hackathon presentation tips

How to Present a Successful Hackathon Demo

Tips to help hackathon participants nail their hackathon presentations.

A version of this post was originally published on TechCrunch .

It’s sad to stay up for three days building something awesome only to bomb the demo presentation. It’s no surprise it happens: You’re exhausted and racing to finish your project, with little time to plan your words, and only a few minutes to say them. 

Don’t worry, just focus on clearly explaining your project and remember that you’ve got this. Follow the tips below to help make sure you’re highlighting the key information for the judges.

1. Quickly Set the Scene

Why did you build this? In a few sentences, explain the problem you’re solving, or the status quo you’re greatly improving. The more the audience grasps the problem, the better. But remember, keep it short and to the point.

Some examples: “We all know doing math homework is a total drag, so… I created a robot to do it .” Or, “Urban planning is one of the most complex professions in the world. The tools on the market are expensive, outdated, and use two dimensions when the world has moved to 3D. I wanted to change that .”

2. Demo Your Working Project

Now that you’ve set the scene, it’s time for the most important part: Showing your project in action. Decide what’s important to show within the time you’re allotted. Briefly mention key technologies you used, or impressive technical challenges you overcame. Skip mundane flows such as creating user credentials, and have any needed text copied to your clipboard. Whatever you do, it’s crucial to show resolution to the problem you initially identified so your audience can see a) what your project does, and b) that you’ve completed the key components of it.

3. Quickly Wrap It up and Sell the Dream

Now that you’ve shown your project helps solve the problem you identified, spend a sentence or two highlighting its potential and any ambitions you have. The goal here is to help your audience understand its long-term impact.

4. Crush Your Online Presentation

Most hackathons require you to submit your projects online first so you get maximum exposure. Judges also use the platform to determine finalists. Start early as it will pay dividends and help you crystallize your thoughts. 

Like your verbal demo, a great online presentation will describe the problem you’re solving, show what the hack specifically does, and highlight its potential impact.

You should mention the technologies you used, anything interesting you learned, and give credit to your teammates. The best presentations we see on our platform include screenshots and a video demo. And remember, just because the hackathon ends, you don’t have to stop hacking. Keep updating your project so your fans stay in the loop.

Don’t Forget About the Resources Available to You

Before you start planning your presentation, don’t forget to check out the resources available to you while you’re building your project. At Devpost, we’ve got a ton of participant guides to help you plan your project, stay connected with team members and hackathon organizers, and use the Devpost platform.

Related posts

Winning with hackathons [Webinar recording]

User story: Inside the journey of the TikTok TechJam champion

4 Ways to use AI to elevate your hackathon projects

• Browse hackathons
• Explore projects
• Host a hackathon
• Hackathon guides
• Your projects
• Your hackathons

How To Present A Successful Hackathon Demo

Brandon Kessler

Editor’s note: Brandon Kessler is the founder and CEO of ChallengePost , a platform to showcase software, online competitions, and hackathons.

It’s sad to stay up for three days building something awesome only to bomb the demo presentation. It’s no surprise it happens: you’re exhausted and racing to finish your project, with little time to plan your words, and only a few minutes to say them. So here’s some advice on how to give a great hackathon presentation.

1. Quickly set the scene

Why did you build this? In a few sentences, explain the problem you’re solving, or the status quo you’re greatly improving. The more the audience grasps the problem, the better. But remember, keep it short and to the point.

Some examples: “We all know doing math homework is a total drag, so… I created a robot to do it .” Or, “Urban planning is one of the most complex professions in the world. The tools on the market are expensive, outdated, and use two dimensions when the world has moved to 3D. I wanted to change that .”

2. Demo your working project

Now that you’ve set the scene, it’s time for the most important part: showing your project in action. Decide what’s important to show within the time you’re allotted. Briefly mention key technologies you used, or impressive technical challenges you overcame. Skip mundane flows such as creating user credentials, and have any needed text copied to your clipboard. Whatever you do, it’s crucial to show resolution to the problem you initially identified so your audience can see a) what your project does, and b) that you’ve completed the key components of it.

3. Quickly wrap it up and sell the dream

Now that you’ve shown your project actually helps solve the problem you identified, spend a sentence or two highlighting its potential and any ambitions you have, so your audience understands its long-term impact.

4. Crush your online presentation

Most hackathons require you to submit your projects online first so you get maximum exposure, and because judges use the platform to determine finalists. Start early as it will pay dividends and help you crystallize your thoughts. Like your verbal demo, a great online presentation will describe the problem you’re solving, show what the hack specifically does, and highlight its potential impact.

You should mention the technologies you used, anything interesting you learned, and give credit to your teammates. The best presentations we see on our platform include screenshots and a video demo. And remember, just because the hackathon ends, you don’t have to stop hacking. Keep updating your project so your fans stay in the loop.

More TechCrunch

Get the industry’s biggest tech news, techcrunch daily news.

Every weekday and Sunday, you can get the best of TechCrunch’s coverage.

Startups Weekly

Startups are the core of TechCrunch, so get our best coverage delivered weekly.

TechCrunch Fintech

The latest Fintech news and analysis, delivered every Tuesday.

TechCrunch Mobility

TechCrunch Mobility is your destination for transportation news and insight.

X faces additional $1.9M fine to end ban in Brazil

X (formerly Twitter) could soon resume service in Brazil — if it’s willing to pay an additional fine. Reuters and other publications have reported on an order from the country’s…

Meta rethinks smart glasses with Orion

Meta Connect 2024 was this week, showcasing new hardware and software to support two of the company’s big ambitions: AI and the metaverse. CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced new Quest headsets,…

Brian Williams might host a live election night special for Amazon

Amazon Prime Video could be getting into the live news business, if only for one night. Variety reports that the company is in talks with longtime NBC and MSNBC news…

Judge is unimpressed by Apple’s deadline extension request in Epic Games dispute

Apple faces a looming deadline to produce what it says are more than 1 million documents related to recent App Store changes. On Friday, Judge Thomas S. Hixson denied the…

Meta offers a glimpse through its supposed iPhone killer: Orion

For years, Silicon Valley and Wall Street have questioned Mark Zuckerberg’s decision to invest tens of billions of dollars into Reality Labs. This week, Meta’s wearables division unveiled a prototype…

VCs expect a surge in startups offering lower rate mortgages, other loans now that the Feds cut rates

When the U.S. Feds cut interest rates by half a percentage point last week, it was a dash of good news for venture capitalists backing one particularly beleaguered class of…

Robot hand can detach from arm, crawl over to objects, and pick them up

The video debuted along with a research paper of the same name at IEEE’s International Conference on Robotics and Automation in Rotterdam this week.

Best iPad apps to boost productivity and make your life easier

There are many iPad apps to help you organize recipes; sync tasks across devices; be more productive; and manage your notes.

Why Index Ventures is bulking up its investment team in NYC

While online discourse would make it seem that venture has retreated to the Bay Area, with San Francisco being the most important place to build a startup, Index Ventures is…

A Russian warlord said he’ll take Cybertrucks into Ukraine; some experts think that’s unwise

In August, a Russian warlord posted a video on Telegram, showing a pair of Cybertrucks patrolling a road in Chechnya, armed seemingly with heavy machine guns. Leaving aside unanswerable (for…

WordPress.org temporarily lifts its ban on WP Engine

WordPress.org has lifted its ban on hosting provider WP Engine until October 1, after putting a block on it earlier this week. The block prevented several sites from updating their…

The WordPress vs. WP Engine drama, explained

The world of WordPress, one of the most popular technologies for creating and hosting websites, is going through a very heated controversy. The core issue is the fight between WordPress…

OpenAI might raise the price of ChatGPT to $44 by 2029

ChatGPT could get more expensive to use in coming years. The New York Times, citing internal OpenAI docs, reports that OpenAI is planning to raise the price of individual ChatGPT…

Binance founder ‘CZ’ released from custody after four-month sentence

Binance founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao was released from U.S. custody on Friday after serving out his four-month sentence in a low-security correctional facility. CZ’s sentence was the product of a…

Canoo hit with two supplier lawsuits as last remaining co-founder leaves

EV startup Canoo has been hit with two new lawsuits from suppliers linked to the drivetrains that power its electric vehicles, just weeks after the company kicked off a major…

AI dominated both YC Demo Day and startup news

Welcome to Startups Weekly — your weekly recap of everything you can’t miss from the world of startups. Want it in your inbox every Friday? Sign up here. This week…

Iranian hackers charged with hacking Trump campaign to ‘stoke discord’

Three Iranian hackers working for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targeted the Trump campaign in an attempted hack-and-leak operation, according to the Department of Justice.

Wordy’s new app helps you learn vocabulary while watching movies and TV shows

Wordy is a new iOS app that offers a unique way to learning English. The app automatically translates and defines unknown words while you watch your favorite movies or TV…

OpenAI’s $6.5B funding round may close as soon as next week

The WSJ reports that OpenAI’s next funding round, worth around $6.5 billion, could close as soon as the first week in October.

Bret Taylor of Sierra joins TechCrunch Disrupt 2024

We’re thrilled to welcome Bret Taylor to TechCrunch Disrupt 2024. As the former co-CEO of Salesforce, founder of Quip, former CTO of Facebook, the co-creator of Google Maps, and current…

Amazon dodges antitrust scrutiny in UK over Anthropic investment

The U.K.s’ antitrust authority has concluded that Amazon’s partnership and equity investment in AI startup Anthropic can’t be investigated under current merger rules due to the size and scope of…

Last hours to snag up to $600 off TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 passes

We’re in the final hours to save up to $600 on TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 tickets! Grab your tickets now and seize this final opportunity for major savings before the countdown…

Meta fined $101.5M for 2019 breach that exposed hundreds of millions of Facebook passwords

Reset your clocks: Meta has been hit with yet another privacy penalty in Europe. On Friday, Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC) announced a reprimand and a €91 million fine —…

UK data watchdog confirms it’s investigating MoneyGram data breach

The world’s second-largest money transfer provider, which filed a data breach notice with U.K. authorities, serves over 50 million people.

Napkin is a note-taking app that is not about making you more productive

Note-taking apps typically aim to make you more efficient and productive. A lot of those apps concentrate on quickly jotting down your thoughts, organizing them better, or a mix of…

9 startups that stood out on YC Demo Day 2

Here are the startups from YC Demo Day 2 that we thought stood out from the flock.

Indian game streaming startup Loco sells majority stake to Redwood

UAE-based Redwood has acquired a majority stake in the game streaming platform Loco as the Indian firm looks to expand focus to international markets, TechCrunch has learned and confirmed. Redwood,…

Starlink hits 4 million subscribers

SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet network is expected to hit a new customer milestone this week, company President Gwynne Shotwell told Texas legislators on Tuesday.  “This week, by the way, we…

Runway earmarks $5M to fund up to 100 films using AI-generated video

AI video generators need to believe that filmmakers will use their models in the production process. Otherwise why exist? To jump-start the new AI film ecosystem, Runway has set aside…

OpenAI’s VP of global affairs claims o1 is ‘virtually perfect’ at correcting bias, but the data doesn’t quite back that up

Departures might be dominating the week’s OpenAI-related headlines. But comments on AI bias from Anna Makanju, the company’s VP of global affairs, also grabbed our attention. Makanju, speaking on a…

Creating the Best Demo Video for a Hackathon: What to Know

If this is your first time joining a hackathon , then you most likely have quite a number of items on your “to-handle” list. Things like updating your resume, creating a list of potential events to register for, learning and reviewing winning solutions—various puzzle pieces are integral to the success of your application.

However, there’s one particular task that you shouldn’t overlook: creating the best video demo.

Why a Compelling Hackathon Video Matters

High-quality video demonstrations are on top the list of materials that have proven to be especially effective in making the cut for any hackathon.

Compared to mere interviews and powerpoints, videos are essential to any try-out strategy for this type of event because they intrigue organizers enough to take a chance on a contestant. Once you create a compelling video demonstration for interested companies to see, you’ll be able to:

• Demonstrate the skills that you’ve honed over the years
• Give yourself an edge over other potential winners
• Best assess what you need to refine just in time for the event
• Prepare your game plan during the event once it’s time to demonstrate your solution

Video Demo Tips to Follow

In any kind of hackathon , contestants are required to prepare videos of themselves demonstrating a solution that they created for a particular problem that a hosting organization put out. Fortunately, creating this presentation to win judges over doesn’t need to be difficult—especially if you use these tips: Tip #1: Review the Judging Criteria This is one key practice that many contestants overlook, and it can cost them greatly come game time. By simply reviewing the submission requirements for the hackathon you’ll be competing in, it will be easier to ensure that you don’t overlook key details that may make or break your effort. 

Beyond ensuring that your output is as complete as it needs to be, a quick rundown is absolutely crucial to avoid a technical disqualification at all costs! Tip #2: Use Good Equipment It may not seem like much, but making your demonstration video with more than a standard smartphone and fuzzy voice-overs will show the value of your solution in full force. While you may not necessarily need to buy the most expensive and professional equipment on the market, using a DSLR and good editing software (or even just borrowing from a friend or family member) can go a long way!

Tip #3: Be Straight to the Point

One thing that can turn judges off and take away from the value of your demonstration is creating a video that drags on. In this case, remember the KISS acronym: keep it short and sweet. Instead of a long-winded introduction, it’s better to begin your video by immediately demonstrating your project so that judges can immediately understand what you’re proposing! ‍

Creating a demonstration video for a hackathon can be tricky because of the details and factors that you need to account for. These tips will certainly make a world of difference, and you can ensure that your output has everything it needs to give you a winning advantage!  ‍ Are you looking to solve a company's problems with an innovative corporate hackathon ? We're here to help. Get in touch with us today!

You Might Also Like

What In The World Wide Web Is Blockchain?

Green Tech Hackathon Guide: Everything You Need To Know

What In The World Wide Web Is Web3?

How to crack the Hackathon

By Jason In

Using these strategies, you might even win…

I believe that many people have heard of the word — Hackathon. But what the heck is it?

What is a Hackathon?

A hackathon (also known as a hack day , hackfest or codefest ) is a design sprint-like event in which computer programmers and others involved in software development, including graphic designers, interface designers, project managers, and others, often including domain experts, collaborate intensively on software projects. — Wikipedia

In layperson’s terms, a hackathon is usually a 24~72 hour long event. The organizer will provide some challenges, and the participants will form teams and try to come up with their best ideas/solutions.

Eventually, the team(s) who presented the best ideas/solutions will get to win some cool prizes. Prizes can be cash or some gadgets. The agenda usually goes like this:

• Registration
• Introduction
• Team Formation
• Start Hacking
• Snacking (foods, snacks, midnight snacks, pizza…)
• Hacking Ends
• Presentations/Pitches & Judging
• Winner Announced

Let’s begin our journey and learn how we can crack the hackathon!

1. Unity is strength

To win the hackathon, you have to form your dream team. The first thing to do when you get to a hackathon is to form a team. You will be forming a team with random people, and ideally, a 3~5 person team is good.

Often, you will find that people there are equipped with different expertise. Don’t be afraid if you can’t code because that is absolutely fine.

Your mission is to find these 3 types of people and ask them to join your team (would be great if you yourself are one of these 3 as well):

• The Coder — You will need at least one person who can code. Someone with front-end or mobile development experience is even better. If your team doesn’t have a single person who can code, go find one.
• The Presenter a.k.a. The Salesperson — If you are very confident in building a great product, good to hear that. Though, if you can’t sell it to the audience, I’m sorry to tell you that no matter how great your idea is, you will most likely fail. Someone who can present well is very important here. I would even say that sometimes the presenter is even more important than the coder.
• The Designer — Now you have got someone who can code, someone who knows how to sell the idea, what’s next? You need someone who can make a nice user interface for the product. Although a designer is not a must, still, it is strongly recommended to have one in the team.

2. The message behind

Figure out what companies are looking for. Companies are not doing charity. After you have formed your team, calm down and observe. Look around and make sure you know who are the event sponsors.

For instance, hackathons organized by Microsoft probably will look for some ideas that can fully utilize Microsoft technology — Azure Machine Learning, SQL Database, Cognitive Services, etc.

