How a Hackathon sparked creativity and innovation in our team
Our team was somewhat stuck in a routine, focused on the three-week sprint delivery cycle, daily operational tasks, and applying the same patterns to improve our products incrementally.
We needed a change, something to shake things up.
That’s when we came up with the idea of hosting a hackathon. But not just any hackathon — we wanted it to be fun and wild, like a “Shark Tank” for crazy and impossible ideas.
The goal was to let our imaginations run free, to break away from the usual and think of ideas that seemed out of reach.
Ideas that we might have once dismissed as too ambitious or unfeasible suddenly became the center of our discussions. We brainstormed, collaborated, and pushed the boundaries of what we thought was possible.
It was inspiring to see our team come alive with passion and creativity!
Over a year, we organized five hackathons — two on-site and three remote. From these events, we launched 10 features into production, including five product features and five Tech/Ops improvements.
Playing with “Let me Google that for you”
One of our standout products is an internal search engine, which we’ve creatively repurposed for a bit of fun. Inspired by the “Let Me Google That For You”, we turned this tool into a playful exercise that sparked our creativity and problem-solving skills.
It was not only a great way to step away from our daily tasks but also an enjoyable reminder of the innovative spirit that drives us. This activity allowed us to explore new ideas and enhance our collaborative efforts refreshingly and engagingly.
The best part? We didn’t just talk about these ideas — we started making them happen. This experience showed us that when you’re allowed to think big, even the craziest ideas can become real.
5 tips for running a successful hackathon.
- Preparation is key — In our case, we created a Confluence page well in advance, invited the team to add their topics of interest, and pre-arranged the groups. During this phase, try to present instructions simply and clearly.
- Be flexible to adapt and modify the initial plan.
Plans often change! Embrace it and be brave! What’s important is that the team is part of the key decisions, so be open to adapting or modifying the initial plan before or during the event. - Remind your team that coding skills aren’t necessary.
Involve the whole team. Everyone is welcome to work together on problem-solving: stakeholders, product owners, and product managers. - To make it more challenging and fun, why not create prizes?
The competition can add extra excitement. In our case, we made medals for best presentations and it added extra motivation to the team. - One of the most important tips: Don’t let the ideas die.
Try to create follow-up on the best ideas and define with your team how they can be executed, or how these ideas can be adapted to your roadmap.
This is what a hackathon brings to your team
We had the opportunity to experiment and learn beyond the usual sprint delivery commitments. It was a time when we could step away from our routine tasks and focus on exploring new ideas and solutions. Without the usual distractions of meetings and other interruptions, we were able to dedicate ourselves to a period of hyper-focus, working together to solve problems as a team.
One of the aspects I enjoyed the most was how the hackathon brought different roles closer together. By observing how each person approached their work, we developed a deeper sense of empathy and understanding for one another, strengthening our team’s connection and collaboration.
At the end of the Hackathon, we demoed a PoC of a CMS, gathered metrics of our users in a dashboard, and decommissioned an ancient alerting system. We were amazed at how much we had accomplished in so little time.
But what truly made this hackathon special was that it wasn’t just about dreaming big — it was about execution. Some of these ideas are already being integrated into our products, proving that when you give people the freedom to explore the “impossible,” amazing things can happen.
This experience reminded us of why we do what we do. It’s easy to get lost in the routine, but innovation doesn’t thrive in the comfort zone.
We’re excited about what’s next, and this hackathon was just the start. Here’s to more crazy ideas and the courage to make them real!