The two-week hackathon I joined just ended. Here are the things I learned and why I would be more than happy be on another.
You get to expand your toolset
Your hackathon entry maybe totally out of the box of what you usually do. You get to decide what tools, libraries, and languages to use! It's a chance to learn new stuff. Experiment. Discover. Put your ideas to the test. Do the things you always wonder about. Then after, you can confidently put these new tools on your belt bag.
You get to socialize with other devs (even if you don't want to but will be thankful in the end)
Hackathons let people group themselves. If you want to work with your friends on other teams/companies or you're interested on other team's idea, asked to join or was invited but is too good to decline or got no other teams to take you in. No matter what situation you're in the point is you get to work with people. You get to brainstorm, develop, cram and celebrate together. I think on its own is already a win. In the end, you get to expand your contact list with new tech people. Maybe even win some new friends.
Conclusion
Joining a hackathon will get you to learn and have fun! Try joining one (or more) and you might be surprised at the results.
Top comments (1)
While I really do enjoy hackathons, I think this could use some specification. For your first hackathon, I'd recommend something short and fast and low-stakes -- 24 hours straight of coding, laptops closed strictly then, try to get something done. The longer, more productive hackathons are really cool, but it takes some time to build the skills required to develop quickly on a team, and jumping straight into a two-weeker can be really hard.
That said, I totally agree. Everyone should do a hackathon at least once. It's an experience like no other, and a great way to improve your coding.