Almost 100% of the time, the companies who sponsor the hackathon want to see how their products or services can be used to build the next Facebook or Snapchat. Thus, focus on thinking how you can make use of the services provided by the sponsors.

3. The light bulb moment

Brainstorm with your team and try to come up with a list of ideas. Any random idea is fine, just write it out and see which one makes the most sense.

There was once I went for a hackathon in London. It was organized by a company that provided mobile wallet and sponsored by another company that sells beacons.

We came up with an Android mobile app that allows people to order food in any restaurant easily. People can read the restaurant’s menu, order, pay with their phones, and just wait for the food to be served.

We had a database that stores information that looks somewhat like this — _<beacon_id, restaurant_table__ id>

By putting a beacon on each of the tables in the restaurant, we can identify which restaurant a person is in, and also where the person is seated.

Knowing where the user is, our application can decide which menu to show to the user. After ordering, the user can make a payment using either the mobile wallet, credit cards, or cash.

As you can see, our application made use of both the service provided by the organizer — the mobile wallet, as well as the product given by the sponsor — the beacon. This is the kind of idea that can win you the hackathon.

If possible, we should always make use of as many services given as possible. Having said that, I’m not telling you that embedding all the services will win you the hackathon. But rather, if there are 2 ideas from different teams, both cool and innovative, the team that uses more services has a higher chance to win.

4. Let The Coder shine

Ask the coder in your team to start building a Proof-Of-Concept (POC). After coming up with a brilliant idea, make it real. This is the time where the coder and the designer have to work closely together.

A POC doesn’t have to be bug-free and it can actually have zero functionality. In fact, most of the time, more than 80% of the functions are hard-coded. It is just for visualization purposes, helping the audience understand how your product/idea works.

Although a POC doesn’t have to have all the functions, one important thing is that it must look good . Try to make it look really nice so that the judges can be impressed when they see your team coming up with such a beautifully designed product in a limited amount of time.

5. The Steve Jobs moment

Prepare for the presentation. Ideally, the salesperson can start working on the presentation while the POC is being built.

Sometimes, at least for me, the salesperson and the coder are the same person. In this case, work on the POC first, and depending on how much time you have left, you have to quickly decide which portions of your application need to be hard-coded.

I usually spend 2~3 hours preparing for the presentation. While preparing for my slides, I like to use the KISS principle — Keep It Simple Stupid .

Remember, we are not giving a lecture and we want people to buy our idea. We want people to listen to us. So always make your slides simple, the simpler the better.

You don’t have too much time. Thus, keep your presentation and slides concise. Here I’m going to tell you the secret (formula) on how to prepare for a 5 star presentation:

• Problem statements — We want to solve some problems using technology. Prepare a few slides telling people about the background of the problem that you are trying to solve.
• Demo — People get bored easily. After telling people what the problem is, straight away tell them how you are going to solve it. Quickly show them your demo and WOW them. (Please make sure your demo works!)
• Compare — Do a comparison. Is there already an existing solution to the problem, if there is, how is your idea better?
• Hidden Slides — Always prepare some hidden slides that discuss potential future enhancements of the idea, business model, and what are some difficulties you faced during the hackathon. These can be useful during the Q&A.

6. Prepare for the prize

Get yourself prepared for the prize. Of course t’s not guaranteed, but If you follow all the steps I mentioned above, most likely you will win something.

7. Some beginner’s mistakes

One beginner mistake would be:

Not having a Proof-Of-Concept (POC) that could be showcased during the presentation. Simple idea, just put yourself in the judges’ shoes. If you were the judge, would you prefer someone who could show you something, say a website or mobile app, or someone who could only verbally tell you what their idea was? Which one would you think is more convincing?

Another mistake that many people make, especially those who first join a hackathon — focussing too much on building a functional or bug-free application . It is undeniable that this is right while building a proper product, but unfortunately, it does not work for the hackathon. Hardcoding is allowed here!

And the last one, also the one that I think people neglect — not spending enough time preparing for the presentation. The presentation is the only chance where you can sell your idea to the judges, the only time you can tell them: “my(give) idea(me) is(the) brilliant(prize)!”. So, you should always spend more time preparing for your presentation.

8. One last thing

Don’t forget to say bye to your lovely teammates. Bring the prize home and take a long rest.

After you have had enough rest, don’t forget to come back to this story and give me some claps!

If you read this far, thank the author to show them you care. Say Thanks

Learn to code for free. freeCodeCamp's open source curriculum has helped more than 40,000 people get jobs as developers. Get started

Recent Posts

Top 8 Python Projects for Your Portfolio

by Editorial Team

Building a developer portfolio is one of the best ways to show your skills to potential employers or clients. If you're learning Python, working on real-world projects is a fantastic way to strengthen your abilities and create a portfolio that stands out. Python is...

7 Reasons Why Learning SQL is Crucial for Your Career

As a developer, mastering various tools and languages is a key part of career growth. While front-end languages like JavaScript or frameworks like React often grab the spotlight, there’s one language that has remained foundational across industries: SQL (Structured...

How Long Does It Take To Learn JavaScript?

JavaScript is one of the most popular programming languages in the world. It powers almost everything you see on the web, from interactive elements like buttons and forms to complex animations and dynamic content updates. If you're thinking about learning JavaScript,...

Engineer’s advice on how to get started in tech might surprise you

by Aoibhinn Mc Bride

When you’re starting out in your career, it’s easy to become preoccupied with the route you should take to ensure you’re both maximising your long-term potential and your immediate employment opportunities.  And while recent graduates might think focussing on an...

by Editorial Team | Oct 2, 2023

Hacking the Hackathon: Strategies to Win and Learn

Welcome to the world of hackathons! If you’re new to the game, you may be wondering what a  hackathon  is and why it’s worth your time. Simply put, a  hackathon  is an event where individuals or teams come together to design, develop, and present a solution to a specific problem or challenge within a limited timeframe.

Participating in a  hackathon  can be an exhilarating and rewarding experience. Not only do you have the opportunity to work with like-minded individuals towards a common goal, but you also have the chance to  learn  valuable skills and take your problem-solving abilities to the next level.

However, winning a hackathon requires more than just a good idea and a group of talented individuals. In this article, we’ll discuss strategies you can implement to increase your chances of success and how to use the event as a learning opportunity. So, let’s dive into the world of hackathons and  learn  how to hack the hackathon!

What is a Hackathon?

A hackathon is an event that brings together individuals or teams to work collaboratively on a project within a specified time frame. These events are typically focused on technology and software development, with participants tasked with creating a functional product or solution by the end of the event. In recent years, hackathons have become increasingly popular as a means of fostering innovation and problem-solving.

The purpose of a hackathon is to provide a platform for creative minds to come together and work on a project that they are passionate about. The event enables participants to develop their skills,  learn  new things, and put their creativity to the test. Additionally, hackathons often have sponsors who provide prizes for the winning team, providing an added incentive for participants to do their best.

Participating in a hackathon can be a valuable experience, providing ample opportunities for learning and growth. These events are a great way to gain exposure to new technologies, work with other talented individuals, and develop skills in areas such as problem-solving, teamwork, and project management.

Preparing for a Hackathon

Participating in a hackathon requires careful preparation to increase your chances of success. Here are some tips to help get you started:

Forming a Team

• Choose team members who have complementary skills and can work well together
• Consider inviting people with diverse backgrounds and perspectives to bring new ideas to the table
• Ensure that everyone is committed to the project and willing to work hard throughout the event

Selecting a Project Idea

• Choose a project that aligns with your team’s skills and interests
• Consider the judges’ criteria when selecting a project idea
• Think outside the box and aim to solve a problem with a unique solution

Understanding the Rules and Requirements

• Read through the hackathon rules and requirements carefully to ensure you comply with all guidelines
• Ask event organizers for clarification if anything is unclear
• Prepare all necessary documentation and materials ahead of time

Researching the Event Theme

• Research the hackathon theme and identify how your project can best fit into it
• Consider how your project can bring a unique perspective or approach to the theme
• Ensure that your project aligns with the goals and objectives of the event

By following these steps, you can set your team up for success and ensure that you are fully prepared to tackle the hackathon challenge.

Winning Strategies at Hackathons

Participating in a hackathon can be an exhilarating experience, but winning one requires careful planning and execution. Here are some strategies that can help you increase your chances of success:

1. Plan Your Project

Before the event, take some time to brainstorm project ideas and create a roadmap for development. Make sure your idea is well-defined and feasible within the given time frame. Assign specific tasks to team members based on their strengths and expertise, and set milestones to track progress.

2. Manage Your Time Effectively

Time management is crucial in a hackathon, as you will have a limited amount of time to complete your project. Break down the development process into manageable tasks and assign deadlines to each one. Stay focused and avoid distractions, and be prepared to make adjustments to your plan as needed.

3. Collaborate with Your Team

Effective collaboration is key to success in a hackathon. Work closely with your team members and communicate clearly and efficiently. Make sure everyone is on the same page regarding project goals and timelines. Encourage brainstorming and idea-sharing, and be open to feedback and suggestions.

4. Take Advantage of Resources

The event organizers may provide various resources such as mentors, workshops, and tools to help participants during the development process. Take advantage of these resources and seek help when needed. Use online resources and libraries to speed up development and minimize errors.

5. Be Creative and Innovative

Stand out from the competition by coming up with a unique and creative project idea. Think outside the box and explore new technologies and approaches. Be innovative and daring, and don’t be afraid to take risks.

By implementing these winning strategies, you can increase your chances of success and make the most of your hackathon experience.

Learning Opportunities at Hackathons

Participating in a hackathon provides a unique opportunity to learn and develop new skills that can be applied in various aspects of your professional and personal life. By working in teams and solving complex problems, you can gain valuable experience in:

• Problem-solving skills
• Critical thinking
• Time management
• Effective communication

Additionally, hackathons offer a chance to learn about emerging technologies and software development tools. By experimenting with different coding languages, software, and resources, you can expand your knowledge and stay up to date with the latest trends in your field.

Moreover, hackathons provide an environment where participants can foster their creativity and innovation. By collaborating with peers from diverse backgrounds and sharing ideas, you can brainstorm innovative solutions and think outside the box.

Presenting and Pitching at Hackathons

After putting in long hours of coding, building and testing, it all comes down to the final presentation and pitch at the hackathon. The way you present your project and pitch it to the judges can make all the difference in whether or not you win the competition. Here are some tips to ace the presentation and pitching aspect of your hackathon:

1. Keep it Simple and Clear

The judges are not expecting a high-tech, flashy presentation. Instead, they want to see a concise and clear presentation that showcases the value and potential of the project. Avoid using too many technical terms and jargon that the judges may not understand. Clearly explain the problem you are solving and why your solution is unique and innovative.

2. Be Prepared to Answer Questions

The judges will likely have questions about your project, so be prepared to answer them confidently and in detail. Anticipate potential questions and practice your responses beforehand. This will show that you have a deep understanding of your project and have thought through all aspects of it.

3. Show, Don’t Tell

Visual aids such as screenshots, diagrams or videos can help illustrate your project and make it more engaging and memorable for the judges. Make sure to keep them relevant and succinct.

4. Emphasize the Value Proposition

The judges want to know what makes your project stand out from the rest. Make sure to emphasize the value proposition of your project – how it solves a real problem, its potential impact, and how it differs from existing solutions.

5. Practice, Practice, Practice

Practice your presentation and pitching skills as much as possible before the hackathon. This will boost your confidence and help you deliver a polished, effective pitch on the day of the competition.

Following these tips, you can ensure that your presentation and pitch stands out and impresses the judges. Remember, effective presenting and pitching skills can make all the difference in winning a hackathon!

Participating in a hackathon can be a rewarding and valuable experience for both novice and experienced developers. By implementing winning strategies and embracing the learning opportunities that hackathons provide, participants can hone their skills, expand their knowledge, and meet like-minded individuals.

Remember to invest time in preparing for the hackathon by forming a strong team, selecting a project idea, and understanding the rules and requirements of the event. During the event, utilize various tools and technologies to enhance the development process and focus on effective project planning, time management, and collaboration within the team.

Additionally, pay close attention to developing your presentation and pitching skills as this can make all the difference when it comes to impressing the judges and securing a win.

In  conclusion , hackathons are a fantastic opportunity to challenge yourself, learn new skills, and network with fellow developers. So go ahead and put these strategies into practice in your next hackathon endeavor, and who knows, you might just come out on top!

Gain Real-World Experience & Learn Job-Ready Coding Skills

A 10-step guide for a successful hackathon

Image by Mapbox Uncharted ERG,  CC-BY 3.0 US

Hackathons are easy. How much thought do you need to put into them anyway? Just set a date, and people will show up. Well, that is not quite true!

While you may get lucky with that approach, the reality is that hackathons are a keystone experience in the tech industry, and attendees have specific expectations. Not only that, but your organization also has certain needs and should set goals for a hackathon. So, how do you ensure that a hackathon works for your organization and attendees?

A successful hackathon depends on several decisions that tend to be recursive. Decisions about what you want to achieve will impact what resources you allot and how you want to communicate. Those decisions affect whether you go virtual or in person, and that decision will once again impact the resources you need and how you communicate. Alignment when planning hackathons is not just about getting people to agree. You will have a whole suite of decisions that must internally align. For example, a technically difficult hackathon might not be able to attract a large audience (ask me how I know!) and will require a specialized recruitment strategy that requires different resources.

I've done many hackathons over the years, including just a few months back, when my organization hosted a hackathon that led to new features that we will incorporate into the next version of our open source product, Traefik Proxy 3.0. So, trust me when I say planning a hackathon that will enrich attendees and create valuable outcomes for your project is about more than hope, pizza, and chaos.

This article uses the most recent Traefik Labs Hackathon as a blueprint. I share a checklist, tips, and tricks to help you identify your objectives, plan, manage the contest and compensation, share your results, and manage the long tail of the hackathon (the work isn't over when the hackathon ends!)

This guide serves as a model for you to outline best practices so that you, too, can hold a successful hackathon with a sizable target audience that delivers results!

• Three questions to determine your goals
• Why are you doing this?
• Who is your audience?
• How are you measuring goals?
• Decide on in-person vs. virtual
• Build your communication strategy
• Decide on the prizes
• Get the word out
• Managing the long tail

[ Get a PDF and EPUB version of this article. Download it here. ]

1. Three questions to determine your goals

The first and most crucial step is to set your goals. But this is no simple affair. Before you set goals, you need to coordinate internally on multiple fronts and ask questions such as:

• Why do you want to do a hackathon?
• Who do you want to attend?
• How are you going to measure your success?

Identify your internal stakeholders and set expectations

Hackathons are cross-functional . No hackathon is run by a community person alone. It is important to ensure everyone is aligned on the goals, what is required to achieve them, and that the necessary resources are committed. This probably sounds super corporate, but these functions exist even within the smallest projects. A project needs adoption and code. It also needs value decisions based on who will be using it. And, of course, projects need passionate contributors.

Hackathons require cross-functional resources . One team with a single set of resources cannot successfully run a hackathon. The organization must make various resources available, including:

• Marketing for planning and outreach.
• Product Management for product and industry-specific insight.
• Engineering for deep technical knowledge and community engagement.

For these reasons, hackathons usually support cross-functional goals. Your Community Team, for example, might want to build ownership and convert users to active community members. The Marketing Team might want to enhance awareness and court new users. The Engineering Team might need new perspectives on specific needs or challenges. The Product Team might have goals or no-go areas the community should be aware of.

And last but not least, the hackathon budget is cross-functional. I am sorry to inform you, but hackathons ain't free! Your largest expense is always the dedicated time of your team.

2. Why are you doing this?

Setting your goals is the most important part of a successful hackathon. If you don't know what you want to do or why a hackathon is important, at best, it will have a ton of wasted potential and be a disconnected mess at worst.

Communities feed off of ownership. Decide what you need from your community and what ownership stake you want community members to have. Without a clear understanding of this, your hackathon might not reach its full potential in empowering your community.

