Driving top outcomes post-hackathon
‘HALF THE TIME, IDEAS FALL OFF THE SIDE OF THE DESK’
There is no shortage of businesses that are building i nnovation teams and studios to get ahead on the competitive curve. Whether in- house or off- site, an increasingly important part of driving software innovation is the hackathon.
“Hackathons are a way for business executives, facilitators and developers to set a vision and build a prototype,” says Suzanne Conner, digital operative, IBM Interactive Experience Canada. “Governments, universities, large corporations and banks often use them.”
A hackathon is typically a one- or two- day session that brings people together to work on a “big idea” in a focused setting. Teams could be made up of internal developers and/ or l eaders, students or members of the general hacking community. Depending on the challenge, the outcome may be a prototype that an organization or team can build upon. Or it can be a means to engage upand-coming tech talent.
While this is a productive starting point for innovation, there’s one common hurdle, Conner says. That is turning a winning idea into a viable proposition.
“Participants tend to focus on the shiny thing, but they don’t necessarily follow that up with a delivery model that will truly transform their business,” she says. “The important part is taking that idea and making it real. The challenge is that the people running hackathons haven’t changed what is behind the curtain in the way of resources, methods, processes and tooling. Which is why half the time ideas fall off the side of the desk after an event.”
So now that you’ve had your hackathon, how do you make it meaningful? Following are Conner’s five steps to getting the most out of your hackathon efforts. ❚ Begin with t he end in mind. It’s often said you shouldn’t set out to build an app, but to start by identifying a business problem and solve it. “Shiny objects are fun and cool,” Conner says, “but make sure you have your eye on the prize, which is outsmarting your competition with something different.” Beyond the hackathon, do you have the skills and budget to integrate and support this new outcome? Where does it fit in your business plans and technical roadmap? A year from now, where do you expect this new app and experience to be? ❚ Define your owner and your sponsor. Before you start, understand i f and where you have executive sponsorship. “It’s easy to get together and dream up ideas, but alignment to your business is key,” Conner advises. “If you are building out a new experience for your business, it’s going to have an impact on many stakeholders and you must have the right support lined up. Do you have attention from leadership to ensure you have the funding and or resources to execute this idea? Tools and platforms are essential to put in the hands of developers well beyond the hackathon to enable a secure, meaningful outcome for both the user and your business.” ❚ Move with pace. The energy behind a great idea has a shelf life. Existing work and projects can stand in the way of progress, so ensure you have space carved out to execute and deliver on what was built. However, that will take discipline, and can perhaps create some discomfort for your organization, Conner cautions. “Yes, you may have ‘Always done it THAT way,’ but maybe for this project, try to live the true spirit of the hackathon and move forward with a different kind of velocity. Having an initial project to live through can be a linchpin to begin transforming your teams and culture.” ❚ Check the tool box. Where are you developing, testing and hosting this new idea? How will an agile team collaborate? Who is writing the code? Do we have a testi ng environment? Is our platform secure? Where is the data stored? Don’t we have an API for that? These are all key questions that need to be addressed, Conner says. “Understanding your platform capabilities is key to moving forward. This may seem overwhelming, but many of these tools can be free or included in your cloud platforms you may already have. Ask the questions before you start. Having this ahead of time helps you begin to deliver with pace and show business results sooner rather than later.” ❚ Honour your user. There can be varying opinions on a design, but the wonderful thing about a user- centric focus is that many of the debates go away, she notes. “It’s not about what you like or your developer likes, or even your CEO likes. It is about what your user needs. Never lose sight of empathy of that user, his or her pain points, and what you are trying to solve for them. If your experience needs instructions to go with it, you have missed the mark. All your efforts will be for naught if the design does not resonate.”