A hackathon is a competition in innovation, often organized during a short period of time. A common timeframe is 24-48 hours, and traditionally, this timeframe is set during a weekend so that the participants can devote their time completely to the task at hand. The powerful force of the hackathon setup is that it provides people the possibility to come together to create solutions to difficult problems in a short timeframe, giving them both hope that it’s possible to do something about a seemingly very complex problem and the experience that you can accomplish things faster than you would think. Another important aspect is that people are working in teams, and this amplifies the notion that collaboration is the key to success. Connecting minds to create solutions has been a successful way of dealing with complex problems for the human race since the dawn of time.

In large organizations, as well as in society, there is a need for smooth collaboration...

Hackathons come in many shapes and forms, and they can be used to accomplish many different things depending on the context, size, content, and desired outcome. In this chapter, we will go through different types of hackathons and learn about their advantages and which usage is best for particular settings and goals.

Traditional hackathon versus non-traditional hackathon

The traditional hackathon format comes from the tech world, where hackathons have been organized since the beginning of 2000 in big tech companies. The word hackathon comes from “hack” and “marathon,” where the idea is to hack a predefined challenge (problem) in teams and let a jury decide the winner. The common timeframe is 24-48 hours, and often it takes place in person during a weekend. After forming teams, the opening ceremony declares the hackathon open, and the hacking – that is, the work – begins. The resources provided for the...

Some would argue that a hackathon is not a hackathon without open data resources available and that the entire idea of a hackathon revolves around data. This is how the concept of a hackathon came about, using different data resources and combining them in new ways to create innovative solutions to a challenge. This could be executed within an organization or, as in the example of Hack for Sweden, with many organizations offering the hacker teams their datasets and APIs. I often get the question of what kind of data we need for the hackathon at hand, and I always answer that the question is not possible to answer. True innovation knows no boundaries, and therefore it is impossible to say what kind of data should be offered to the hacker teams. Open data sources need to be well organized and sufficient for the task at hand, but data that may seem irrelevant to the naked eye may trigger a great idea for a solution in a hacker team.

At the Hack for Earth Foundation, we have three core values: sustainability, diversity, and impact. Everything we do is permeated by these values, and together with our mission to create real solutions to the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), they make up the foundation by which we operate. The reason why these three core values are of such importance will be discussed next in further detail.

In a world where global challenges are increasing in complexity and severity by the minute, the core value of sustainability is inevitable. To run your organization in a sustainable way and to communicate openly what your organization is doing to make this planet a better place to live on is not only the right thing to do – it is good business. Any organization that does not have a sustainability agenda of some kind will find it hard to do business in the future, simply because everyone else has a sustainability focus.

Diversity...

In this introductory chapter, we have discussed how the hackathon tool can be reinvented as a tool for impact, creating changes for several levels of an organization’s functioning as well as creating real solutions to perceived challenges. We have covered how different types of hackathons can deliver different kinds of value for your organization and how the outcome can be valuable for your organization. We briefly covered how to design your hackathon for impact and how data can drive a hackathon’s purpose. These topics will be further developed in Chapters 2 and 3. Lastly, we briefly covered how your core values can be integrated into the hackathon process and discussed how this has been done in Hack for Earth hackathons.

In the following chapter, we will dive deeper into the prospects and possibilities of the concept of citizen-driven innovation to improve your business. You will learn how to incorporate your organization’s vision and purpose in a...