Mountain Dew and pulling an all-nighter—no, it’s not required and you don’t have to stay up for 24 hours. This is only one of the many tips I learned at Girl Develop It’s event, “Hackathon How-Tos,” hosted by Syncfusion. Girl Develop It is a nonprofit organization that seeks to improve the professional skills of women interested in web and software development. It values creating a safe space for women and all who want to empower themselves professionally and technically.
The event was moderated by Sylvia Pellicore, chapter leader of Girl Develop It RDU, along with five panelists: Sarah Kahn, Philip Rhodes, Suzanne Beaumont, Roxanne Estrada, and Chris Geiss. They spoke about the benefits of attending a hackathon, how addicting they are, and how they are great networking opportunities. They even mentioned tiny tips that make the 24 or 48 hour event even more enjoyable: snacks, pillows, power cords, and USB flash drives.
Listening to these veteran panelists, I gathered that hackathons are all a learning experience. No matter if you are a front-end/back-end developer, a graphic designer, or a business professional, you are going to walk away with something and you’re going to meet a lot of great people in the process. So don’t be shy; go in with an open mind and give it your best shot. You may be tired by the end, but it will be worth seeing your idea being demoed at the conclusion of the event. Who knows! Your team may win the grand prize! To learn more tips for hackathons, check out Sarah Khan’s guest post: 5 Misconceptions about Hackathons.