Empowered by Data by Eva Murray

Author:Eva Murray [Murray, Eva]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781119705703
Publisher: Wiley
Published: 2020-11-03T00:00:00+00:00

If you want to run a hackathon internally or externally, I suggest having a few questions for participants to explore so that they have some direction. Then give them the additional flexibility to go down any unexplored paths they might discover during their analyses. Hackathons need a considerable amount of planning and preparation but are also fun and engaging events that help solve problems and establish new connections between colleagues and potentially external experts.

What You Will Need

It is important to be clear on the objective of the hackathon. What do you want to achieve? What questions are you seeking answers for?

People typically work in pairs or teams to ensure diversity of skill sets and business knowledge. I recommend bringing together those with data expertise (preparation, transformation, etc.), those with business knowledge (subject matter experts), and those with data visualization and communication skills. Each team needs to have the skills to cover the various processes and steps that lead to the desired outcomes.

The venue could be a single large room with group tables that are positioned separately from one another or a collaborative space where teams can find quiet areas for working and discussing.

Establish an agenda as well as a clear communication plan ahead of time, including invitations to participants and ongoing communication in the lead-up to the hackathon and after the event.

There are a few more things to consider ahead of time: What data will people work with? Making the data available ahead of time helps participants familiarize themselves with the data so they can use their time at the event more effectively.

Will the data be prepared for participants? I highly recommend you provide them with as clean and complete a data set as possible, so the experts who spend their day at the hackathon to tackle questions can focus on doing that rather than on data preparation.

If external people are participating, you will need a process for them to sign nondisclosure agreements before the event if they work with confidential data.

What is the technical setup for the hackathon? Will everyone bring their own laptop to work or are you providing laptops? Are there enough power outlets, a stable Wi-Fi connection, as well as screens for presentations available?

What is the reward for participating? A small but meaningful prize goes a long way in motivating people. After all, these are competitive people.

What will happen after the event? People typically want to know whether their contributions made a difference. Give them an idea of the next steps and the results farther down the track, if possible.

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