Lessons from a Hackathon
For us, hackathons are a way to take a break from our routine, meet interesting people, experiment, share time with our colleagues, and challenge ourselves.
Some time ago, we participated in an Airbus-sponsored hackathon. Even though it has been a while, the lessons we learned from that experience—both positive and negative—continue to shape our approach to problem-solving and collaboration.
Define a Plan, Stick to It
At the start of a hackathon, you'll receive a dossier with requirements, conduct stakeholder interviews, and gain an understanding of the context and operations. With all this information, you must quickly develop a solution based on technology that addresses the problem.
Since time is extremely limited, pivoting mid-way is rarely an option. That's why we focus on:
- Defining what we will build
- Planning how we will do it
- Scoping the effort required
Once we define our scope and tasks, nothing can stop us—our priority is to maintain focus as much as possible.
The Power of a Good Story
A key aspect of winning a hackathon is the presentation—how well you sell your solution.
It's crucial to think from the stakeholder's perspective and highlight what they expect to see.
Our presentation structure:
- Understanding the current context (Process As-Is)
- How it should ideally work (Process To-Be)
- How our solution solves the problem (Demo)
- Technical details (Architecture Overview)
- Our added value (Open-source, CI/CD, Scalability, Delivery, Flexibility...)
- Future roadmap and improvements
- Q&A
Practice, Practice, Practice
For us, creating an effective presentation is one of the most challenging parts. We all come from a technical background, so we make an extra effort in this area.
As the event approaches its final hours, we set aside enough time to rehearse the presentation thoroughly—especially when presenting in a non-native language.
Our process:
- Choose a spokesperson
- Polish the speech as a team
- Iterate on slides and storytelling
- Rehearse with a stopwatch to ensure timing is perfect
The goal is to deliver a clear, natural, and engaging message while answering potential stakeholder questions proactively.
Time is Gold
At the end of the event, stakeholders will have seen multiple presentations, with similar solutions and repeated discussions. Making the most of your time with them can decide whether you stand out or blend into the crowd.
We respect their time and practice rigorously to fit our pitch within the allocated time slot—neither more nor less.
After many rehearsals, we nailed the timing and even had some spare time—something highly valued when combined with a structured and engaging pitch.
Running out of time is NOT an option.
Play Fair
The rules of the event are clear. While we may have additional advantages or resources, we avoid using them. Why?
- Respect for the event and competitors
- A personal challenge to see how far we can go under event conditions
Share & Enjoy
Hackathons are about learning, networking, and having fun. The Airbus hackathon allowed us to work closely with our teammates and meet inspiring people with whom we could exchange experiences.
Whatever happens, we are here to enjoy and grow.
Beyond Winning
Winning a hackathon is rewarding—it means your effort and contributions have been recognized under high-pressure conditions.
But winning the hackathon doesn't guarantee winning the project.
A successful hackathon project must also be:
- Scalable
- Adaptable to the client's broader needs
- Feasible in practice
- Cost-effective
Hackathon success ≠ Real-world success
That's why it's crucial to consider long-term viability from the start—not just focusing on winning the event but also winning real-world adoption.
Losing is Not the End
Most teams won't win—and that's okay.
Even if you don't win:
- Your idea might still win a real project if it's viable.
- You gain valuable experience in teamwork and problem-solving.
- You tried, developed, and defended your solution until the end—an achievement in itself.
These events offer incredible opportunities to grow. If you haven't participated in a hackathon yet, we invite you to do so!
Who knows? Maybe you'll meet us there. 🚀
Have you participated in a hackathon?
Let us know about your experience in the comments! 👇
Happy coding! 👨💻👩💻