Be very careful with your hackathon design and goals. Different types of hackathons appeal to different skill levels. If the code you're looking for is very advanced, take the extra time to court the right audience and accept that it will include less overall attendance. Cast a wide net if the contributions can vary in skill and experience.

Are you hosting a hackathon to get code and build your project?

• Sometimes, projects hit a critical juncture or acquire a lot of excitement around them, and you want to harness the energy to build something together. A hackathon is a great way to achieve this!
• If you have an active community of users, a hackathon can bring everyone together at the same time to harness that excitement to feed the creative energy of your group.

Note: This is more easily achievable with smaller groups who know each other and have a shared experience with the project. You also need to carefully evaluate the skills required to build your project.

Are you hosting a hackathon to build your community or re-engage them?

• Maybe you are just building your community or noticed that your community needs a little juice. Hackathons are exciting, and they can help bring that back.
• Above, I said, "Communities feed off of ownership." If your community members do not feel they have a stake or that their needs and voices matter, they will drift away. This is common when projects grow and become more formalized. As the barrier to entry rises, the ability for community members to feel ownership falls, and the project becomes like a product to the user. One way to enhance community membership is by creating events that engage users and lower the bar for entry: Bug round-ups, light requests, and longer timelines.
• Perhaps your user community is growing, but the contributor community is becoming more specialized as your tech becomes more complex. In this case, you need to court sophisticated technologists who understand your tech and the use cases. Look for community members who use your tech in their jobs—especially at companies with large or complex deployments. These people are more likely to understand the needs of users and of the tech itself. They will also have suggestions for significant and valuable enhancements.
• You are free to choose goals that build your community and match your team and community members' energy and time. For example, at Traefik Labs, a hackathon aimed at enthusiastic folks with a small time commitment might target our Plugin Catalog. However, when looking for larger contributions or contributions that take significant expertise, we might target advanced technologists–especially those we know.

Are you hosting a hackathon to celebrate something?

• Hackathons are a great way to celebrate a new launch and hype your community. For example, that is exactly why we hosted the Traefik Proxy 3.0 Hackaethon .
• Hackathons are also great for getting the word out about a new product capability. The Traefik Plugin Hackaethon is an excellent example here.
• Maybe you want to organize an event to celebrate your top contributors. Do it with a hackathon! Take a look at this hackathon organized by HackerOne . And if you're thinking, "but this is not about open source software (OSS), how can it be a hackathon?" I've got news for you—hackathons are not just for OSS! Hackathons are for creating with a large community.

Are you hosting a hackathon to build awareness?

Hackathons are a great place to begin if you are just starting and want to build awareness around your product/brand. However, there are a few conditions.

• Laser-focused goals and big contributions are unlikely to happen at this stage. Go for a softer, broader focus, and minimize the work required by attendees.
• Reach out to new community members, less experienced users, and users with less exposure to your specific project.

Are you hosting a hackathon to connect to users?

I can think of no better way to connect new users to your project than a hackathon. Not only will your users become intimately familiar with your project, but hackathons also have a unique way of engendering a sense of ownership, rarely achievable through other types of events.

3. Who is your audience?

Assuming you have pinpointed why you want to host a hackathon and what you want to achieve, it's time to assess the characteristics that a participant needs to be successful. Use your decisions about your goals to identify your audience to ask what type of community member can help you achieve your objectives. Use the list of comparisons below:

• Highly-skilled vs. mixed-skilled vs. low-skilled
• Specialized vs. generalized skill
• Intensive time vs. less intensive time
• Individual contributions vs. group contributions

Your most active community members must look a bit like your target audience.

You might rethink your goals if your target audience doesn't align with at least 80% of the people you know you can attract. Accurately identifying your target audience will go a long way to making your communication strategy around the hackathon and the hackathon itself more successful.

4. How are you measuring goals?

Perfect, now that you answered the first two big questions and have your goals laid down, it's time for the third big question—how will you measure those goals? Inspiring your internal teams and your community to work together in building the future of your project, engendering ownership, and increasing engagement are awesome, but you can't determine success if you can't measure your goals.

What does success look like immediately after the event?

• Clearly, the first sign of success is that your attendees had an overall good experience and are motivated to engage more with your project.
• A major sign of success is whether attendees connect and engage with each other, co-educate, and build teams during their hackathon.
• Were mentorships built? Through partnership, did several newer users grow into skilled mid-level users, or did mid-level users evolve into expert-tier users? This is the gold ring of success indicators.
• Did your partner organizations (maybe universities) request future hackathons or other events?
• If building awareness, you might also look for successful follow-up chatter. Who wrote blog posts? Were attendees talking about it on social media?
• If you are looking for contributions, did they work for you? Are these the contributions you want? Did they impact how your team thinks about the problems they face? Will you have ongoing collaborations with these contributors?

What will denote success three months after the event?

Defining benchmarks for long-term success is just as important. Here are a few examples of what could indicate long-term success:

• Your hackathon should increase the number of returning contributors to your project. The goal is to get people hooked. If people new to your project came from the hackathon and stayed as users, or if your existing users became more active, you know you won.
• Hackathons are great as self-contained events, but they are supremely valuable as marketing content. They build trust in the community, showing you are responsive and value community input. They are fun loci of activity that let community members bond and look forward to the future, and they are aspirational. People love to see others celebrated and plan to achieve that celebration in the future.
• When you build marketing content around your hackathon (or better yet, others build content around your hackathon), you can expand your reach among second-degree connections.
• Tall poppy syndrome is a shame. Hackathons are a great opportunity to gather those participants who stood out and galvanize them to do other cool things and spread the word about your project.

5. Decide on in-person vs. virtual

I know what you're thinking—is in-person even a consideration? We've all gotten so used to doing everything virtually in the post-covid world. So, are the days of in-person gone? I would argue no, they are not. With care and safety measures in place, in-person events are the heart and soul of hackathons.

• In-person means no distractions, lots of pizza, and energy drink-fueled friendship.
• In-person fuels group participation rather than individual contributor participation.
• In-person works well at scale and in miniature: Organizing in-person hackathons for large groups brings high energy and rewards. But they can get quite costly. If you want to organize a large-scale hackathon, you'll be more successful if you target less experienced developers (students, clubs, new careerists) because these folks have the most time and the most to gain when demonstrating their skill and passion.
• In-person also works well for small groups and is great for intense planning and iteration—long nights with new and old friends, usually over food and beer!

And while many pros come with in-person hackathons, it doesn't mean that the virtual experience only comes with cons. Granted, nothing replaces that feeling of late nights with pizza, off-the-cuff remarks that end up changing your entire project, and a friendly set of eyes over your shoulder as you test or debug. But...

• Virtual means you can get a wider group of participants at a significantly lower cost.
• Virtual respects disability.
• Virtual is geolocation friendly.
• Virtual allows for higher individual contributor participation.
• Virtual offers more flexibility in the style and length of the event – you cannot have a month-long in-person event!

Timelines of virtual hackathons

Did you decide to do a virtual hackathon? Great! Now, you need to determine the type of virtual hackathon you want. Do you envision a prolonged or intensive timeline? Keep in mind that the type of virtual hackathon you choose will determine, to some extent, your target audience and communication strategy.

Extended timeline:

• Allows after-hours tinkering and enables developers to attend without taking time off from work.
• Provides more time to solicit contributions.
• Requires fewer resources for both the organizer and the participants.
• Extended timelines require fewer real-time resources.

Intense timeline:

• Recreates that feeling of intensity usually experienced in in-person hackathons.
• Requires a high amount of resources for a short period of time.
• Requires tight management and a communication platform.
• Requires clear one-on-one communication, but also fosters group-to-group or intra-community communication.

6. Build your communication strategy

Speaking of communication, once you have your goals, you must decide who communicates with participants and how . It's common to choose between the popular apps of the day. Your choice impacts the event's feel. Different chat applications and collaboration platforms have their own cultures and strengths. The decision you made early on about how to host your hackathon (in-person or virtual, prolonged or intense timeline) is likely to have the most significant impact on your communication strategy.

In-person communication plan

If you are running an in-person hackathon, consider it a genuine event—it feels almost like a conference. In-person hackathons often include the following:

• Workshops/round tables: Meant to educate and develop new industry standards/best practices for the concerns of the day. These sessions can function as proctored time-bound conversations amongst 6-10 individuals, where they agree upon findings and take notes that are made public to all participants.
• Planning sessions: Often used for projects with non-code outcomes, like developing updated standards.
• Coding sessions: Used for code-based projects which require work to maintain and enhance.

Each of the above has different communication needs:

• General communication for running the event (food, cleaning, management of resources).
• Masters of ceremonies to move through the agendas.
• People prepared to facilitate, but not lead, conversations in workshops.
• Note takers and people to make sure that the notes are turned into a publishable product.
• Project managers to ensure the above tasks are done.

Making this all happen requires the resources and specialized knowledge from your Community, Product Managers, and teach-savvy teams. From past experience, it took a team of community members and staff to manage an event of this scope. To be successful, your team will need specialized people as well.

You also need to decide what types of communication you want to foster and who is responsible for it:

• Multiple teams will need to take shifts to perform general support.
• A DevRel, engineering, or support team will need to manage technical communication between triage and participants.
• Community Teams usually spend extensive time connecting participants to help build strong groups by reinforcing skills or points of view. This is one way to ensure that hackathon magic.
• Community Teams also need to support marketing efforts to engage participants and manage follow-up.

Virtual communication plan

For virtual hackathons, the choice of a communication platform depends heavily on the outcome you want to achieve, the timeline you've chosen for your hackathon (prolonged or intensive), and the type of communication you wish to facilitate (synchronous or asynchronous).

Using Pull Requests and Issues on Git hosts (asynchronous):

• Choosing to communicate through Git pull requests and Issues on your project directly frees up technical staff resources because it keeps the conversations about projects in your current process and allows your team to be responsive rather than instigating communication.
• This approach is great if the team for your hackathon is small or if the expected contributions are relatively small and you do not plan to help participants form teams.
• Using your existing processes is especially great for prolonged hackathons as they do not require additional moderation or require your team to monitor an additional app.
• The downside is that you will only facilitate communication with the individual contributor or group of contributors already working together. It's difficult to connect participants who are working separately. Participants can't find each other as easily on their own, so you lose some of the magic that happens when hackathon participants organically talk to each other in open threads.

Using a chat application (synchronous):

• Choosing dedicated chat servers is required for intense hackathons.
• Chat facilitates the team formation and communication necessary for complex projects with fast timelines and sparks the brainstorming that preludes an awesome contribution.
• Additionally, your goal is to build community. People want to join communities where they have ownership, have friends, and feel comfortable. You need a place for participants to feel connected to each other if you want them to return.
• Chat servers can outlast an event, allowing for continued community engagement.

Regardless of which platform you choose, you need a communication plan that identifies when every person on your team is available. Managing a virtual hackathon can get quite tricky, primarily due to the different timezones—people can participate whenever they want, from wherever they want. You must plan to accommodate participants across all time zones and for every occasion. Draw up a plan with who is responsible (and when) for the following:

• Determining response SLAs.
• Animating your virtual space (a dead space guarantees poor communication).
• Encouraging team building.
• Responding to technical questions.
• Checking in on participants.
• Moderating the space to ensure the safety of your participants.

7. Decide on the prizes

Is your hackathon a contest? Hackathon participants are often content with grand prizes and "swagpaloozas" for top contributions. But before you decide on the fun stuff (the actual awards), you must determine what your contest values.

• What differentiates a good contribution from a great contribution? If your attendees know how you feel about this, they are more likely to hit it out of the park.
• What do you value? This is your chance to tell participants what you want to see submitted by attaching a prize to it. For example, during the last Traefik Hackaethon, we offered bounties for the most-wanted features. These were, indeed, the ones most people worked on.
• Are there categories of contributions? You need to decide on prizes for each category.
• Create a rubric (a chart or grid defining and ranking achievements, like this example ). This way, participants know what you value and how they are judged. This was one way we improved submissions at HackerOne.

On the other hand, some may argue that competition is overrated. If your goal is participation, feel free to reward every single one of your participants for simply giving back! Hacktoberfest is a great example of this approach.

8. Swag it up

Everyone loves swag! And your participants would certainly appreciate a token to remember this event, whether virtual or in person. Swag has two purposes:

• Swag shows your appreciation: The contributors took their time to engage with you in an intense way; thank them with a gift that shows you value their contributions.
• Swag builds awareness: Gifting swag to your participants helps them spread the love and build awareness of your community by sharing their loot and experience.

The community loves swag, but they don't love boring swag! You probably distributed your existing t-shirts and stickers during another event. Make your hackathon memorable and go for new, exciting, and exclusive designs. Shirts are great, and hoodies reign supreme. But think about cool swag participants may not have already. Think of something that could become their new staple item, like backup batteries or hats (both popular at HackerOne). Personally, my own home features some towels and slippers from hackathons!

9. Get the word out

Setting your goals and deciding on amazing grand prizes and swag are all important steps. But how will anyone know your hackathon is happening if you don't get the word out? You need to investigate the available channels carefully, and you need to be bold with your promotion. I'm talking blogs, vlogs, emails, social media—anything you can get your hands on.

However, depending on your defined goals, you need to invest in the appropriate channel. Where you advertise depends on who you want to invite to your hackathon.

• IIf you want to attract more experienced users, target big organizations where your project is used. LinkedIn and email promotion would be most effective here.
• If you want to bring in new and less experienced users, you're better off targeting universities and boot camps. Promoting the event on community-based media, like Mastodon, Matrix, Mattermost, Reddit, Discourse, Discord, and any place your target audience hangs out is a better choice.

10. Managing the long tail

Yay, the hackathon is over! Now all hackathon-related activities can stop, and we no longer need to pull resources, right? Wrong! Think of hackathons as only one step of the road in a series of events in your software development and community building. To deem your hackathon a success, you must be prepared to engage in post-event activities.

• Communicating your results: Don't forget to communicate hackathon outcomes internally and externally. Demonstrate the ownership the community members gained during the hackathon to grow trust in your community and project.
• Building community: Lean on your hackathon participants for future community activity.
• Putting together the retrospective: What went well, what went terrible, what was meh, what surprised you? This analysis is how you grow, change, and iterate. Don't forget to do a blameless retro as soon as possible so it is all fresh in your mind.

If you started reading this article thinking that hackathons aren't that hard to pull off, I'm sorry to have burst your bubble! And although I sincerely believe hackathons are a great way to engage and communicate with your community on so many levels, having just the intention does not guarantee the results.

For a hackathon to be successful, you need to be meticulous and prepared to invest significant resources and effort to plan and execute it properly.

Thank you for reading, and I hope this checklist helps you successfully organize your next hackathon!

By Tiffany Long

This downloadable guide serves as a model for you to outline best practices so that you can hold a successful hackathon with a sizable target audience that delivers results…

Comments are closed.

Related content.

Subscribe now

Get in touch

Hackathon Pitch, Judging and FollowUp

Jorge Ferreiro

@ jgferreiro

5 years ago · 6 min read

This article is the 4th part of the series called The Definitive Guide for Hackathon – in these chapters you can learn how to get the most out of your next hackathon.

If you are enjoying this series so far, I’d love to hear your thoughts! So tweet me your own tips or send me your doubts 🙌

In the last article of the series, I’m going to show you how to prepare your presentation, explain how the judging works and how to follow up after the hackathon.

All the articles in this series:

• Part 1: Mindset and Team Hunting.
• Part 2: Wow-factor idea and dev environment.
• Part 3: The first hour, MVCH (minimum viable crap hack) and the social hackathon.
• Part 4: Pitch, Judging and After the Hackathon (this article)

Pitch Your Hackathon Product: Get Straight to the Point

A common mistake is to prepare the presentation at the last minute. Start working on the presentation the night before the end of the hackathon. In a team of three or more, one of you can work full-time on the presentation. Then, start working really hard to practice the pitch.

How to sell your project . Do not oversell or bullshit. You need to keep it realistic, while highlighting the cool stuff you built. I’ve seen presentations with words like “AI” and “blockchain,” but they really didn’t integrate those into their hacks. Some judges may be domain experts, so be prepared to answer technical questions!

