hackathons
Intensive programming competitions
Hackathons is the plural of hackathon, a collaborative event where programmers, designers, and others work intensively—often overnight or over a weekend—to build software projects or solve technical problems.
The format emphasizes rapid prototyping and creative problem-solving under time pressure: We built the whole app at a hackathon.
Originally from tech culture, the concept has spread to other fields: a civic hackathon to redesign city services.
Place of occurrence
- registrationFormal recording of participation
- kickoffOpening play in football
- overnightSpanning evening to morning
- coffeeBrewed bean beverage
snacks · workshops · schedule · sponsors · organizers · volunteers · pizza
Writing software instructions
- debuggingError removal from programs
- algorithmFinite problem-solving procedure
- repositoryPlace for storing things
- codebaseSoftware project's complete source
prototype · demo · deployment · software · developer · sprint · commit · stack
Reward for winning
- challengeTest of ability
- winnerOne who prevails
- finalistLast-round participant
- judgingForming an opinion
pitch · submission · deadline · leaderboard · sponsor · category · track · swag
Joint intellectual work
- networkingBuilding professional relationships
- coordinationOrganized cooperative movement
- communicationExchanging ideas or information
- partnershipShared business arrangement
synergy · cooperation · collective · camaraderie · delegation · huddle
Forming mental concepts
- prototypeFirst functional specimen
- disruptionForceful interruption of process
- breakthroughSudden important advance
- startupNew business enterprise
brainstorming · pivot · solution · creativity · invention · incubator · entrepreneurship · scaling
venue
Place of occurrence
- registrationFormal recording of participation
- kickoffOpening play in football
- overnightSpanning evening to morning
coffee · snacks · workshops · schedule · sponsors · organizers · volunteers · pizza
programming
Writing software instructions
- debuggingError removal from programs
- algorithmFinite problem-solving procedure
- repositoryPlace for storing things
codebase · prototype · demo · deployment · software · developer · sprint · commit · stack · framework
prize
Reward for winning
judging · pitch · submission · deadline · leaderboard · sponsor · category · track · swag · voting
collaboration
Joint intellectual work
- networkingBuilding professional relationships
- coordinationOrganized cooperative movement
- communicationExchanging ideas or information
partnership · synergy · cooperation · collective · camaraderie · delegation · huddle
ideation
Forming mental concepts
- prototypeFirst functional specimen
- disruptionForceful interruption of process
- breakthroughSudden important advance
startup · brainstorming · pivot · solution · creativity · invention · incubator · entrepreneurship · scaling · venture
- civic techcivic engagement, e-government, e-governance, open data, open government
- innovation ecosystemstech hubs, science parks, incubators, accelerators, innovation centers
- group activitiesgroup games, voting, protest, group dance, group project
- collaborationteamwork, partnership, co-creation, alliance, sharing
- conferencesconference, symposium, conferences, keynote, forums
- tech culturedevelopers, coders, startup culture, programmers, computers