a positive impact in the sanitation sector.

Escolher o tipo de formato esta muito ligado à especificidade dos objetivos, quando se procura por ideias de solução novas os modelos mistos tendem a ser mais adequados. Manter um bom nível de engajamento é fundamental.

Consider adopting a 'sprint' approach within the hackathon, where teams rapidly prototype and iterate on solutions. This format can encourage rapid innovation and creative problem-solving, especially for complex tech challenges.

Decide whether your hackathon will be in-person, virtual, or a hybrid. Each format offers different advantages. In-person events foster direct collaboration, while virtual hackathons can attract a global pool of talent. We've experimented with different formats and found that hybrid events combine the best of both worlds, allowing broader participation while maintaining the essence of teamwork.

Selecionar um bom time no auxilio dos participantes é vital para explicar as metodologias e ferramentas a serem desenvolvidas. Utilizar ferramentas tecnologias simples costuma ser bem aceito. Fornecer os materiais necessários e suficientes vai impactar os resultados finais.

Facilitate access to high-end tech resources such as cloud computing platforms or advanced software tools. This not only aids participants in developing sophisticated projects but also exposes them to tools they may not regularly use.

Think about collaborating with other companies on this part. Ideally, you get free resources for the participants off the hackathon while the technology partner get's exposure as well as valuable feedback of often first-time users of their services.

Ensure that participants have access to the necessary tools and resources. This could range from software and hardware to mentorship and expert guidance. At Envision, we provide access to our proprietary AI tools and APIs, enabling participants to work on real-life applications.

Já vi alguns casos de Hackathons super exitosos e realizados com recursos limitados dentro do escritório da própria empresa e com custos subsidiados por parceiros de negócios também interessados no tema do evento. Premiação e exposição são essenciais, mas não precisam ser nada de outro mundo para se obter o máximo engajamento dos participantes. Além disso um bom café para acompanhar as equipes participantes é fundamental para estimular as mentes criativas. Começar pequeno, com equipes multidisciplinares engajadas e com um bom problema de negócio é a melhor forma de experimentar o modelo em sua organização.

Ressaltar que todo feedback é importante e sempre deve ser falado e ouvido. Em ocasiões tem participantes com valiosas ideais e soluções que tem medo de se expor. Gerar comunidades em redes sociais dentro de hackathon sempre é bem-vindo e manter os grupos ativos com informações, vídeos, momentos relevantes é alguns resultados ao longo da trilha dão a sensação de gratidão tanto dos organizadores como dos participantes.

Share the success stories and innovations resulting from the hackathon. This not only showcases your brand's commitment to innovation but also inspires and motivates your team. We've seen remarkable solutions emerge from our hackathons, some of which have been integrated into our products.

A divulgação de maneira positiva dos resultados obtidos em um hackathon é fundamental para o aumento do engajamento e valorização daqueles que dedicaram tempo e criatividade no evento. Estimular a inovação através de bons exemplos como, premiação, exposição dos projetos vencedores, absorção de ideias em uma empresa são maneiras de impactar positivamente o ecossistema de inovação de uma empresa ou entidade interessada na inovação tecnológica. Quanto mais relevância aos resultados e participantes melhor a qualidade dos próximos eventos e maior a chance de se consolidar o mindset de inovação.

This is key for a number of reasons. Sharing the outcomes with the participants allows them to understand what was achieved and how it was achieved. It will also allow them to understand how their competitors did in the hackathon. On an organisation level, it helps you build a business case for next time, hopefully allowing for a bigger budget meaning a more ambitious hackathon.

É fundamental termos em mente que o nosso melhor hackathon sempre será o próximo. Manter um canal aberto com os participantes e stakeholders é essencial para o aprimoramento da prática e correção das rotas. Pesquisas de satisfação e feedbacks devem ser estimulados afim de se captar perspectivas e expectativas não atendidas durante o hackathon para análise do comitê organizador. De qualquer forma acredito que “antes feito do que perfeito”. Sua organização só tem a ganhar com a realização desse tipo de evento mesmo que pequenas melhorias possam ficar evidentes no início da jornada.

Gerar ambientes propícios onde os participantes se sentam a vontade de opinar sobre o trabalho é valioso. Os participantes precisam sentir confiança de falar suas opiniões acerca do trabalho desenvolvido e sempre gostam de ser ouvias pelos organizadores. O time organizador deve estar atento e analítico na forma como o trabalho esta sendo feito para aprimora-lo sempre. Destinar espaços discretos para sugestões anônimas costuma ser aproveitado.

Post-event feedback is invaluable. It helps in refining future events and aligning them more closely with your organizational goals. We always take time to gather and analyze feedback, ensuring each hackathon is better than the last.

In my opinion, although each hackathon is planned with a different aim and somewhat distinct format but rather then just learning from your own hackathon's feedback, one should be open to learning from other hackathon's being held in similar tech sphere. During recent times, lessons from red teaming and blue teaming exercises or gamifications can also be a major source of lessons learnt and can help achieve improvements in own format and aims. Best wishes

Innovation is a two-way street and everyone has something valuable to contribute. Learning from feedback is ingrained in our hackathon culture. We emphasize an inclusive approach, where participants, sponsors, mentors, judges, and organizers—regardless of their roles or backgrounds—share their insights. Through surveys, interviews, and focus groups, we gather perspectives on satisfaction, expectations, challenges, and suggestions. Analyzing data and metrics helps us identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities, enabling continuous improvement. In the spirit of innovation, everyone's voice matters, fostering a culture where learning is a collective journey.

To drive tech innovation in your organization with a hackathon, consider fostering a collaborative environment where diverse teams can work on creative projects. Define clear goals, encourage experimentation, and provide access to resources. Additionally, showcase successful projects to inspire further innovation and consider implementing a feedback loop for continuous improvement.

Para muitos profissionais o termo hackathon ainda está associado a um tipo de evento extremamente técnico voltado apenas para desenvolvedores de software principalmente do mundo acadêmico. Utilizar este formato de evento para ações de geração de demanda, engajamento e leads no mercado B2B é viável e pode ser executado de forma a explorar um determinado produto da companhia, uma plataforma de SaaS, ou mesmo a nível de ideias voltadas a solução de um problema de negócio sem a necessidade de codificação. Inovar não é ciência de foguete e muitas das vezes as melhores ideias surgem de onde menos se espera.

Hackathons are dynamic catalysts for technical innovation within organizations. These time-bound events encourage cross-functional collaboration, rapid prototyping, and problem-solving. They engage employees, incubate valuable ideas, and foster a culture of ongoing innovation, resulting in creative solutions and breakthroughs. Additionally, when executed effectively, they can boost employee morale due to their engaging and collaborative nature.

Engage a diverse group of participants. Diversity in thought and background leads to more creative and effective solutions. Also, ensure the challenges are relevant to real-world problems – this increases engagement and the potential impact of the solutions developed.

Yo he empleado ademas de los casos expuestos hackatons para seleccionar proveedores de servicio. Es interesante ver la quimica humana e interacción que se produce en estos foros, temas que no se pueden ver en un RFP. La capacidad de interactuar de los proveedores simplemente queda expuesta.