The perfect pitching structure . As Jake Hart from McKinsey told me “Many teams spend two or three minutes to do a startup pitch, rather than showcasing the hack. They only dedicate the last minute to talk about the hack itself. I’d suggest hackers focus first on demoing their project first.”

Share quote

Here is a good structure to make your pitch:

• 🎯 Fifteen seconds to explain the problem.
• 💻 One minute and a half to demonstrate and explain the hack.
• 💪 One minute to explain the challenges and lessons learned.
• 🤔 One minute for Q&A.

Pitching is a key skill you will need to acquire. I can recommend several courses: Introduction to Public Speaking. Coursera, Free. Chris Anderson on Public Speaking. Udemy. 45 euros. Pitch your hackathon product in 3 minutes and conquer the jury

Hackathon Judges – What Do They Evaluate?

Hackathon organizers generally create a rubric that contains the judging guidelines. While the evaluation criteria vary from one hackathon to another, there are some common patterns: UX/UI, technical complexity, the idea, and the lessons learned by the team.

What are the things I particularly value? I pay a lot of attention to the idea’s originality, as well as the visual aspects of the projects. “A picture is worth a thousand words," so I appreciate well-crafted and beautiful interfaces that will help your team explain the idea better. (Free advice: try to team up with a good designer 😁) On the coding side, I love hacks that have solid technical solutions. Finally, I pay attention to how much learning the team did during the weekend.

What are other judges looking for? As I mentioned in the first part of this series , Cory Levy told me that he looks for originality – hard things that haven’t been done before. Jake from McKinsey agrees, and added he always asks himself, “How hard is the thing they solved?”

As you can see, it’s hard to know the judging criteria. Build a project that you feel proud of. It’s great if you align your vision with the hackathon topic and context, but do not overthink creating the project you think judges want. Play freely and create something you will be passionate to demo and talk about.

Go Back Home and FollowUp with Hackers and Mentors

After 36 hours of a roller coaster of emotions, it’s time to wrap up and come back home! If you were lucky enough to win the hackathon – congratulations!

Winner or not, create a post describing your experience. Follow up with your new friends (hackers, mentors, sponsors) and send them a quick thank-you note. In future, these people can team up with you in a hackathon, offer you a job or become career coaches. You never know :)

I’ve experienced myself the importance of connecting online. For example, after finishing my talk at PennApps , I connected with Elizabeth Banda , Forbes Under 30 Scholar and host of Twin Talks Time. She attended my conference and posted some feedback in her stories . Before leaving UPenn I reached out to her and we met.

That story exemplifies the power of social networks and connecting post-hackathon.

Pitch, Judging and FollowUp Summary

In this last post, we learned how to structure your presentations, I shared my own judging criteria as well as other judges criteria: Cory Levy and Jake Hart's thoughts from McKinsey. Finally, I told you about the importance of connecting and follow up with participants and mentors after that.

In this series I’ve shared key points and tips to prepare and increase your chances of winning a tech hackathon, as well as important thoughts to prepare yourself to have fun and enjoy a hackathon.

Now it’s time for you to take action and start applying these tips in your next hackathon! I have created a list of great tech hackathons you should attend , and here is action items after finishing your next hackathon:

• Post a social media post explaining your experience.
• Connect with all the friends, mentors and sponsors you met.
• Write an article describing your experience.

Thanks to Jules Pierce from PennApps for connecting me with Jake Hart, and thanks to the rest of the people I interviewed.

Happy hacking! Jorge.

If you write a post or attend a hackathon, I’d love to hear your story! So tweet me how the hackathon went or email me your feedback or thoughts 🙌

On Twitter: @JGFerreiro

On Instagram: Jorge Ferreiro

On Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jgferreiro/

# Career updates

# Software developer

# Tips for Software Developers

# Entrepreneurship

Join Jorge's founder club

By submitting the form you accept the privacy policy

Check my latest YouTube videos

You may also be interested in

See you soon Eventbrite! What's next for me?

🇺🇸 How to move to the US as a startup founder (o1 visa guide)

YEAR In REVIEW 2020 by Jorge Ferreiro

What is the life of a Startup Founder (founder depression)

Hopin buys StreamYard 😲😍 What a professional GIFT 🎁

GROWTH PRODUCT MANAGER at StreamYard! 🦆🦆🦆

How to Make a Presentation for a Hackathon

Last updated on April 25th, 2024

Hackathons have become an integral part of the tech and business world, fostering innovation, collaboration, and rapid problem-solving. These intensive events bring together talented individuals, diverse skill sets, and cutting-edge technologies to create impactful solutions in a very short period of time. As a presenter or business professional, participating in a hackathon provides a unique opportunity to showcase your ideas, skills, and products.

In this article, we will explore the why, how, and when of hackathons and provide valuable insights on delivering compelling presentations that leave a lasting impression. We’ll also present some Hackathon presentation templates and slides that you can use for preparing your next Hackathon presentation.

Understanding Hackathons (What a Hackathon Is?)

Hackathons, often referred to as hackfests or codefests , are collaborative events where individuals, typically from diverse backgrounds, gather to work on solving problems, building prototypes, or developing innovative software or hardware projects within a limited timeframe. These events usually last anywhere from a few hours to a couple of days.

The purpose of hackathons is to encourage rapid problem-solving, creativity, and collaboration in a fast-paced environment. Participants bring their unique skill sets, expertise, and perspectives to tackle challenges and develop groundbreaking solutions. Hackathons provide an excellent platform for networking, learning, and showcasing one’s abilities.

Why participating in Hackatons? Main Benefits

Participating in a hackathon offers several benefits for the hackathon sponsors, presenters, entrepreneurs and business professionals:

• Networking opportunities: Hackathons attract a diverse range of participants, including developers, designers, entrepreneurs, and industry experts. Engaging with these individuals in a multidisciplinary environment, creates opportunities for collaboration, partnerships, and potential mentorship or investment.
• Access to talent: Hackathons provide a pool of talented individuals who can contribute their skills and expertise to your project. Collaborating with them can result in innovative solutions and foster professional relationships.
• Validation of ideas: Presenting your ideas and solutions to a knowledgeable audience and judging panel helps validate your concept and provides valuable feedback for improvement. This is an important stage for startups and businesses that need to validate their ideas as part, also part of the Lean Startup process and Customer Development process.
• Exposure and recognition: Successful hackathon presentations can garner significant attention, both within the event and beyond. Winning or even participating in a reputable hackathon can enhance your professional reputation and open doors to new opportunities.

Preparing for a Hackathon

Participating in a hackathon requires careful planning and preparation. Here are some essential steps to follow when you are considering to join a Hackathon program as a participant:

1. Choose the right hackathon: Consider the theme, target audience, judging criteria, and overall alignment with your goals and expertise when selecting a hackathon. Ensure that the event provides an environment conducive to your project and offers opportunities for growth and recognition.

2. Form an effective team: Building a strong team is crucial for hackathon success. Look for individuals with diverse skills and backgrounds who can complement your expertise. Effective collaboration and communication are vital, so choose team members who can work well together under pressure.

Crafting a Winning Hackaton Presentation

To make a lasting impression with your hackathon presentation, you can follow these guidelines below.

1. Understand the audience and judges: Research the hackathon’s target audience and judges before creating your presentation. Understand their backgrounds, interests, and expectations. Tailor your presentation to address their specific needs and highlight the aspects they value the most.

2. Structure your presentation: A well-structured presentation ensures clarity and engagement. Consider the following steps:

• Set clear objectives: Clearly define the problem you are addressing and outline your solution’s key benefits. The SMART Goals can help to define goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-bounded.
• Organize content: Present your ideas in a logical flow, using headings, subheadings, and bullet points to enhance readability.
• Incorporate storytelling techniques: Weave a compelling narrative around your project, highlighting the problem, the journey, and the impact of your solution.
• Utilize visuals effectively: Use charts, graphs, images, and videos to enhance understanding and engagement.

3. Demonstrate the problem and your solution: Clearly articulate the problem you are addressing, emphasizing its significance and potential impact. Present your innovative solution, highlighting its unique selling points and the value it brings to users or customers. Use examples and real-world scenarios to make your solution relatable and tangible.

4. Showcase functionality and prototype: If applicable, demonstrate the functionality and usability of your product or solution. Showcase prototypes, mockups, or minimum viable products (MVPs) to provide a tangible representation of your idea. Explain how users will interact with your solution and its key features.

5. Deliver a compelling pitch: A strong presentation delivery is key to capturing the judges’ attention. Consider the following tips:

• Communicate effectively: Speak clearly, concisely, and confidently. Use simple language to ensure everyone understands your message.
• Utilize confident body language: Maintain eye contact, use gestures to emphasize key points, and exude confidence in your project.
• Stick to the allocated time: Respect the time limits set by the hackathon organizers. Practice your presentation beforehand to ensure it fits within the allotted time.

6. Handle Q&A sessions: Be prepared for questions from the judging panel or the audience. Anticipate potential concerns or doubts and provide concise, well-thought-out answers. You can use a questions slide in your presentation. If you don’t know the answer to a question, be honest and offer to follow up after the presentation.

What are Post-Hackathon Presentation Strategies?

The hackathon experience doesn’t end with your presentation. Here are some post-presentation strategies to consider:

1. Networking and collaboration: Engage with fellow participants, judges, sponsors, and other attendees during the Hackathon event. Exchange contact information, connect on professional platforms, and explore potential collaborations or mentorship opportunities.

2. Leverage feedback and lessons learned: Seek feedback from judges and fellow participants to understand areas for improvement. Use this feedback constructively to refine your presentation skills , enhance your project, or identify future opportunities.

3. Follow-up and further opportunities: Reach out to potential partners, investors, or clients who showed interest in your project. Share additional materials, schedule meetings, or explore possibilities for collaboration. Maximize the opportunities generated during the hackathon by nurturing relationships beyond the event.

Now that we have learned what are the post-Hackathon strategies you can follow, we will showcase one of the Hackathon presentation templates you can use for preparing a Hackathon project in PowerPoint, Google Slides, Figma or any other presentation tool.

A Presentation Template tailored for Hackathons

When preparing to present at a hackathon, having a well-designed presentation template can significantly enhance your delivery and effectiveness. By utilizing a ready-made Hackathon template for PowerPoint or Google Slides, you can convey your ideas clearly, captivate the audience, and maximize the impact of your Hackathon program. Here, we introduce a Hackathon presentation template specifically designed for hackathons, highlighting its advantages and outlining key slides to include for presenting a successful hackathon program.

Introducing Hackathon PowerPoint Template by SlideModel

The Hackathon Project Presentation Template is a 100% editable slide deck designed to effectively present the details of a Hackathon project to an audience.

With a minimalistic and professional theme, this 100% editable Hackathon PowerPoint template is ideal for showcasing the process, the planning, proof of concepts, and solutions developed during a Hackathon event. It includes the following major sections:

• Introduction: This section sets the stage by introducing the hackathon project, providing an overview of its purpose and objectives.
• Problem Statement: Here, the template enables the presenter to outline the problem statement for a hackathon, emphasizing its importance and potential impact on the target audience or industry.
• Target Users and Market Selection: This slide allows for a detailed analysis of the target users, including the Total Addressable Market (TAM), Serviceable Available Market (SAM), and Serviceable Obtainable Market (SOM). It also provides insights into the competitive landscape and identifies key competitors.
• Proposed Solution: This section delves into the proposed solution, highlighting its key features and technical architecture. It enables the presenter to showcase how the solution addresses the identified problem effectively.
• Prototype & Demo: The Hackathon PPT template provides a dedicated slide for a prototype walkthrough, allowing the presenter to showcase the functionality and usability of the developed solution.
• Challenges and Key Learnings: Here, the presenter can discuss the technical challenges encountered during the hackathon planning process and present the solutions or workarounds implemented. Key learnings from the project are also highlighted, showcasing the team’s ability to adapt and overcome obstacles.
• Future Work: This section focuses on the future aspects of the project, including potential additional features and plans for scaling the solution in the market.
• Business Model and Monetization: The Hackathon presentation template and includes a slide for presenting the Business Model Canvas , outlining the monetization strategy and estimating costs associated with the project.
• Conclusion: The final section offers a recap and acknowledgments, summarizing the key points discussed throughout the presentation.

The Hackathon template features a simple title slide, team introduction slide, project name slide, and section slides with a dark theme, clearly listing the included slides in each section. Each slide within the Hackathon slide template contains editable segments, such as placeholder images, infographics, diagrams, and graphs. Users can easily customize these segments to incorporate their specific data and information.

Furthermore, this Hackathon Project PowerPoint Template is compatible with all versions of PowerPoint and Google Slides. It also includes ending call-to-action and contact slides designed for marketing purposes. This Hackathon template for PowerPoint & Google Slides can be used for various Hackathon projects, allowing users to modify and repurpose the slides to suit their specific presentation needs and adapt them for other media formats.

With its user-friendly and visually appealing design, the Hackathon Project Presentation Template offers a comprehensive and impactful tool for effectively communicating the details of a hackathon project to a diverse audience.

Real-life Hackathon Projects & Events

Before we end, we want to present here some real-life Hackathon events that you can consider reviewing when preparing your next Hackathon project. Here is a list of real hackathon events in the tech space:

• HackMIT: Organized by students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), HackMIT is an annual hackathon that brings together hundreds of students from around the world to innovate and create impactful projects. It focuses on a wide range of technological themes and challenges.
• AngelHack: Known as one of the world’s largest and most diverse hackathon series, AngelHack hosts events in various cities globally. It offers participants the opportunity to connect with mentors, sponsors, and industry experts while developing innovative solutions to real-world problems.
• TechCrunch Disrupt Hackathon: Held as part of the TechCrunch Disrupt conference, this hackathon gathers developers, designers, and entrepreneurs to build groundbreaking projects in a high-energy environment. Participants have the chance to showcase their ideas to investors, media, and industry leaders.
• MLH (Major League Hacking) Hackathons: Major League Hacking hosts numerous hackathons worldwide, fostering creativity, collaboration, and innovation. MLH hackathons attract students, developers, and technology enthusiasts, offering them the opportunity to build projects and learn from experienced mentors.
• Facebook Hackathon: Facebook organizes Facebook Hackathons focused on developing innovative solutions using their platform and technologies. These events bring together developers, designers, and entrepreneurs to create projects that leverage Facebook’s ecosystem.
• Google Developer Hackathons: Google hosts hackathons that encourage participants to build projects using Google technologies, such as Android, TensorFlow, Google Cloud, and more. These events provide access to resources, technical expertise, and networking opportunities.
• NASA Space Apps Challenge: NASA’s Space Apps Challenge is a global hackathon that engages participants in solving challenges related to space exploration, Earth science, and technology. It brings together scientists, engineers, designers, and innovators passionate about space and technology.
• ETHGlobal Hackathons: ETHGlobal organizes hackathons focused on blockchain and decentralized applications (DApps). These events attract blockchain developers and enthusiasts to collaborate, learn, and create innovative solutions leveraging blockchain technology.
• HackZurich: HackZurich is Europe’s largest hackathon, inviting participants from various disciplines to develop creative projects. It provides a platform for participants to collaborate, learn, and build innovative solutions within a vibrant and diverse community.
• Hack the North: Hosted at the University of Waterloo in Canada, Hack the North is a prominent hackathon that brings together top student developers and innovators from around the world. Participants collaborate on projects, receive mentorship, and have the opportunity to showcase their work to industry professionals.

These are just a few examples of the many real hackathon events in the tech space. Each event offers its unique atmosphere, challenges, and opportunities for participants to showcase their skills, collaborate, and develop innovative solutions in a time-constrained environment.

Hackathons provide a valuable platform for presenters and business professionals to showcase their talents, innovative ideas, and problem-solving skills. By understanding the nuances of hackathons and mastering the art of presentations, you can elevate your chances of success in these dynamic and competitive events. Seize the opportunity, prepare diligently, and make your mark at the next hackathon, leaving a lasting impression with your exceptional presentation skills. Remember, a powerful presentation can make all the difference in capturing attention, gaining recognition, and unlocking future opportunities.

