Hackathons are a staple in developer marketing. Their role has become more important in the space as new technologies emerge and developers look for new ways to grow their skills. Hackathons continue to help tech companies truly connect with these growing developer communities.
Brandon Kessler, Devpost CEO, spoke in Major League Hacking’s (MLH) recent webinar, The Ultimate Hackathon Webinar: 10+ Years of Hackathon Insights and Learnings. Along with the co-founders of MLH, Mike Swift and Jon Gottfried, they shared over a decade’s worth of insights into how tech companies can leverage hackathons to achieve their developer goals.
Check out the recap and jordan telegram screening recording from the event below.
What role do hackathons play in developers’ journeys?
Swift: There's a big gap between the theoretical concepts that we teach in a classroom and the actual practical skills that you need as an engineer. We've found through decades of developer experience that the best way to learn is to use code to solve problems.
What is the journey of a professional developer participating in hackathons compared to a student?
Brandon: Learning through building, whether you are a college student or professional developer, doesn't change. It's so important. In our experience, it’s the number one reason people participate in hackathons, and probably the number one reason people sponsor them is because you actually get people's hands dirty with the tools.