Mental Models

In the late 1990s, hackathons emerged as compressed events on university campuses. Open-source software teams organized these gatherings to bring together enthusiasts and drive progress forward over a few days. Yahoo! introduced its inaugural “Hack Day” in December 2005.

In its early days, Facebook popularized the concept by hosting daylong hackathon events every four to eight weeks. At each event, around 300 employees gathered in the morning to brainstorm and form teams. By the day’s end, these teams churned out 50 “first-stage-done” prototypes, ranging from backend engineering upgrades to small product features that could be easily implemented. Notably, Facebook’s iconic ‘Like’ button originated from one of these hackathons.

Internal Hackathons Unleash the Innovation Mode

Hackathons offer clear advantages over traditional innovation management processes, bringing a sense of urgency and focus that stems from working under strict deadlines. This intensity ensures that motivated individuals come together to refine their ideas into actionable plans.

Sometimes referred to as “FedEx Days,” a term popularized by the Australian enterprise software company Atlassian, hackathons encourage creativity by allowing employees to team up quarterly and work on ideas outside their regular duties, such as fixing bugs or developing new features. Teams are expected to deliver proof-of-concept prototypes overnight, hence the reference to the quick delivery service FedEx.

Hackathons have become mainstream, with organizations using them as an enjoyable and cost-effective way to drive innovation. For instance, in 2011, New York hosted a “Reinvent NYC.gov” hackathon to redesign the city’s official website. Similarly, in 2014, toy company Hasbro held a with 150 designers, generating 45 new ideas in just a few days. More impressively, in 2018, the Vatican organized a three-day hackathon to address global issues such as social inclusion, refugees, and interfaith understanding.

Why You Should Give Hackathons a Try (& Advance Your Side Projects)

Could your organization, community, or home use an internal hackathon? It’s an excellent way to shake things up, break routines, and foster innovation. A hackathon can also tackle those lingering “someday we’ll get to this” projects—like spring-cleaning, organizing, refining processes, and enhancing best practices.

During a hackathon, you can pursue initiatives that fall outside anyone’s core responsibilities and often get overlooked amid the chaos of schedules and deadlines. In the week leading up to the event, gather for a whiteboard session to brainstorm and refine ideas that might not have surfaced otherwise. A hackathon provides a fun opportunity to recognize talent, promote cross-team collaboration, and accomplish tasks quickly.

Similarly, could you benefit from a personal hackathon? Consider dedicating a full day or even just an afternoon to clear backlogs, reorganize your space, kickstart a passion project, or tackle something you’ve been putting off.