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Sign up to our newsletter

We will send you our curated collections to your email weekly. No spam, promise!

• Community Hackathons  
• Get in touch
• Technical Recruitment  
• Get started
• For Developers

Developer Assessments

Hire the best talent for your technology team

Conduct hackathons with a community of 4M+ developers

The complete guide to organizing a successful hackathon

• Demystifying hackathons​
• Conducting hackathons
• Innovating with hackathons
• Organizing hackathons
• Internal hackathons
• External hackathons
• Types of hackathons
• Onsite hackathons
• Online hackathons

2-Phase hackathons

• Stages of organizing a hackathon
• Hackathon management software

Make the most of your next hackathon.

Help your peers in conducting a successful hackathon.

Demystifying hackathons

Over 80% of Fortune 100 companies conduct hackathons to drive innovation. More than 50% of the hackathons are recurring events, indicating that they are a reliable tool for sustained innovation…..

HackerEarth analyzed close to 1000 hackathons conducted over a 2-year period around the globe. The U.S. leads the way with over 350 hackathons every year, followed by India and the U.K. Additionally, the survey found that private companies accounted for almost 50% of all hackathons conducted, universities hosted about 30%, and, interestingly, non-profit and government organizations conducted over 10%.

For more insights such as the following,

You can read the complete Global Hackathon Report here

What is a hackathon?

Hackathon is a tool to drive sustained innovation and crowdsource solutions to address pressing real-life business problems and social issues. A hackathon is typically a time-bound competitive event where participants collaborate to build proofs of concept and minimum viable products for a specific pre-defined problem or to innovate.

Why should you conduct a hackathon?

Hackathons have some clear advantages over traditional innovation management processes. They are inclusive, agile, promote multidisciplinary collaboration, and have shorter innovation cycles that are better suited to addressing fast-changing consumer demands.

Along with generating new ideas and future proofing a business, hackathons help de-risk product development, improve employee engagement and retention, find excellent talent, enable customer focused innovation and engagement, accelerate the speed of innovation and problem solving, enhance collaboration between teams, bring about cost savings through R&D, and build community, brand, and leadership.

How does a hackathon help in innovation?

“If you look at history, innovation does not come just from giving people incentives; it comes from creating environments where their ideas can connect,” says Steven Johnson, an American author. In a way, hackathons complement traditional innovation methods . Through hackathons, companies harvest ideas and knowledge to take their technology to the next level. With the added advantage of crowd-driven ideation, companies can now move fast, reduce the time-to-market, and get ahead in the race.

Traditionally, the responsibility of coming up with innovative products, services, and business models was assigned only to a handful of people within the organization. Generally, a dedicated R&D or a specific unit for innovation was assigned to the task. Nowadays, companies, both big and small, conduct hackathons to drive innovation. With the way the workforce today is connected today, collaborative innovation is easy. Concrete ideas derived from hackathons have helped deliver top-notch products, better customer experience, and greater revenue.

Companies have interpreted the hackathon concept in various ways. However, McKinsey says that top companies haven’t fully understood the potential of hackathons as tools of disruptive innovation.

How can you organize a hackathon?

The entire process of organizing a hackathon, marketing the event, driving registrations, ideating, and creating prototypes typically takes 30 to 40 days. An innovation program cannot get more agile than this.

Once you (the organizer) have decided why you want to conduct a hackathon , the next steps include deciding whom you want to engage and how you want to engage. Depending on their objective, companies may thus opt for either an internal hackathon or an external hackathon.

Internal Audience – Internal Hackathon

If the objective is to engage your employees, promote a collaborative work environment, or create a culture of innovation, an internal hackathon is your best bet.

What is an internal hackathon?

Conducted only for employees, internal hackathons give them the freedom to forget about everyday responsibilities and restrictions and build something innovative. Teams collaborate to develop a proposal, build a prototype, and pitch ideas to senior management to secure funding or win recognition. These events promote a maker culture that’s important in today’s tech companies.

Companies such as Google, Whirlpool, and Facebook hold internal hackathons to encourage new product innovation by their employees. For example, the Like button, chat button, and timeline of Facebook were created during its company-internal hackathons. Companies keep a closer watch on their data as well while employees “flex their creative muscles” at low risk.

What are the benefits of internal hackathons?

Internal hackathons are an excellent way to drive innovation within the company. If done well, periodic hackathons can help to

The only way you can be consistently innovative is when the pace at which you are generating creative ideas and testing prototypes is higher than the pace at which your external factors are changing.

More experiments allow you to test out a large set of hypotheses and conducting not-so-perfect experiments also means that the cost of failure is low while giving you many insights. Internal hackathons are the perfect environment for rapidly prototype and test validity and feasibility before full implementation.

Hackathons help to quickly check the feasibility of some of the ideas that can be taken up in the immediate roadmap. The dedicated time that one gets during the hackathon along with the competitive spirit and adrenaline rush can accelerate product development.

Even though all ideas generated at a hackathon don’t get implemented, they can become a good reference list for future road-map discussions.

This can facilitate collaboration between different teams but also give engineering teams a better perspective on the customer and make the non-engineering teams more vested in the product.

What are the typical objectives of an internal hackathon?

• Crowdsource ideas from a company’s existing talent
• Reinforce company values
• Help assess the company’s existing employee pool based on the presentation skills, team collaboration ability, etc.
• Drive engagement by focusing on self-directed and dynamic learning
• Develop a diverse and flexible work environment by encouraging empowered teams
• Promote transparency in the management by facilitating talent mobility and ensuring a culture of recognition
• Identify people with the right skills and attitudes

What are the basic steps of an internal hackathon?

Companies need to find themes that are fun for the employees yet in line with business goals.

Following are the basic steps of an internal hackathon, but there are a lot of details that need to be ironed out:

• Decide the purpose:  Define the goal of organizing a hackathon, which is generally one of these—crowdsource ideas or solutions for innovation, increase product API adoption, testing, internal engagement, and marketing or employer branding.
• Define the problem statement: What is the exact problem you are trying to solve or what are the opportunities that you want to exploit via innovation?
• Set the theme: Based on your avenue and problem statement, you define the specific theme that you want the participants to work with. Provide as much context and insights as possible for the participants.
• Keep enough time to plan: Depending on the scale of the event, you need anywhere from four to eight weeks to properly plan for the event.
• Engage people from across: Ensure your teams have people with different skills and from all levels to avoid groupthink and encourage networking and teamwork; diverse ideas spell quality.
• Make time for good breaks in between: Some engaging games or good food keep up the motivation levels and make sure that a good result is achieved. Robert J. Moore from RJmetrics says that if the times of these breaks be defined, hackers take them as milestones and are inspired to hack through each of them.
• Have a deployment process in place: An important metric to measure the success of a hackathon is that it gets deployed in working projects. It is a motivation factor for teams that their projects will be deployed and will be accessible for people. Judge ideas based on novelty, feasibility, simplicity, design, and business value.
• Decide on prizes or opportunities: Although the idea is to embed an innovation-driven culture in the organization, prizes (reward points, gift vouchers, incubation) always help.
• Wrap-up: After the hackathon is over, showcase your work to the world. Share pictures and videos on your website; do a blog post with the winners; and get the story out in the media.

What are the stages of an internal hackathon?

As with any hackathon, the first step will be idea submission. The event which could be a hackfest for 24 to 48 days or a two-phase hackathon where employees across all levels of the organization and its branches world over submit their ideas via an idea management platform. This phase could last between 2 and 4 weeks. In the second phase, an offline event could be held on Day 15 or 30 of the campaign where chosen ideas are translated into prototypes. Following the presentation and judging, the winners are announced and feted.

Who owns the IP rights in an internal hackathon?

In case of an internal hackathon, all rights are owned by the organization conducting it. The company has the full ownership of the inventions made by its employees.

* Companies need to ensure that employee agreements have provision for hackathon participation; when employees go for external hackathons make sure those are not related to the employer’s business interests to avoid conflict. Companies should provide IP counsel about IP risks and opportunities before the event; it doesn’t pay to prohibit participation and alienate them.

What factors indicate the success of an internal hackathon?

• High participation
• High cross-functional collaboration
• High ideation rate
• Relevant and quality ideas
• Top-quality proofs of concepts and prototypes
• Positive feedback from the employees

Read more: Measuring innovation performance

What are external hackathons?

In this type of hackathons, a company engages people within and outside the organization. The invites are often influenced by the themes and goals that are set.

According to Gartner, “ CIOs can use external hackathons to change culture, improve customer experience, find new revenue opportunities, reduce costs, engage new ecosystems, and improve talent management.”

External Audience – External Hackathon

External hackathons help companies engage with external audience. The external audience can be a developer community, data scientist community, or even the general public.

2300+ Developers

52 applications built.

“ KONE tapped into the HackerEarth’s 2M+ developer community through an external hackathon to crowdsource innovative ideas to modernize elevators. “

Jayapraksh.B Deputy General Manager – KONE IT India

The global elevator market is expected to grow from $88 billion to $125 billion by 2021. That’s a steep rise.

This market expansion will provide a massive opportunity for elevator manufacturers who can develop innovative, next-gen smart elevators.

KONE, one of the world’s largest elevator manufacturers, took an interesting approach of leveraging the open-innovation model to capitalize on the market expansion. It partnered with IBM to launch a hackathon-based innovation campaign.

What are the benefits of external hackathons?

• Exploring new technologies
• Driving business innovation
• Sourcing incubation programs
• Creating potential startups
• Branding of products or an organization
• Creating solutions for social causes
• Analyzing data to make predictions
• Rewarding innovative thinking

*If the focus is on the output, the objective could be IP development, branding, or innovation.

How do you choose to engage?

In this type of hackathons, a company engages people within and outside the organization. The invites are often influenced by the themes and goals that are set. According to Gartner, “CIOs can use external hackathons to change culture, improve customer experience, find new revenue opportunities, reduce costs, engage new ecosystems, and improve talent management.”

Onsite Hackathon

Online hackathon, hybrid/ 2-phase hackathon, onsite hackathon.

At onsite hackathon, participants work collaboratively to innovate at a physical location. In this format, organizers will need to consider time, geographical, and logistical constraints while designing the event. In onsite hackathon, organizing workshops, hosting knowledge-sharing sessions, and getting the venue, tools, and other aspects of the working environment ready are important.

Online hackathon

6214 registrations, 144 submissions, 3 ideas chosen.

3 non-profit organizations partnered with HackerEarth to solve the biggest problems of democracy in an online hackathon.

Read more: about Hackocracy

A robust, dedicated platform, such as HackerEarth , is used to connect with the right audience, set reasonable goals around what work will be accomplished during the hackathon, gather and record the ideas and prototypes. Along with providing greater reach,  this format makes it easier for organizers to shortlist, monitor, and coach participants and evaluate their ideas using an automated platform.

Although most activities involved in the organization of onsite and online hackathons are similar , certain tasks such as registration, rules, and promotion will include a few different subtasks as well. Hand-holding participants can also be easier than in in-person events.

Online events enjoy obvious advantages:

• Less overhead costs (venue, transportation, staff)
• Larger and more diverse audience (no geographical constraints)
• Better quality deliverables, which are more complete, when the challenges run for a longer duration
• Improved chances of success via social media (sharing, reach)
• Community creation

Online hackathons come with a unique set of rules. You will have to clearly address issues related to submissions and judging. Here is an example of an FAQ section and a Rules section that can give you an idea about the kinds of queries participants of an online hackathon may have.

Hybrid events, which have both online and onsite phases, improve levels of engagement significantly. The initial ideation phase is online, which gives more control over the shortlisted ideas, and the prototype building phase, which is onsite.

4500 Participants

211 submissions, 14 finalists.

Future Group conducted a hybrid/2-phase hackathon to crowdsource digital solutions to master customer data management.

The entire process is slightly shorter than it is for online hackathons, lasting from 30 to 60 days. A two-phase hackathon gives the opportunity for better interaction with the participants, mentoring and branding.

Imperatives of organizing a hackathon

Stage one: Deciding the format, timing, website, date, venue, sponsors, rules, giveaways

(4 months before the event)

Once the objectives, the context, and the purpose of the hackathon has been decided, you go to

Stage 2. This should be done well in advance, at least 3 to 6 months before if possible.

Choosing hackathon theme and problem statement

For a solution that makes a difference in terms of quality and relevance, a succinct, focused theme is non-negotiable.

Before you get gung-ho about the hackathon, be it online or onsite, you need to have clearly defined goals in place if it is a themed hackathon. Unlike open-ended hackathons, themed hackathons expect participants to work on specific projects, such as those that require you to use a company’s technology or for social good. The diversity of creative ideas could be less than exciting, but it might be more amenable to a first-time hacker and to get sponsors. Choosing a broad theme is likely to be less restrictive.

For a company hackathon, the organizer or committee will need to identify key business areas that are suffering because of definite challenges that haven’t been addressed satisfactorily. A well-defined problem statement will define your hackathon strategy. Focusing on the challenge during the event will require mentors in the form of managers, experts, or speakers to provide real-time feedback to guarantee solutions are designed keeping in mind the end user.

Themes can be anything from boosting the visibility of a brand to creating a new startup to developing a new app for disaster management to designing a launch campaign. Here’s a table with a few popular hackathon themes.

Hackathons often have broad themes or domains and then sub-themes. For example, healthcare can be the theme and re-engineering patient experience can be the more focused challenge statement.

Here’s an example from a recent hackathon conducted for GE Healthcare (HealthHack) , India.

Purpose (Why hackathon) : Crowdsource Solutions for real-life business problems

Theme: Digital Healthcare

Problem Statement: There is a lack of quality and experienced healthcare professionals in rural India. This in turn leads to a lack of quality maternal care, delay in diagnosis, and hospital overcrowding. Some of the possible solutions were providing hands-on training for these inexperienced professionals and establishing remote ICUs and remote patient-monitoring systems.

Themes: Based on the possible solutions for the problem statement, the themes of the hackathon were outlined:

• Contextual training platforms
• Video Content Analysis
• Contextual care protocols

Read more about GE Healthcare Hackathon>>

Choosing your target audience

Choosing your target audience depends on the problem you are trying to solve and the success criteria.

Before you find your community of interest—employees, developers, startups, customers, or students, decide how creative and technically competent you want them to be. How relevant will your audience be if the objective of the hackathon is digital transformation or brand enhancement? You would want the deliverable to be an idea, a scenario, a prototype, an app, an interface, a proof of concept, or a turnkey solution; these different levels of completion also decide your participant group.

Hackathon Format

Is your hackathon a physical or a virtual one? Will it be private or public? Will registration be free? How many stages will there be?

Duration of Hackathon

Is your hackathon going to be for 24/36/48 hours or longer?

Does your proposed date fall on public holidays or in the holiday season? Check websites like Meetup or tweet to find out it of it clashes with niche conferences or other similar hackathons. Your target audience will tell you what days are most likely to work; for example, students could find weeknights tough. Weekends are most popular. Ensure you factor in extra minutes to prepare the venue and clean up after the event. Hackathons are more frequent between January and April and September and November in Europe and the U.S.

Big brands that have recurring hackathons can update the website when required. But for a first-timer, your website should have a unique and appealing design. Ensure your website has all details pertinent to the hackathons—registration, eligibility, requirements, timelines, learning resources, judges, winning criteria, prizes, swags, referral programs, etc. For example, get your sign-up form ready and explain the registration and selection processes.

Be clear about the Creative Commons License and the IP rights on your website. Here’s an example (check out Article 12).

Choosing the hackathon venue

Deciding where you are going to hold your hackathon needs some work.

