Online hackathon versus IRL hackathon
One of the key decisions one has to make early in the hackathon planning is this: Are we creating an online hackathon (also called virtual or digital) or an offline hackathon (also called physical or IRL)?
Most of the hackathon process is the same regardless of whether it’s online or offline, but here are some differences worth mentioning:
- Information and communication are much more important for an online hackathon, as hackers can’t simply walk up to the staff and ask for clarification as they can at an offline hackathon.
- Livestreams have to be more concise than stage appearances as the attention span is shorter while watching a livestream. In our experience, a livestream at an online hackathon can never be longer than 1 hour, while an opening ceremony live on stage at an offline hackathon can easily be upward of 3 hours as long as it is entertaining.
- Everything takes longer online, meaning that the overall hackathon...