Hackathons

Well-executed hackathons prove instrumental in promoting innovation within a company. When effectively conducted, regular hackathons offer several benefits:

Establishing a process for generating creative ideas: Consistent innovation relies on generating creative concepts and testing prototypes at a pace that surpasses the rate of external changes.

Accelerating prototyping: Conducting numerous experiments, even if imperfect, allows for low-cost failures that offer valuable insights. Internal hackathons provide an ideal environment for rapid prototyping and testing the validity and feasibility of ideas before full-scale implementation.

Accelerating product development: Hackathons allow for quick validation of ideas that can potentially be integrated into the immediate product roadmap. The dedicated time, competitive spirit, and adrenaline rush of a hackathon can expedite product development.

Creating a list for future roadmap considerations: While not all ideas from a hackathon may be implemented, they serve as a valuable reference list for future roadmap discussions.

Fostering collaboration across engineering and non-engineering teams: Hackathons promote collaboration among diverse teams, providing engineering teams with a deeper understanding of customers and engaging non-engineering teams more closely in the product development process.