• If you are looking for space that doesn’t require you to pay, then you can look for places on-campus. You can contact the people in charge in universities or use a campus advocate who can cut through any red tape. Once you’ve won over your campus ambassador, he or she can “sell” your hackathon to the administration. Lofts are also an option.
• If free venues are not available on campus, you can approach companies that wouldn’t mind freeing up space for you. You can also look for co-working spaces. Some companies host events if you agree to display their logo. If nothing works, go online.
• You need to zero in on the right location once you know how many participants are likely to be there. You’ll need enough space to seat your participants, others, and place the equipment. So, arrange for chairs, banquet-style, circular, or rectangle tables depending on what you want it for—hacking, workshop, eating, etc.
• The venue must be easily accessible via public transport and with provisions for the differently abled, elevators, spaces to relax and sleep, and gender-neutral restrooms.
• The venue must be secure for the people and the equipment; there should ideally be insurance in case of fire or theft.
• Perhaps the most important of all, fast, secure, and reliable Wi-Fi for hacking and connecting all devices is the primary point on the venue checklist. Also, check for ethernet cables, ports, and servers that you need to host a successful hackathon. Read more
• You will need power strips or extension cords for every table, and projector, microphone, etc. for presentations.
• If your participants are under 18, you will need to satisfy any related legalities and have staff for supervision in case of overnight stay.
• Check if the venue places restrictions on advertising, photography, catering, and delivery.
• Remember to book as early as you can and check for all kinds of fees and regulations!

Hackathon sponsors

This is could well be the hardest task. Getting people to part with their money is never easy. How can you raise funds for a student or non-profit hackathon? First, you need to come up with a budget. Once you have your estimates, you devise a plan for sponsorship. Whom do you target and how? Sponsors will buy in when they want to boost the brand’s visibility, recruit skilled workers or interns, or get real-time feedback on application programming interfaces or some product or service.

Create a budget

• Know everything you need to about the revenues, costs, and how much you intend to spend on each attendee. You need to appear credible to your investors/sponsors.
• Have your budget estimates include food, drinks, travel, security, facilities, hardware, staff, branding, and swag packs. Set aside an emergency fund.
• Watch this video for extra information about budgeting for your hackathon.
• Here’s a sample budget.

Know when to approach your sponsors

• Network well ahead of the event to rope in funds from “key” players in the field. Talk to developers in your network or ask for introductions, lookout for fundraising announcements, use sites such as crunchbase.com or rapportive.com to find useful contacts.
• Approach your potential sponsors keeping in mind the financial quarters when big companies are likely to have set aside a budget for similar events.
• After deciding the level of sponsorships (i.e. pricing) you require, email or schedule calls with prospective companies. You should create value for tiered sponsorships to get their buy-in. Here’s an example of a sponsorship package.
• While you are armored with a pitch deck and confidence to sell your event, be sure all basic information has been chalked out (hackathon objectives, date, expected participation, venue, value propositions, website, etc. and the differentiating factors).

Create value for your sponsors

• Be ready to offer custom packages if you can and negotiate. Sponsors can help by also giving you judges or mentors, if not money.
• Make sure your sponsors are happy so that they are likely to back more events in the future. Regular professional communication is key to convincing them they got their money’s worth and more.
• Watch this webinar for extra information about raising sponsorship.
• Once the event is done, remember to thank your sponsors publicly on your website and via social media, if they allow it.
• If your sponsors are popular brands, exploit the fact by displaying logos.

Potential hackathon sponsors

• Corporates can easily fund their internal hackathons to drive innovation to give ideas from enthusiastic, bright employees a fighting chance to add to the commercial success or to support social responsibility.
• Developer tool companies, such as Mashery and Mailchimp, and organizations, such as Kauffman and Ford, will sponsor your event for various reasons—say, social cause, entrepreneurship, recruiting, and branding. Sponsors can help by extending cash for services, co-branding, adding believability, promotion, or contributing in kind.
• Students can also approach entrepreneurship or technology or innovation organizations within universities; they can also broker deals with local companies, such as restaurants, who want some free advertising, or with trade associations, other education institutions, local and provincial governments, and IT vendors and firms.
• If you don’t want to buy your way in, try developing relevant collaborations with companies such as SendGrid and Twilio to make inroads into the developer community and co-host hackathons.

Hackathon code of conduct

• To maintain a welcoming environment, formulate policies to deal with all kinds of harassment and lack of respect for others’ opinions, and remind all attendees that it is up to them to make the experience amazing.
• Communicate the code of conduct via the website, posters, and any other published material sent to sponsors, participants, speakers, hosting team members, and make people acknowledge their agreement to the terms and conditions.
• All attendees need to understand what behavior is expected of them.
• Have a proper reporting policy or channel by mentioning in the document whom to contact and how. Train your team before the event and designate some people specifically to deal with any kind of crisis and escalate.
• All violations should be kept private, if possible, and handled impartially by following a clearly defined chain of custody.
• Decide what the outcome of the breach of conduct will entail for the person.
• Most important tip of all: Don’t judge the victim. Once the details have been noted, offer support, arrange escort, or contact law enforcement if required.
• Although this blog has been written in relation to conferences, it can work just as well with physical hackathons.

Judges and Speakers

• Naturally, your judges must have the aptitude required to make knowledgeable decisions about the hacks.
• You can invite people from companies you would like as sponsors.
• Network with the movers and shakers in the field and have a few names to pull out of the hat once the basic details of the hackathon have been locked down.
• Developer evangelists, university deans, celebrated subject matter experts, and local bigwigs of top organizations can also be excellent choices.
• Tell your judges what the winning criteria (such as business potential, relevance to the theme, practicality, technical complexity, etc.) are before the event. Prep them about what features the hacks or deliverables must have, talk about the scoring system, and encourage them to jot down notes during demos.
• Emphasize the importance of fair judging.
• Letting the judges meet the hackers before the presentation is a good idea because it gives them a better chance to impress the judges with a more comprehensive explanation and demonstration than is possible in a 5-minute demo.
• You can either let your judges pick winners or you could have a voting system where others (employees, public, sponsors, consumers, etc.) can also help select the best projects.
• Don’t have too many finalists because your judges most likely won’t have the bandwidth to test and evaluate so many submissions.
• Select speakers just like you would choose judges.

Hackathon prizes

• Nothing draws people to a competition as the promise of awards and recognition.
• Giving all participants something rather than awarding only the winner can be more motivating.
• If you want your hackathon to offer superb opportunities to learn and network with peers, cash prizes or gadgets need not be advertised as prizes.
• Depending on the goal and sponsors, you can offer valuable chances of getting into incubator or accelerator programs, internships, and scholarships. However, if you are organizing tech hackathons, try giving the best gear in the market; it will be much appreciated.
• As much as possible, try to make the prizes available on the day of the hackathon, else give the teams clear instructions on how to collect it later.
• Look at some popular gifts and opportunities apart from cash prizes.
• Check out the eligibility of the winners and possible legal (e.g. tax laws) issues before you give away the prizes.

Most Popular Gifts

Gift certificate, smart watch, amazon echo, gaming consoles, portable hard drives, apple macbook, paid holidays, hackathon promotion.

• You can say that letting the world know about it is perhaps the best way to get the right mix of attendees. You need to be very clear about what skill sets you are looking for.
• Promote your event using low-cost channels—blogs, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Groups, Map, Mailing lists, Websites, and ask attendees, your employees, and community honchos to spread the word. (Tip: Try not to spam.)
• Outreach campaigns must target developer groups, universities, and startups.
• Use PR measures, such as a press release, to let media know about your event, including all the relevant details (theme, vision, timeline, prizes, and sponsors).
• Co-working spaces, incubators, and accelerators can help you with startups.
• Contact university admins and campus ambassadors to get your foot into the academic sphere.
• For internal hackathons, use emails, posters, social media, and intranet to get the employees interested; involved the management, asking them to become mentors or judges to show that everyone is working toward the same goal.
• Your community managers can maximize participation using email campaigns, radio ads, and other media channels.
• If you don’t have enough resources to manage the promotional campaign, employ partners—advertising agencies can bring in innovative ideas, PR agencies can help with visibility, call centers can help to interact directly, and specialized networks can help with more accurate targeting and outreach. However, measuring ROI can be tough.
• Encourage challenging and inspiring discussions on the “wall.”
• Your social interface has to be lively and up-to-date.
• Compelling copy goes a long way in capturing people’s interest.

Guidance, knowledge transfer and support

It is essential to provide as much contextual knowledge and technical support to the audience for them to better understand your theme and problem statements.

Accenture conducted a Blockchain hackathon targeting the developer community. It organized a series of webinars on the topic to enhance the knowledge of the participants.

• Your designated team members must address all technical and general queries as soon as possible.
• The tools (e.g. SDKs, APIs) and resources should be easily accessible and well documented.

Getting ready for the event

• To stay on top, try using organizing tools to track all aspects— technical, logistics, participation, etc.
• Choose the finalists from the idea submissions; get the best projects ready for the day of the hackathon.
• Arrange for workshops or information-sharing sessions for potential participants.
• Start sending reminders to attendees 7 to 10 days before the event.
• Finalize your speakers.
• Contact and sign on food caterers and miscellaneous vendors such as T-shirt suppliers.
• Get the travel itinerary of attendees and arrange for cost-effective and efficient transportation. In case of travel reimbursements, tell the participants how they can claim it and when. For participants who live in other countries, send an official invitation which makes apply for the visa easier.
• Get the final headcount. Confirm attendance a day prior to the event. Sometimes, half the people won’t turn up. Although you may be happy with the number of registrations, close to 30% do not submit a hack.
• Prepare your schedule. Look at this example.
• A day before the hackathon, go through the event with your organizing team, like a dress rehearsal.
• Ensure any last-minute changes in the schedule are communicated to the attendees via social media or in-person.

Putting it all together on D-Day (Day Zero)

After months of planning and worrying about the hackathon, you don’t want to leave anything to chance. Make a checklist. Get to your venue early or the night before and set up everything you can possibly.

Get the venue ready

• Set up the chairs, beanbags, and tables.
• Get the premises, including the dedicated hacking, sleeping, snacking, and recreational areas and restrooms, clean and ready.
• Place proper signs to guide attendees.

Check for possible power and hardware issues

• Make sure the hardware toolkit is good to go—enough power bars, extension cords, and network cables; uninterrupted secure wi-fi; top-quality wi-fi routers; a projector; a couple of extra laptops; audio/PA equipment; open and accessible ports with few firewalls; traffic monitoring; IP whitelisting; and DHCP/subnet capacity (Tip: You can outsource networking requirements as well!).
• Let attendees know they are responsible for the security of their devices.

Kicking off the hackathon

• Get your registration/help desk ready to check participants’ IDs, liability waivers, forms for minors.
• Give the participants any promotional pamphlets you need to, name tags, login credentials.
• Welcome attendees with a formal/informal presentation going over the hackathon objectives, the schedule (like the one above), and the rules.
• Introduce the organizers, volunteers, speakers, and hackers.
• Get the first meal ready.
• Remember to update social media to help maintain the exciting atmosphere.
• Be sure to take questions if any.

Keeping things going

• Help individuals make their pitches, form teams, pick corners.
• Communicate timelines and rules for every step of the hacking process—brainstorming, pitching, formulation, and presenting, including meal times.
• Make sure mentors/advisors are available to the participants.
• Public listing of hacks is recommended; use a service, such as Dev Post or HackerEarth, or Etherpad/Google docs/Wiki pages.
• Answer questions about Intellectual Property clearly; with a couple of exceptions, IP rights always belong to the hackers; read the following for more information:
• After judges announce the winners, it is time for the post-mortem; you can use online voting systems as well.

Post-hackathon activities

• Thank your participants, sponsors, hosts, speakers, judges, mentors, data providers, press, and volunteers.
• In your concluding talk, talk about the community, the website, mailing lists, and mention any upcoming events.
• Arranging a cocktail party or a trip to the local can be a great way to conclude your hackathon.
• Get nice videos and photos of the event for future marketing purposes.
• Do a thorough analysis of the participant data and any other relevant statistics, channels used for outreach, quality of the hackers and their submissions, and get “like–dislike” feedback from the attendees.
• Follow-up blogs, tweets, emails, and demo videos or presentations are great after-event tools to maintain the “connect.”
• For internal hackathons too, communicating details about the events, hacks, and winners plays a big part in boosting a company’s image, be it in terms of employee. satisfaction, collaboration, or innovation; companies can recruit the best talent or roll out feasible projects after the hackathon or fund/incubate the winning idea.
• For online hackathons, once qualifying submissions have been judged and winners declared, ensure that you publish the results and let them know.
• Turn interviews into blog posts or case studies.
• Work with them to nurture their ideas or develop their prototypes if possible.

Choosing your hackathon management platform

• Dedicated platforms to conduct hackathons are available in the market. These customized tools publish your hackathons, and they manage them. They ensure optimum integration with internal social networks, IT systems, and other existing tools.
• From an organizer’s perspective, the platforms give easy access to participant data and submissions, allow external voting, offer a forum for discussion, let mentors easily help the hackers online, offer customization of platform design, allow export of projects, and offer a real-time stats dashboard.
• Judges and mentors must be given login credentials.

A hackathon management software solution — Sprint

HackerEarth’s hackathon management software allows you to host a hackathon and manage it end-to-end with ease.

The steps of the hackathon workflow are as follows:

• Create a hackathon
• Market the hackathon
• Build registrations
• Manage teams
• Evaluate submissions
• Publish leaderboard

Sprint confers the following advantages:

• Ability to conduct hackathons from anywhere
• Targeted brand visibility
• Solutions to real-world problems
• Extension and promotion of an organization’s work and culture
• Crowdsourcing and collating ideas and picking the best
• Online collaborative development environment

We’ve come up with this basic guide relying on expertise gleaned from conducting hundreds of hackathons world over. Although there’s no one-size-fits-all strategy, the above-mentioned points should help you maximize your efforts in organizing an effective and well-designed event for any kind of organization to achieve its desired outcomes.

80% of Fortune 100 companies use hackathons to foster innovation.

Download e-book.

10 Tips for Hackathon Success in 2024

In the dynamic world of technology and innovation, hackathons have become a crucible for creative minds looking to push the boundaries of what’s possible. This article delves into the strategies and practices that can elevate your hackathon projects from great ideas to winning solutions in 2024. From assembling the right team to the importance of user experience, we cover essential tips that pave the way for hackathon success.

Key Takeaways:

• Understand the Theme : Deeply understanding the hackathon’s theme and objectives is crucial for aligning your project for success.
• Diverse Skills in Teams : Assembling a team with diverse skill sets enhances problem-solving capabilities and innovation.
• Embrace Agile Methodologies : Agile methodologies foster flexibility and adaptability, essential for rapid development in hackathons.
• User Experience is Key : Prioritizing user experience ensures your solution meets real user needs, making it more compelling.
• Effective Presentation : A well-prepared presentation can significantly impact your project’s reception, highlighting its value and innovation.

Table of contents

Introduction, 1. understand the theme and objectives, 2. assemble the right team, 3. plan and prioritize tasks, 4. embrace agile methodologies, 5. leverage open source and apis, 6. focus on user experience (ux), 7. implement effective version control, 8. appsembler: a catalyst for hackathon success, 9. prepare a compelling presentation, 10. network and learn from feedback, frequently asked questions.

In the rapidly evolving tech landscape of 2024, hackathons have emerged as pivotal arenas for innovation, collaboration, and breakthrough achievements. These intense, often sleep-deprived events, gather minds eager to push the boundaries of technology, solve pressing challenges, and innovate at a breakneck pace. Hackathons, once niche gatherings for the coding elite, have transformed into inclusive platforms that welcome a diverse range of talents—from developers to designers, and entrepreneurs to educators—each bringing their unique perspectives to the table. This shift towards inclusivity has not only democratized the process of technological creation but has also enriched the solutions with a wide array of cultural, social, and interdisciplinary insights.

Participating in hackathons in this era offers a plethora of benefits, far beyond the immediate allure of prizes or recognition. They serve as high-intensity learning environments where participants can enhance their skills in real-world scenarios, foster invaluable networks, and potentially kick-start their careers with innovative projects. The pressure-cooker environment of a hackathon is an ideal testing ground for rapid problem-solving, teamwork, and project management—skills highly coveted in any professional setting. Moreover, the inclusivity and diversity of modern hackathons ensure that everyone, regardless of their background, has a voice and can contribute meaningfully to the technological tapestry of our future. In essence, hackathons in 2024 are not just about coding; they are about creating, learning, and thriving in the technological renaissance of our times.

