id: hackathon-sprint
title: Hackathon Sprint
description: >-
  A time-bounded collaborative build event where small teams form around
  problems and produce working prototypes by a fixed deadline, then present
  to the group. Originating in the open source software community,
  hackathons spread from US tech culture globally.
source: Open source software community / OpenBSD hackathon tradition
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hackathon
tags: [hackathon, sprint, collaboration, technology, open-source]
forked_from: null
image: null
steps:
  - headline: Pitch problems
    description: >-
      Anyone may pitch a problem or project they want to tackle. Pitches are
      short — one minute — and the group votes or self-selects into teams.
  - headline: Form teams
    description: >-
      Participants form teams of three to six around the pitches they want
      to work on. Teams self-organise roles and approach.
  - headline: Build to the deadline
    description: >-
      Teams build intensively toward a fixed deadline — often twenty-four
      or forty-eight hours — checking in at agreed intervals.
  - headline: Demo to the group
    description: >-
      At the deadline each team demonstrates what they built, honestly
      including what did not work. Demos are timed and short.
  - headline: Retrospect and continue
    description: >-
      The group retrospectively notes what worked in the process and which
      projects will continue beyond the hackathon.
outcome: >-
  Working prototypes are produced and shared in a short time, with teams
  formed around real interest rather than assignment.
practice: >-
  The deadline is the engine. Demos that include what failed are more
  valuable than polished ones; learning is a legitimate outcome.