Introduction

This article is written based on the Twitter Space that took place in the past, and this article will discuss multiple queries related to hackathons and things related to hackathons.

Yudhish (Yudhishthra A/L Sugumaran) is a Year 2 Computer Science Student majoring in Cybersecurity, a Part-Time Cybersecurity Engineer at Etherscan, and has joined 20++ hackathons.

Vincent (Vincent Owen Toniwan) is a Year 3 Software Engineering Student, a Full-Stack Developer, currently researching Cryptography and Zero-Knowledge related topics. His first Web 3 hackathon experience was in the year 2022.

Questions

1. Are Hackathons only for Cybersecurity Majors?

The current stigma that most people usually think is that they automatically assume that hackathons are related to Cybersecurity because of the word 'hack'. But hackathons have little to no relation to Cybersecurity whatsoever. The dictionary meaning of the word 'hacking' is to find shortcuts or solutions to problems. Therefore, the stigma that hackathons are only for Cybersecurity people is inaccurate. Hackathons are mostly revolved around finding shortcuts and solutions and innovating new ideas.

There are also examples of Cybersecurity competitions, such as Capture The Flag (CTF) competitions. Web 3 also has Capture The Flag competitions, but they focus mostly on the cryptography aspect.

TL;DR: Hackathon ≠ Cybersecurity Competition

2. What does the 'thon' in the word Hackathon mean?

The word 'thon' relates to a hackathon being like a 'coding marathon' in which the participants must write a lot of code within 2 days. Additionally, the hackathon participants must think very fast, like a marathon but inside the participant's brain. Because hackathons are open-ended, in another sense, it is also like a marathon, where the participant gets to decide what they want to build at a consistent pace. It's also considered a marathon as hackathon participants will get tired as they write code for 24 hours straight, so it is common to find hackers sleeping on bean bags during hackathons.

3. What key benefits and learning opportunities can participating in a Hackathon provide?

The first benefit that participating in a hackathon can provide is the learning speed that hackathons will provide an individual with which a traditional university 'might' not be able to cope. Because hackathons require an individual to be creative as people from all backgrounds, like students, working people, and experts, will be thrown into one big melting pot called a hackathon. Because of this, hackathons provide beginners with a good platform to learn from experienced individuals in the field.

The second benefit that participating in a hackathon can bring to an individual is that hackathons will provide a chance for students to stand out from the other students that are focusing solely on their academics in school. Hackathon participants or winners can show their employers that besides studying and getting good grades in school, they are also passionate about hackathons and also be given a chance to showcase their hackathon projects instead of just talking about them. As we move further into the future, we will have to do more showing (hackathons, projects, or even work experience) instead of telling.

Besides the two mentioned above, hackathons also promote creative thinking, as participants need to think of creative methods to solve problems the organizer gives. Other than that, quick thinking is also developed because participants need to think quickly and implement ideas quickly, as some hackathons only have a period of 2 days to develop a fully functioning app/idea. And finally, problem-solving skills are also developed during hackathons as the participants will encounter many problems and bugs that they will need to face and solve/debug to complete developing the solution.

4. What is the advice for beginners joining their first Hackathon?

A wise man (Yudhish) once said the longer you say you want to prepare for something, the longer you will never get prepared for it. So just join first and think later.

It helps beginner developers understand some fundamental concepts like object-oriented programming (OOP) or even multiple programming syntaxes since most programming languages have similar syntaxes.

Before joining Web 3 hackathons, try to get a basic understanding of what Web 3 is all about and the hot new technologies in the Web 3 space to at least understand a little of what you are getting yourself into.

Learning to write smart contracts in the Solidity programming language would also be an advantage for a beginner's Web 3 hackathon journey. A good platform to learn Solidity would be an online learning platform called Solidity By Example.

Website of Solidity by Example

Learning how to give good pitch/presentation skills is also useful in hackathons because, during the judging stage of hackathons, the judging criteria are around 20% based on the product you built and 80% is how well you pitch your idea to the judges or even how you craft your story (story-telling).

The resources are there, the hackathons are there, and the opportunity is also there. It is now up to you to see how resourceful you can be with the available resources around you.

TL;DR: There is no clear way to learn because the space rapidly evolves. If you are new to the space, just join a hackathon, start somewhere, and learn on the go.

5. How can participants make the most of their Hackathon experience?

1. Preparation is very important: Try to prepare most of the ideas, concepts, and tools required to build your project before your hackathon starts (Example: Front-end template), so at least you can envision what you will build or what your product will look like.

2. Networking with people: Try to network with the founders, people involved in the sponsored projects of the hackathon so that they can help you by giving you tips and tricks on how to utilize their products, or you could even ask them for feedback, like what do they think about your project that you are working on.