Unlocking hackathon success in 2024 hinges significantly on one’s adeptness at grasping the event’s theme and objectives—a foundational step that cannot be overstated. In an era where technology seamlessly blends with every facet of life, hackathons challenge participants to not only code but to innovate with purpose. Understanding the theme goes beyond a superficial reading; it demands a deep dive into the nuances and the underlying challenges it seeks to address. This comprehension shapes the trajectory of your project, ensuring it resonates with the hackathon’s goals and stands out to the judges.

Strategies to master the theme and objectives begin with thorough research. Participants are encouraged to explore related fields, historical solutions, and current trends in technology. Engaging with community forums, expert webinars, and pre-hackathon workshops can provide invaluable insights into the theme’s broader context. Such activities catalyze the brainstorming process, guiding teams to generate ideas that are not only innovative but are also aligned with the hackathon’s core objectives.

Brainstorming, when tethered to a well-understood theme, transforms from a scattergun approach to a targeted ideation process. Teams that leverage their diverse skills to contemplate the theme from multiple angles can uncover unique solutions that transcend conventional boundaries. This methodical approach to understanding the hackathon’s theme and objectives lays a robust foundation for developing projects that are not just technologically advanced but are meaningful and impactful, marking the first step towards achieving hackathon success in the digital renaissance of 2024.

In the quest for hackathon success in 2024, assembling the right team is as critical as the innovation itself. The magic of a winning hackathon team lies not just in coding prowess but in a rich tapestry of diverse skill sets—where programmers, designers, project managers, and visionaries converge. This diversity fosters a holistic approach to problem-solving, enabling teams to tackle challenges from multiple perspectives, thereby crafting solutions that are not only technically viable but also user-centric and market-ready.

Finding and selecting the ideal team members is an art that balances technical skills with interpersonal chemistry. Networking in tech meetups, online forums, and elearning platforms like Open edX can uncover potential teammates who share your passion and complement your skills. When scouting for talent, consider not just the technical expertise, but also the ability to communicate, collaborate, and adapt. Diversity in thought, background, and expertise can be the catalyst that propels your project beyond the ordinary.

Once the team is assembled, fostering effective communication and collaboration becomes paramount. In an era dominated by virtual labs and remote work, leveraging digital tools for seamless interaction is key. Utilize platforms that facilitate real-time collaboration and ensure that every voice is heard. Establishing clear roles, responsibilities, and goals from the outset can prevent overlap and confusion, channeling the team’s collective energy towards innovation. In essence, the right team for hackathon success in 2024 is one that is diverse, cohesive, and adept at navigating the complexities of technology with a unified vision.

Achieving hackathon success in 2024 demands not just creativity and technical skill, but also exceptional time management and organizational acumen. With the clock ticking relentlessly, the ability to plan and prioritize tasks becomes a linchpin for turning your visionary concepts into functional prototypes. Effective time management techniques, such as the Pomodoro Technique or time-blocking, allow teams to work with intense focus while maintaining necessary breaks to avoid burnout. This disciplined approach ensures that every moment spent is one step closer to realization and refinement of your project.

Central to this orchestration of effort is the delineation of clear roles and responsibilities within the team. A team where each member knows their specific role, strengths, and what is expected of them can navigate the hackathon’s tight timeline with agility and precision. This clarity prevents overlap and inefficiencies, enabling a harmonious blend of skills where each member complements the other, driving the project forward seamlessly.

Leveraging digital tools and methods for task prioritization further streamlines this process. Applications like Trello, Asana, or features within Learning Management Systems like Open edX , offer platforms where tasks can be organized, assigned, and monitored in real-time. These tools provide a visual snapshot of progress, allowing teams to adjust priorities on the fly and ensuring that critical components of the project receive the attention they need when they need it. In the high-pressure environment of a hackathon, the strategic planning and prioritization of tasks illuminate the path to success, transforming chaotic energy into a focused force propelling your project to the forefront.

In the dynamic crucible of hackathons, where innovation races against the clock, embracing Agile methodologies can be the game-changer for achieving hackathon success in 2024. Agile, a term synonymous with flexibility and efficiency, aligns perfectly with the hackathon ethos. It empowers teams to adapt quickly, pivot as needed, and incrementally build towards a solution, mirroring the iterative nature of technological innovation itself.

Implementing Agile practices within the hackathon framework means adopting a mindset of continuous improvement and responsiveness to change. Teams can start by dividing their project into smaller, manageable tasks, setting short, iterative cycles—sprints—to accomplish these tasks. This approach not only ensures steady progress but also facilitates regular assessment and adjustment of strategies based on current results and team feedback.

The essence of Agile—iterative testing and feedback loops—offers significant advantages. It allows for the early discovery of issues and the integration of feedback, ensuring that the final product is refined and closely aligned with user needs and hackathon objectives. Regular reflection sessions after each sprint can enhance team dynamics, streamline processes, and fine-tune the project’s direction. In the fast-paced environment of a hackathon, adopting Agile methodologies equips teams with the resilience and flexibility needed to navigate unforeseen challenges and emerge victorious.

In the quest for hackathon success, leveraging open-source libraries and APIs stands out as a strategy that combines innovation with efficiency. The collaborative nature of the open-source community and the ready-to-use functionality of APIs provide a springboard from which teams can launch their projects towards new heights. These resources enable participants to build upon the collective knowledge and achievements of the global tech community, significantly reducing development time and allowing for a focus on customization and innovation.

Finding and integrating the right open-source tools and APIs requires a keen understanding of your project’s needs and objectives. Platforms like GitHub and programming communities offer vast repositories of open-source libraries, while API directories and documentation serve as gateways to third-party services. Selecting tools that align with your project’s requirements, while ensuring compatibility and scalability, is crucial for seamless integration.

However, the use of these resources comes with a responsibility to adhere to legal and ethical considerations. It’s imperative to respect licensing agreements, attribute sources appropriately, and ensure data privacy and security when using APIs. By navigating these considerations with diligence, hackathon teams can harness the power of open-source libraries and APIs to propel their projects forward, ensuring their solutions are both innovative and compliant, marking another pivotal step towards hackathon success.

In the high-stakes arena of hackathons, where innovation meets execution under the pressure of time, focusing on User Experience (UX) is crucial for achieving success. A user-centric design not only differentiates a project in a crowded field but also ensures its practicality and appeal to the target audience. Hackathons in 2024 prioritize solutions that are not just technically sound but also intuitive, accessible, and engaging for users, reflecting the growing importance of UX in the tech industry.

Adhering to principles of creating intuitive UX involves understanding the needs and behaviors of your users, simplifying navigation, and ensuring that interactions are seamless and meaningful. Effective UX design begins with empathy, mapping out user journeys to anticipate needs and pain points, followed by prototyping solutions that address these issues directly.

Leveraging tools like Adobe XD, Sketch, or Figma for prototyping and user testing allows teams to iterate designs quickly, based on real user feedback. These tools offer collaborative features that facilitate rapid experimentation and refinement of interfaces, ensuring that the final product is not only functional but delights users as well. In essence, a focus on user experience embodies the intersection of technology and human-centric design, marking a critical pathway to hackathon success.

In the collaborative crucible of a hackathon, where coding marathons pave the way to innovation, the implementation of effective version control systems is indispensable for hackathon success. These systems serve as the backbone of any well-organized development project, enabling teams to manage changes to code, track progress, and revert to previous states without disrupting the workflow. Embracing best practices in version control, such as committing changes frequently, using descriptive commit messages, and branching strategically, can significantly enhance the productivity and efficiency of a team.

Version control is more than a safety net for code; it’s a catalyst for seamless team collaboration. By allowing multiple contributors to work on different parts of a project simultaneously, version control systems like Git facilitate a distributed yet cohesive development effort. This collaborative approach not only accelerates the development process but also enriches the project with diverse perspectives and expertise.

Among the plethora of tools and platforms available, GitHub and GitLab stand out for their robust features, extensive community support, and seamless integration with other development tools. These platforms not only provide a centralized repository for code but also offer issue tracking, documentation, and continuous integration features, making them essential instruments in the orchestration of a successful hackathon project.

In the digital odyssey of achieving hackathon success, Appsembler emerges as a beacon for innovators, offering an unparalleled platform that transcends traditional learning and development boundaries. As a leading provider of virtual labs and Learning Management Systems (LMS) powered by Open edX, Appsembler facilitates a hands-on, immersive learning experience that is critical for hackathon participants aiming to refine their skills and bring groundbreaking ideas to life.

Appsembler’s suite of offerings is meticulously designed to streamline hackathon preparation and participation. Its virtual labs provide a sandbox environment where teams can experiment, develop, and test their projects without the constraints of physical hardware or the need for extensive setup. This capability not only accelerates the development process but also enables participants to focus on innovation and creativity. Furthermore, the integration of Appsembler with Open edX LMS allows for the creation of custom learning paths, tailored to the unique needs and objectives of each hackathon, ensuring participants are well-equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills.

Success stories abound, with numerous hackathon projects leveraging Appsembler’s robust platform to achieve remarkable outcomes. From applications that tackle global challenges to innovations in AI and machine learning, Appsembler has been a critical component in the toolkit of many victorious teams. These case studies and testimonials highlight not just the versatility and power of Appsembler’s offerings but also underscore its role as a catalyst for hackathon success, providing a solid foundation upon which teams can build their visions for the future.

A pivotal moment in any hackathon journey is the final presentation, where participants have the opportunity to showcase their innovation and hard work. The difference between hackathon success and merely participating often hinges on the ability to deliver a compelling presentation that captures the essence and value of the project. Creating an impactful presentation requires a blend of clarity, persuasion, and engagement, ensuring that the audience and judges not only understand the project but are also captivated by its potential.

To communicate your project’s value effectively, start with a clear and concise value proposition that addresses a specific problem and how your solution offers a unique remedy. This sets the stage for a narrative that resonates with the audience, connecting the technical aspects of your project with real-world implications. Storytelling techniques can be particularly powerful, transforming abstract concepts into relatable stories that illustrate the impact of your work.

Visual aids play a crucial role in enhancing this narrative, providing visual context that complements your verbal message. Tools such as infographics, diagrams, and videos can break down complex information, making it accessible and engaging for the audience. Moreover, leveraging software like PowerPoint or Prezi to create dynamic and visually appealing slides can add a professional polish to your presentation.

In essence, preparing a compelling presentation for hackathon success involves a strategic mix of clear messaging, engaging storytelling, and thoughtful visual aids, all woven together to highlight the significance and potential of your innovative solution.

In the vibrant ecosystem of hackathons, where innovation and ambition intertwine, networking emerges as a vital component of hackathon success. These events are not just about coding and competition; they are fertile grounds for building relationships with fellow innovators, mentors, and industry leaders. The connections made during a hackathon can open doors to future opportunities, collaborations, and insights that extend far beyond the confines of the event.

Engaging with peers and experts provides a unique opportunity to receive constructive feedback on your project. This feedback is invaluable, offering fresh perspectives that can refine your solution and enhance its market viability. To capitalize on this, approach feedback with an open mind and a readiness to learn. Ask specific questions that guide the feedback towards actionable insights, and demonstrate gratitude for the guidance received, regardless of its nature.

The end of a hackathon is not the culmination of learning; it is, in fact, a stepping stone. Successful participants view hackathons as continuous learning experiences. Utilize platforms like Open edX to deepen your understanding of new technologies and methodologies encountered during the event. Participate in online forums and virtual labs to maintain the momentum of innovation and self-improvement. By fostering a mindset geared towards lifelong learning and open collaboration , hackathon participants can not only achieve immediate success but also pave the way for enduring impact in their professional journeys.

n the whirlwind of creativity, innovation, and collaboration that defines the hackathon experience, the path to success is both challenging and rewarding. Embracing the core strategies—deeply understanding the theme and objectives, assembling a diverse and dynamic team, meticulously planning and prioritizing tasks, incorporating agile methodologies, leveraging open-source libraries and APIs, focusing on user experience, implementing effective version control, utilizing platforms like Appsembler, preparing compelling presentations, and valuing networking and feedback—can significantly elevate your hackathon project from concept to reality.

As you venture into future hackathons, armed with these strategies, remember that each event is more than a competition; it’s an opportunity to grow, learn, and connect. The skills honed, the relationships formed, and the feedback received during these intense experiences contribute profoundly to both personal and professional development . Hackathons are crucibles of innovation, testing grounds for teamwork, and incubators for future technology leaders.

In closing, let the journey towards hackathon success be a continuous learning curve—where each challenge is an opportunity, and every feedback is a gift. Embrace the journey with open arms and an eager mind, for in the realm of hackathons, the true reward lies not just in winning, but in the invaluable experience gained along the way.

To boost your chances of hackathon success in 2024, focus on fully understanding the event’s theme and objectives, ensuring your project aligns closely with them. Assemble a diverse team where each member brings a unique skill set, facilitating a holistic approach to problem-solving. Embrace agile methodologies to stay flexible and responsive, and don’t forget the importance of a user-centric design—ensuring your solution not only works well but is intuitive and addresses the users’ needs effectively. Leverage open-source libraries and APIs to accelerate development, and make sure your version control practices are top-notch to avoid any unnecessary setbacks. Finally, refine your final presentation to clearly communicate your project’s value, and be open to networking and learning from the feedback you receive throughout the event.

Effective team collaboration in a hackathon is grounded in clear communication, well-defined roles and responsibilities, and an open, respectful team culture. Utilize collaboration tools that enable real-time communication and task management. Adopt agile practices to make quick decisions and adapt as the project evolves. Encourage regular check-ins and feedback sessions to ensure everyone is aligned and obstacles are quickly addressed. Respect and value each team member’s contributions, fostering an environment where everyone feels motivated to contribute their best.

Agile methodologies significantly impact hackathon success by introducing flexibility, adaptability, and a focus on iterative progress. These practices allow teams to quickly pivot in response to feedback or new insights, ensuring that the project remains aligned with the hackathon’s goals and user needs. Agile’s emphasis on collaboration and continuous improvement supports a dynamic work environment conducive to innovation and efficient problem-solving.

User experience (UX) plays a crucial role in determining the success of hackathon projects. A solution with a seamless, intuitive UX can significantly stand out, as it demonstrates the team’s dedication to addressing the user’s needs and challenges. Prioritizing UX ensures that the project is not only innovative but also accessible and engaging, making it more likely to resonate with judges and potential users.

When presenting a hackathon project, clarity, engagement, and storytelling are key. Start with a clear value proposition that articulates the problem your project solves and why it matters. Use storytelling to create a narrative around your project, making it relatable and compelling. Visual aids should enhance your presentation, making complex information easily digestible. Practice delivering your presentation confidently, with a focus on why your project deserves to win.

Networking at hackathons is incredibly important, offering participants the chance to connect with like-minded individuals, mentors, and industry professionals. These connections can provide valuable insights, feedback, and potential collaboration opportunities. Networking can also open doors to future career opportunities, making it a vital component of the hackathon experience beyond the competition itself.

You might also like these other posts...

Mastering LMS Platforms: A Comprehensive Guide

Embracing Learning Management Systems (LMS) as crucial educational and corporate tools is pivotal in our rapidly digitizing world. A proficient…

Self-Paced Training: Unlocking Personalized Learning Potential

In the digital age, self-paced training is redefining the contours of education, fostering autonomy and bespoke learning experiences. This article…

Open edX vs. Canvas: Choosing the Best Platform for You

Are you considering switching to another LMS because you're currently paying for features you don't use? Perhaps your current one…

GET STARTED NOW

See the difference with the leading experiential learning platform.

