Thinking about entering a hackathon? Read on to boost your chances of winning...

1. Read the brief carefully

Even if you think you know the client, the data set, the available technologies and the format of a hackathon inside out, there is no harm in double checking the scope of the task to ensure you are meeting the right criteria and know what is expected of you.

2. Start with the end in mind

There’s been a lot written about the benefits of top-down or bottom-up approaches to software design. One thing to be clear about is what you’re trying to make. Our coders suggest you might want to think about methodologies like TDD (Test-Driven Development) or BDD (Behaviour-Driven Development) to make sure you’re always working towards the right goal.

3. Work within your time limit

Set mini-deadlines and prioritise tasks. Most hackathons are over in the proverbial blink of an eye and you need to set aside time to come together as a team near the end and tie up any loose ends (as well as time to eat, sleep, and step away from your monitor). Good time management and timely submission of materials may also count towards a better “score”.

4. Operate as a team

Our travel hackathon involved everyone in the company, with teams made up of everyone from PHP developers to account managers. In a team event, it’s a good idea to have a leader who can delegate tasks according to people’s strengths – rather than have the team try to work at everything together.

5. Don’t forget version control

Everybody makes mistakes. Version control means you can forget they ever happened.

6. Focus on building a minimum-viable product

Once you pick up your tools, you should think about building something that works. Live demos are always risky, but a demo that actually works will have a far greater impact on judges and audience members.

7. Acquaint yourself with the judges

Becoming chummy with them is ideal, but we’d settle for vague familiarity. It’s handy to know what the judges are like as well as what they are looking for.

8. Remember, the pitch is as important as the product

It’s great to have an impressive working demo, showcasing a solution to a relevant challenge. But there’s no point in making something brilliant that nobody realises is brilliant, because the pitch hasn’t been properly prepared. Communicate the features, benefits, costs, challenges, business case, and so on.