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Created September 30, 2016 12:55
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hackathon_guide.md

You've seen a Facebook page, a tweet or simply had someone tell you; and you want to join a hackathon. Great. Hackathons are an excellent place to learn more about technology, work together with a team under intense deadline pressure and maybe; just maybe win fame and fortune for yourself.

Once almost exclusively the tool of choice for open source projects that want to meet a specific feature based deadline, hackathons are now the social tool of choice for many organisations (both commercial and non-profit). Hackathons can be used as a recruiting tool; to provide publicity for a given cause or quite simply be the source of great ideas or implementations.

Win-win right? Even with all these advantages for everyone participating, hackathons require some preparation and care on both the organisers and participants parts. While a well conducted hackathon can indeed increase an organisation's exposure (both in the media as well as to new, exciting ideas); poorly arranged hackathons can negatively impact a brand and dim participant enthusiasm.

Disclaimer - I (we) are not lawyers, nor can we adequately advise anyone on their particular circumstances. If in any doubt (and even if not) please consult a legal professional. This work is licensed under [CC by 4.0] (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)

For organisers

In recent years, there are many guides out there that can help provide the basic information on how to get your very own hackathon event up and running.

For participants

Normally, one would assume that the prizes on offer are motivation enough for anyone to join. Some hackathons have been conducted in the past with a promise of seed funding for a new startup based on the product produced during the hackathon. Nonetheless, there are many reasons to be cautious before enrolling in a hackathon, regardless of the prizes on offer.

  • Do look very closely at the terms and conditions of the hackathon event before signing up
    • If the organisers haven't made their terms easily findable/available, ask for them. It is probably a simple oversight on their part.
  • Do read and be familiar with the terms and conditions of your own employment contract (if employed); or your university/school regulations (if a student)
  • Do look for the important parts in the terms and conditions; and determine how they impact your personal circumstances. Be very clear on the following:
    • Who owns the deliverable output(s) of the hackathon?
      • Is it you and/or your team alone? If so, decide prior to the event on how you will assign the rights (and rewards, if any) between the collaborators on your team
      • Is it the hackathon organisers alone?
      • Is it jointly owned by the organiser and your team?
    • Aside from ownership, what rights are reserved by other interested parties?
      • If ownership is held by you/your team, what rights are held by the organisers of the hackathon?
      • Do your employer or your university have any rights to work produced by you? (as stated in your employment contract and/or university regulations)
    • What other restrictions (if any) are applied by hackathon organisers as conditions to entry?
      • If your end product is not selected, can you use the idea elsewhere?
      • Are there any restrictions on entering? (age, place of employment etc)

Ideal participant conditions for a hackathon

  • Your current workplace and/or institute of higher learning has signed off on your participation in this hackathon
  • Intellectual propery rights to output are assigned solely to the collaborators/producers
  • Promotional and other rights for your output are not controlled by the hackathon organisers alone
  • There are few (or no) restrictions on present or future employment as a result of participating in the hackathon

Is a hackathon for you?

Even with the advantages outlined above, participating in a hackathon may not necessarily be the best course of action for you. Even with the best of organisation, hackathons present a less than realistic view of working conditions in a technical company (if your company development regularly looks like a hackathon, that is definitely not a good sign)

Some useful points below -

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