Newly Launched - AI Presentation Maker

AI PPT Maker

Powerpoint Templates

PPT Bundles

Kpi Dashboard

Professional

Business Plans

Swot Analysis

Gantt Chart

Business Proposal

Marketing Plan

Project Management

Business Case

Business Model

Cyber Security

Business PPT

Digital Marketing

Digital Transformation

Human Resources

Product Management

Artificial Intelligence

Company Profile

Acknowledgement PPT

PPT Presentation

Reports Brochures

One Page Pitch

Interview PPT

All Categories

Top 10 Hackathon Presentation PowerPoint Presentation Templates in 2024

A Hackathon Presentation is a vital component of any hackathon event, serving as a platform for participants to showcase their innovative ideas, projects, and solutions developed during the competition. Utilizing a PowerPoint (PPT) template for these presentations allows teams to create visually engaging and organized content that effectively communicates their concepts to judges and audiences. In a typical hackathon setting, time is of the essence, and participants often have limited time to present their work. A well-structured PPT can help streamline this process by providing a clear outline of the project, including the problem statement, proposed solution, technical implementation, and potential impact. Additionally, incorporating visuals such as charts, diagrams, and screenshots can enhance understanding and retention of information among the audience.Moreover, a customizable PPT template enables teams to align their presentations with their branding and style, making their pitch more memorable. It also allows for the inclusion of key metrics, user feedback, and future development plans, which can be crucial for impressing judges and potential investors. Overall, a Hackathon Presentation in a PPT format not only facilitates effective communication but also elevates the professionalism and impact of the participants' innovative ideas.

Hackathon pitch deck ppt template

This is a Hackathon Pitch Deck Ppt Template to present your business outlay. Utilize this complete deck to provide a corporate introduction of your business, product, or project. There are twenty two slides added in this template to help you visually communicate information. It also consists of a collection of data-driven information in the form of business models, charts, timelines, etc. that you can customize as per your needs and requirements. All the slides can be used to establish business objectives and marketing plans. Apart from this, the charts and graphs included in this template can be used to present analytical information such that it greatly impresses the investors. Since everything in this template features customizable objects, it is a great tool to acquire funds and impress your audience. It is also a useful tool to provide refined content in the format of your choice.

A pitch deck is a set of strategically designed slides focused on increasing funds for the organization to improve overall organization profits. Here is a professionally designed pitch deck on Hackathon that will guide you in generating funds. The following presentation initially provides a detailed insight into the team structure and a detailed message from the CEO. Once a clear understanding of the team is provided, understanding the problems that have disrupted the market is a critical factor that helps the organization develop relevant solutions to the problem. Providing a detailed product demo is a crucial element of any pitch deck as it provides investors with an overview of the product. Developing an effective business model plays an essential role in any pitch deck. It highlights vital details of the organization such as cost structure, value proposition, necessary resources, communication channels, etc. Understanding the products TAM, SAM and SOM is a critical element of any organization as it helps understand the market potential. In the end, defining the marketing strategy is a crucial step of any pitch deck. Get access now.

• Investor Pitch Deck
• Elevator Deck
• Fund Raising Deck
• Seed Funding Deck
• Series A Pitch Deck
• Series B Pitch Deck

Best Hackathon Projects In Powerpoint And Google Slides Cpb

Presenting our Best Hackathon Projects In Powerpoint And Google Slides Cpb PowerPoint template design. This PowerPoint slide showcases four stages. It is useful to share insightful information on Best Hackathon Projects. This PPT slide can be easily accessed in standard screen and widescreen aspect ratios. It is also available in various formats like PDF, PNG, and JPG. Not only this, the PowerPoint slideshow is completely editable and you can effortlessly modify the font size, font type, and shapes according to your wish. Our PPT layout is compatible with Google Slides as well, so download and edit it as per your knowledge.

Our Best Hackathon Projects In Powerpoint And Google Slides Cpb are topically designed to provide an attractive backdrop to any subject. Use them to look like a presentation pro.

• Best Hackathon Projects

Table of contents for hackathon pitch deck ppt model slides

Increase audience engagement and knowledge by dispensing information using Table Of Contents For Hackathon Pitch Deck Ppt Model Slides. This template helps you present information on eight stages. You can also present information on Team, Business Model, Market, Strategy using this PPT design. This layout is completely editable so personaize it now to meet your audiences expectations.

Our Table Of Contents For Hackathon Pitch Deck Ppt Model Slides are topically designed to provide an attractive backdrop to any subject. Use them to look like a presentation pro.

• business model

Understanding the market for hackathon pitch deck ppt pictures graphics

Purpose of the following slide is to show the total market opportunity for the organization as it displays the TAM total addressable market, SAM serviceable addressable market and the SOM serviceable addressable market. Introducing Understanding The Market For Hackathon Pitch Deck Ppt Pictures Graphics to increase your presentation threshold. Encompassed with three stages, this template is a great option to educate and entice your audience. Dispence information on Understanding The Market For Hackathon Pitch Deck, using this template. Grab it now to reap its full benefits.

Purpose of the following slide is to show the total market opportunity for the organization as it displays the TAM total addressable market, SAM serviceable addressable market and the SOM serviceable addressable market.

• Understanding The Market For Hackathon Pitch Deck

Icons slide for hackathon pitch deck ppt layouts rules

Introducing our well researched set of slides titled Icons Slide For Hackathon Pitch Deck Ppt Layouts Rules. It displays a hundred percent editable icons. You can use these icons in your presentation to captivate your audiences attention. Download now and use it multiple times.

Our Icons Slide For Hackathon Pitch Deck Ppt Layouts Rules are topically designed to provide an attractive backdrop to any subject. Use them to look like a presentation pro.

Hackathon providing details of the product demo ppt outline mockup

Providing a product demo is an essential part for any organization as it highlights the 4 major steps of product usage, there steps can be downloading application, registration, vendor scanning etc. Introducing Hackathon Providing Details Of The Product Demo Ppt Outline Mockup to increase your presentation threshold. Encompassed with four stages, this template is a great option to educate and entice your audience. Dispence information on Application, Payment, using this template. Grab it now to reap its full benefits.

Providing a product demo is an essential part for any organization as it highlights the 4 major steps of product usage, there steps can be downloading application, registration, vendor scanning etc.

• application

Hackathon summary of the pitch deck ppt styles graphics

Providing the summary of the pitch deck plays a key management of the organization, the summary of the pitch deck along with the expected revenues, customers and profit of the quarters. Present the topic in a bit more detail with this Hackathon Summary Of The Pitch Deck Ppt Styles Graphics. Use it as a tool for discussion and navigation on Organization, Application, Financial, Global. This template is free to edit as deemed fit for your organization. Therefore download it now.

Providing the summary of the pitch deck plays a key management of the organization, the summary of the pitch deck along with the expected revenues, customers and profit of the quarters.

• organization

Hackathon the solution we provide ppt infographic template slides

Purpose of the following is to display the key solutions that the organization is providing their customers. These solutions can be developing application that provides one stop solution, associating with banks and providing transaction details. Introducing Hackathon The Solution We Provide Ppt Infographic Template Slides to increase your presentation threshold. Encompassed with four stages, this template is a great option to educate and entice your audience. Dispence information on Payment, Develop, Application, Required, using this template. Grab it now to reap its full benefits.

Purpose of the following is to display the key solutions that the organization is providing their customers. These solutions can be developing application that provides one stop solution, associating with banks and providing transaction details.

Hackathon understanding the problem statement ppt professional slides

Understanding the problem statement plays a vital role in the pitch deck, the provided slide highlights the key problems that the organization wishes to solve with the help of their product and services. These problems can be lack of one stop payment, no detailed bank transaction. Increase audience engagement and knowledge by dispensing information using Hackathon Understanding The Problem Statement Ppt Professional Slides. This template helps you present information on five stages. You can also present information on Payment, Application, Customer using this PPT design. This layout is completely editable so personaize it now to meet your audiences expectations.

Understanding the problem statement plays a vital role in the pitch deck, the provided slide highlights the key problems that the organization wishes to solve with the help of their product and services. These problems can be lack of one stop payment, no detailed bank transaction.

Understating the business model for hackathon pitch deck ppt pictures graphics

The following slide illustrates the business model canvas if the business as it displays the key partners, key activities, value Proposition, customer relationship and key customer segments. Deliver an outstanding presentation on the topic using this Understating The Business Model For Hackathon Pitch Deck Ppt Pictures Graphics. Dispense information and present a thorough explanation of Payment, Customer Support, Key Resources, Cost Structure, Revenue Streams using the slides given. This template can be altered and personalized to fit your needs. It is also available for immediate download. So grab it now.

The following slide illustrates the business model canvas if the business as it displays the key partners, key activities, value Proposition, customer relationship and key customer segments

• Customer Support
• Key Resources
• Cost structure
• Revenue Streams

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

• View all journals
• Explore content
• About the journal
• Publish with us
• Sign up for alerts
• CAREER FEATURE
• 27 September 2024

I botched my poster presentation — how do I perform better next time?

• Nikki Forrester 0

Nikki Forrester is a science journalist based in Davis, West Virginia.

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Illustration: David Parkins

The problem

Dear Nature ,

I’m a PhD student studying plant biotechnology at a university in South Africa. I recently attended an international conference to give a three-minute flash talk, discussing my research using just one slide, and it went really well. The audience was engaged and showed interest in my work. Later in the day, I had an overwhelming experience while presenting my research during the informal poster presentations. When people came over to chat with me, my mind went completely blank. I could see the spark of interest drain from their eyes as I struggled to remember basic things like my name.

Part of the issue was that I experienced sensory overload in the busy surroundings — I’ve been diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and feel this is one of the ways it manifests for me. The poster room was cramped, so people were constantly moving around and bumping into each other. My station was also nestled in a corner, making it hard to work out where to stand. I felt so awkward compared with how I did in the more controlled environment of the presentation room. Am I the only one who feels overstimulated and out of place at conferences? How do I avoid panicking while trying to promote my research in challenging environments? — An overthinking introvert

Nature reached out to two researchers and an ADHD coach for advice on how to manage nerves and deliver a great conference presentation. All three emphasized that it’s completely normal to feel nervous and overwhelmed in a conference environment.

“I have so much empathy for this situation,” says Susan McConnell, a neurobiologist at Stanford University in California. “At a poster, it is chaotic. You can’t control when people come and go, or if they’re having side conversations. The first thing is to acknowledge that presenting a poster is much more challenging to control than giving an oral research presentation.”

McConnell recommends that, before going to a conference, you prepare two versions of your poster presentation and practise each out loud several times. “The first one should be very short, no more than three or four minutes,” she says, noting that most people don’t like to stay at a single poster for too long. This version should cover the main research question, what you did, what you learnt, and why your project is exciting and ambitious. “It’s exhausting, because you’re going to have to do that over and over and over again as each group comes to the poster,” she says. “But you can start to recapitulate that sense of control that you have in a talk.”

How I became the ‘hoodie girl’: attending conferences as a neurodiverse scientist

Another benefit of preparing a short version of your presentation is that it can help you to navigate the ebbs and flows of conversation. “Even though it’s chaotic, everyone who comes to your poster walked over there for a reason, so it’s important to give them some portion of your attention,” says McConnell. When someone new arrives, you can pause your presentation to briefly welcome them and say that although you’re in the middle of talking through the poster, you’d be happy to start from the beginning if the person is willing to stick around. “If you rehearsed your talk and know exactly how much more time you have, you can even say, ‘It will be about three more minutes before I finish up this version.’”

McConnell also suggests preparing a longer version of your poster presentation that is no more than 15 minutes, for those people who seem particularly interested and want to spend more time discussing your work. “If you rehearse it, then you have a lower chance of forgetting where you’re going,” she says.

For Mark Freiermuth, a linguist at Gunma Prefectural Women’s University in Tamamura, Japan, seven is the magic number for practice talks. During his practices, Freiermuth places a photo of his smiling seminar students at the top of his computer monitor to mimic an audience and records himself to assess his performance. “The first time I practise, there are lots of gaps because I can’t remember what I’m supposed to say. The second time, there are fewer gaps, but I usually discover I didn’t present certain information clearly. By about the sixth time, my talk is pretty good. And by the seventh time, it’s always smooth,” he says.

What is it like to attend a predatory conference?

Freiermuth, who wrote the book Academic Conference Presentations: A Step-by-Step Guide (2023), also suggests practising a poster presentation three times in a big auditorium with fellow students and colleagues. Not only does this approach help presenters to get acquainted with where to stand and how to use their poster effectively, it also gives them a chance to answer questions and receive feedback from familiar faces. “When similar topics come up at the actual conference, you’ve already fielded those questions, which helps you feel much more relaxed,” he says.

Laurie Dupar, founder and director of the International ADHD Coach Training Center, says that once you arrive at a conference, it might be helpful to explore the presentation room to work out where you’ll be speaking. “I would make sure that you’re comfortable in the space,” says Dupar, who is based in Blaine, Washington. The centre says it trains ADHD life coaches to be able to “increase awareness of ADHD in their communities and empower their clients to live with ADHD”.

If you feel uncomfortable in your presentation space, Dupar says, it’s completely OK to advocate for yourself and ask the conference organizer to move your location to a more open spot, for example. “You might say, ‘I’m really looking forward to giving this presentation and want to ensure it’s as effective as possible. I think a different location might better support that goal. Would it be possible to discuss a more suitable space?’ or ‘I understand that making changes might be challenging, so I’m open to any suggestions that might help create a more comfortable environment for the presentation,’” says Dupar.

Collection: Conferences

She also emphasizes the importance of relaxing before your presentation. “I think most people have no idea how overwhelming it’s going to be to go to a conference,” she says. “If you’re someone who has an introvert energy, it might be better for you to sleep in that day or take a break for two hours in the afternoon to regroup.”

Even with ample preparation, nerves can still throw even the best public speakers off balance. If you start feeling anxious during the poster session, it’s completely fine to step away for a few minutes. “Do some breathing, get something to drink, use the bathroom, stretch, recover and come back. It’s really important to take care of yourself during the poster session,” McConnell says, adding that practising physical relaxation techniques, such as controlled breathing or taking a brisk walk, can help to slow down your heart rate and calm your nerves.

Although it’s easy to feel bad about yourself for not giving a great presentation on your research, McConnell emphasizes that people often overestimate how memorable their performances are. “I would encourage you to practise self-forgiveness and remember that the audience wants you to succeed. They’re cheering for you to do a good job. When speakers are struggling, most audience members tend to feel sympathetic rather than judgemental.”

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-03171-1

This article is part of a series in Nature in which we share advice on career issues faced by readers. Have a problem? E-mail us at [email protected]

Related Articles

• Conferences and meetings

Researchers in Hungary raise fears of brain drain after ‘body blow’ EU funding suspension

Career News 26 SEP 24

How I apply Indigenous wisdom to Western science and nurture Native American students

Career Q&A 25 SEP 24

UK university departments on the brink as higher-education funding crisis deepens

Career Feature 25 SEP 24

Seven work–life balance tips from a part-time PhD student

Career Column 24 SEP 24

My identity was stolen by a predatory conference

Correspondence 17 SEP 24

How can I publish open access when I can’t afford the fees?

Career Feature 02 SEP 24

Academics say flying to meetings harms the climate — but they carry on

News 13 SEP 24

Hybrid conferences should be the norm — optimize them so everyone benefits

Editorial 06 AUG 24

How to spot a predatory conference, and what science needs to do about them: a guide

Career Feature 30 JUL 24

Global Talent Recruitment of Xinxiang Medical University in 2024

Top-notch talents, leading talents in science and technology, and young and middle-aged outstanding talents.

Xinxiang, Henan, China

Xinxiang Medical University

Faculty Positions& Postdoctoral Research Fellow, School of Optical and Electronic Information, HUST

Job Opportunities: Leading talents, young talents, overseas outstanding young scholars, postdoctoral researchers.

Wuhan, Hubei, China

School of Optical and Electronic Information, Huazhong University of Science and Technology

Faculty Positions in Neurobiology, Westlake University

We seek exceptional candidates to lead vigorous independent research programs working in any area of neurobiology.

Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China

School of Life Sciences, Westlake University

Full-Time Faculty Member in Molecular Agrobiology at Peking University

Faculty positions in molecular agrobiology, including plant (crop) molecular biology, crop genomics and agrobiotechnology and etc.

Beijing, China

School of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Peking University

Faculty Positions Open, ShanghaiTech University

6 major schools are now hiring faculty members.

Shanghai, China

ShanghaiTech University

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Quick links

• Explore articles by subject
• Guide to authors
• Editorial policies