Hackathons the problem solver
Hackathons are rapidly growing in popularity as a means for organisations to solve problems or thrash out ideas for new technology-based products and services.
They involve software engineers, entrepreneurs and others with special skills coming together in development sessions, usually run over a weekend. A hackathon may involve just an organisation’s employees, or call in external skills.
A hackathon organised by accounting software maker MYOB late last year involving 60 employees of its small-business software team generated 32 product ideas, of which 22 were presented for judging.
Chief technology officer Simon Raik-Allen said five of those ideas were now in development, including a communications tool that allows all users of a set of accounting books to communicate in real time.
He said the session was brilliant for unlocking creative thinking by taking employees outside of their normal lines of reporting.
‘‘A hackathon is about letting your employees think for themselves,’’ Mr Raik-Allen said. ‘‘They understand your business, they understand what is possible, and they understand your systems. And when you put that together, that’s where innovation comes from.’’
Interest in hackathons is growing rapidly, with the recent GovHack event involving about 1000 people around Australia to work with government data.
Sydney-based incubator Pollenizer has organised hackathons for numerous organisations, including one for Sensis that brought in external people to generate ideas based on that company’s core technology.
Pollenizer co-founder Phil Morle said he was now receiving interest from other large businesses.
‘‘We’ve got three very big companies that would like us to do the same thing,’’ Mr Morle said. ‘‘This is a cost-effective new way of creating new innovation and ideation – the cost of this is minute in comparison to having an enterprise-grade team doing a requirements document.’’
Hackathons are also proving to be a low-cost way for not-for-profit organisations to get access to skills and ideas.
In April the mobile developer Alive staged its first Appathon, which used the hackathon concept to bring together engineers and entrepreneurs to develop mobile applications for a group of not-for-profit companies.
Alive’s general manger Matthew Ashley said the event was designed to support companies that could not normally allocate budget to develop a mobile application.
‘‘It was staggering to see the level of participation from individuals giving up their weekends,’’ Mr Ashley said.
Similarly, Pollenizer’s recent Appiness event held in conjunction with Telstra brought together 50 participants and an additional 50 mentors to develop ideas for mobile applications for a group of six charities, including Mission Australia, the St Vincent de Paul Society and the Salvation Army.
Frequently Asked Questions about this Article…
A hackathon is a short, intensive development session—often run over a weekend—where software engineers, entrepreneurs and others come together to solve problems or brainstorm new technology-based products and services. Companies use hackathons to generate ideas quickly, prototype solutions and surface innovation that might not emerge through regular reporting lines.
MYOB ran a hackathon with 60 employees from its small‑business software team that produced 32 product ideas, 22 pitches and five ideas that moved into development — including a real‑time communications tool for shared accounting books. MYOB’s CTO said the event unlocked creative thinking by taking employees outside their normal roles.
Yes. Organisers such as Pollenizer say hackathons are a low‑cost way to generate innovation and ideation compared with traditional enterprise teams producing requirements documents. The article notes large companies are increasingly interested because the cost of running a hackathon is small relative to conventional development processes.
Absolutely. Some hackathons invite outside talent to bring fresh perspectives. The article mentions Pollenizer organising events that brought in external people for Sensis, GovHack events involving about 1,000 participants around Australia, and Telstra’s Appiness event that combined 50 participants with an additional 50 mentors.
Hackathons provide charities and not‑for‑profits with low‑cost access to engineering skills and ideas. Examples in the article include Alive’s Appathon, which helped not‑for‑profits develop mobile applications, and Pollenizer/Telstra’s Appiness event that generated mobile app concepts for charities such as Mission Australia, St Vincent de Paul Society and the Salvation Army.
Tangible outcomes reported include product idea lists, judged presentations, prototypes and projects moved into active development—such as MYOB’s communications tool. Everyday investors watching company innovation may look for follow‑through from hackathon concepts into formal development or product roadmaps.
Hackathon activity is growing quickly in Australia. The article cites large events like GovHack with about 1,000 participants nationwide and notes growing corporate interest, with incubator Pollenizer receiving requests from multiple big companies to run similar events.
Employees gain opportunities to think independently, work outside normal reporting lines and collaborate creatively. Organisers and participants reported high engagement—even volunteers giving up weekends—and said hackathons unlock practical innovation because employees already understand the business and systems.
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