3. Look at the big picture: Don't focus too much on winning that you lose out on the bigger goal, which is building a good project.

4. Free Food (bonus): Make use of the free food and drinks provided at the hackathon to fuel your hacker energy.

At the end of the day, the purpose of a hackathon is to work on your developing skills, pitching skills, project management skills, and many more. It is not solely about coding and building, it is also about networking and building connections and talking to people, which sometimes will generate opportunities like possible future partnerships.

6. What are some of the common mistakes that first-time Hackathon participants face, and how to overcome them?

1. Trying to complete the 'full product' and stressing over it: Instead, try to get your ideas / POC (Proof of Concept) built out instead of completing the product itself, which might be nearly impossible.

2. Know your judges: During the pitching phase, do not try to talk too much about the technical side. Instead, focus on selling the idea itself to the judges, if you want to talk about the technical side of things, make sure all your judges are people with technical backgrounds to not talk to the wrong audience.

3. Do some research about the Hackathon before joining: For instance, before joining a Web3 hackathon, having a basic understanding of Web 3 before joining Web 3 hackathons will help out because instead of just building blindly, you will know what you will build. You will develop an understanding of it, and it will help you further improve your product.

4. Communication is key: Communication between teammates is important, the more you communicate with your teammates, the more everyone will lead to having the same vision and goal to come up with a good project. Lack of communication will lead to a chaotic team with no goal or vision.

5. Find your passion: Don't join hackathons with topics you are not passionate about. It is important to keep trying new things and eventually land on your desirable niche, and when you feel comfortable, that's where you can start working towards building something impactful.

7. Is it advisable for individuals without coding or technical background to participate in a Hackathon?

Everyone is welcome to the space, even the non-technicals are welcome to join hackathons because there are always roles for the non-technicals. Such as presenters/pitchers, let's say the non-technical person is good in business, then they can explain to the judges the business side of the project and convince them from a business standpoint.

A good team in a hackathon has to be well-rounded, which means it contains multiple people with multiple specialties. If everyone in the team is just good at a certain thing, it is very hard to move fast as you need everyone to do their part in a team, but if everyone is good at a certain skill, then the team will be able to move fast and create something impactful as well.

In the end, it still depends on you. Whether you are willing to come out of your comfort zone and try something new even though you feel like you are not ready for it.

8. How does one manage their time between studies and joining external events?

1. Manage your priorities between studies and external events, like creating a priority list for a given time to determine which takes higher priority.

2. Try to discuss and delegate tasks among your team members, whether in assignments, clubs/societies, or even at work.

3. Let your superiors know about your commitments and try to contribute to the KPIs that they set to avoid disappointment or overwork.

4. Schedule your day and be disciplined with your time. Try to start your day early to have more time within a day than everyone else.

5. Have a healthy mindset before starting your day, as good mental health can contribute to productivity.

Bonus Q&A

1. Which front-end tech stack do Web 3 Hackers use?

• React & Next

• Libraries: Wagmi (React)

• Tailwind for CSS

2. What role does a Web 3 community play in one's hackathon journey?

• A Web 3 community will sometimes organize hackathons and if you are inside the community, you will be one of the earliest people to get the news and make preparations.

• Web 3 communities in Discord open up doors of opportunity for one to find hackathon teammates if they are looking for them.

• Web 3 communities are very welcoming towards Web 2 people, as Web 3 communities love helping people new to the space adapt to Web 3 by providing useful links and resources.

3. Web 3 or Web 2 Hackathons, which are more fun?

• 100% Web 3. Because the space is always constantly evolving with new technology coming out every day and also because Web 3 prize pools are generally bigger than usual Web 2 hackathons. It is also because the people within the Web 3 space are always passionate about the current and future development of Web 3. Just to add on, everything in Web 3 is open source and available on GitHub, so you can easily build on top of Web 3 applications like UniSwap as their code is open source and accessible.

• Web 2 hackathons are mundane and repetitive because most of the solutions are the same. Web 2 has reached the stage of peak development, at which nobody can innovate anything new within the space. But in Web 3, there are still so many new technologies to explore and plenty of opportunities to innovate within the Web 3 space.

Conclusion

In conclusion, hackathons are a good way for an individual to work on various skills, such as developing, pitching, and product management skills. Hackathons also promote different kinds of thinking in an individual, such as creative thinking and quick thinking to be applied in their daily lives. Hackathons also allow individuals to meet new people, generate new connections through networking sessions during the hackathon, and create new opportunities for individuals. So what are you waiting for? Hurry up, hop on your first hackathon, and begin your journey as a hacker!