Forem: Rodrigo Nogueira

Can Hackathons help blockchain companies grow faster?

Rodrigo Nogueira — Mon, 11 Oct 2021 14:12:16 +0000

The tech world has seen the rise of hackathons, virtual or face-to-face events where people get together to find solutions to a problem collaboratively. They are events where the people who participate collaboratively solve a problem quickly. On the other hand, although this rising is held by technology companies, this methodology can be applied to any sector and industry.

However, for today's article, we are focusing on a strict tech market niche, blockchain! ⚙️ We will discuss and summarize how blockchain hackathons can help companies evolve their digital ecosystem for better results and innovative ideas.

We all know that Blockchain developers learn 📖, hack 👨🏻‍💻, and network 🗣 at events designed to foster innovation around cutting-edge blockchain technologies. Under this format, multiple, fast and effective solutions to the same problem can be developed and serve as triggers for a culture of innovation.

What are the primary industries impacted by blockchain hackathons?

FINANCIAL SECTOR
The financial sector is undergoing a major digital transformation. One of these changes is related to Decentralized Finance, a broad concept encompassing all disruptive technology and digital solutions that remove the need for intermediaries in applications through intelligent blockchain contracts or smart contracts.

An excellent example of this type of transformation is Kiva. A digital marketplace where individuals can lend as little as $25 to create opportunities for people worldwide. In partnership with a global network of local lending institutions, Kiva.org provides loans for more than 3.5 million entrepreneurs and others in need.

They created a blockchain hackathon to support microfinance using a decentralized digital identity platform, empowering borrowers to verify informal and formal past financial history to increase credit for people excluded from traditional financial institutions.

Their objective is to use blockchain protocol to help users record their financial transactions, transfer that information between institutions, and gain access to formal bank accounts. Essentially, improving their customer experience.

GAMING INDUSTRY
GameFi is one of the most blazing recent fads to rise out of the crypto business, joining decentralized money (DeFi) and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) with blockchain-based web-based games.

In contrast to numerous conventional web-based games, which work on a "pay-to-win" show and permit players to buy moves up to acquire a benefit over others, GameFi presents a "play-to-procure" model. This idea includes giving players monetary motivations to play and advance through games. Sometimes, this has permitted gamers to acquire full-time pay this way.

ART INDUSTRY
In the art industry, the use of Blockchain and “tokenization” started to increase global access to the art market and reduce transaction costs.

In the digital art world, non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, are being used to certify the ownership of works. For example, artist Beeple uses NFTs based on Blockchain technology to create a unique signature for each piece of art he sells, allowing him to track each work, earn royalty payments, and avoid counterfeiting.

At TAIKAI, we have a hackathon with the objective of bringing NFTs to a broader audience and giving artists the chance to control all aspects of their art, including distribution and monetization.

RETAIL SECTOR
Consumers' trust in the retail system is closely related to their faith in the market where their purchases are made. Blockchain could decentralize that trust, shifting that security more to the vendors and less to the marketplace sites themselves.

Startups like OpenBazaar are developing decentralized Blockchain utilities for buyers and sellers without an intermediary and associated fees. Customers buy products using any of the 50 cryptocurrencies, and sellers are paid in various cryptocurrencies.

Louis Vuitton also innovated by creating a platform with Microsoft and blockchain startup ConsenSys for luxury authenticated products through the Blockchain. They name it AURA and allows customers to track their products from design to distribution, protecting against counterfeit products and fraud.

ENTERTAINMENT SECTOR
In the entertainment industry, blockchain-based solution is coming to “take the sleep” of streaming giants such as Netflix and Youtube. With the technology, it is possible to decentralize the encoding, storage, and distribution of video content, thus drastically reducing the cost of video traffic.

VideoCoin Network is an example of a company that is already working on releasing this capital. The decentralized network provides cloud video infrastructure – encoding, storage, and distribution – in the form of a point-to-point algorithmic marketplace. It runs on a new Blockchain where customers spend VideoCoins on renting these services.

E-COMMERCE SECTOR
The use of Blockchain can transform electronic commerce, reducing transaction costs and increasing transaction security. Industry giants such as Walmart, Amazon, and Alibaba have begun to explore this technology and created an innovation ecosystem.

Alibaba, for example, filed a patent for a blockchain-based transaction system in Brazil in March 2020.

On the other hand, Blockchain can play a valuable role in traceability for global commerce, ensuring proof of delivery and securely tracking contract details without the risk of data being altered or tampered with.

FOOD AND BEVERAGE SECTOR
Blockchain has been used as an accountability platform in the food and beverage industry that can help reduce food recall and mislabelled products. For example, Blockchain-based tracking can be easily applied as a QR code that, when scanned, shows the complete journey from a product to a customer's cart.

Walmart and Sam's Club have joined IBM's Food Trust network, which uses a ledger distributed on Blockchain. In 2018, retailers asked their suppliers, especially green leafy vegetables, to add their product data to the log by 2019.

Nestlé and Carrefour are also testing a similar service with customers for their mashed potato product Mousline in France. Consumers can gain access to data stored on the project's Blockchain by scanning a QR code on the Mousline packaging, allowing them to see how the product has traveled from the farmer to the Nestlé factory and its Carrefour store.

Blockchain hackathons, a multiverse solution

A hackathon is a relatively simple and resource-saving way to tap into the creativity of the developer and creator scene. But behind the concept exists a bigger world.

A bigger world where more and more companies (yes, blockchain companies are not the only ones to use this methodology) are discovering diverse solutions by promoting hackathons with a developer and creative communities. After all, alternative perspectives result in more, better solutions and creative ideas.

To give you an idea, an online hackathon recently held by a student association of the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), with more than 600 participants, developed a series of solutions to mitigate the effects of Covid-19 worldwide.

One of the winning projects was an application that permits users to send letters to nursing-home residents who may feel isolated from friends and family during the Covid period. A project totally focused to drive engagement between users.

On the other hand, in Spain, 2020, there was a hackathon, where hackers from all over Spain will be able to develop innovative technological solutions to respond to more than a hundred social challenges posed by NGOs, foundations, institutions, and universities to build a better world.

One of the solutions was a verified-user acquisition action to increase the number of current users and reach 2.5MM registrations in Waylet. This payment app allows you to pay quickly and securely at Repsol service stations.

In 2021, E³UDRES² was working on a hackathon, 36 hours to attract people of all kinds to act as change agents transforming their neighborhoods into intelligent and sustainable regions and contributing solutions to global challenges, e.g., circular economy, well-being, and the human contribution to artificial intelligence.

One of the challenges was to a Portugal entity, AVIPE, a grapevine consultancy. And the idea was to create intelligent tools to support early detection/diagnostics/monitoring of vineyard infestations. As a result, IoT devices or AI-powered vineyard pest traps were on the verge of being developed.

These examples prove that it’s possible to code for a better world and way of living. So, why cannot change an even more specific niche like the blockchain market that’s naturally digital? To help answer this question, we present a blockchain hackathon solution for the food area.

In 2019, IBM Food Trust™, a sponsor of the University of Arkansas Blockchain Center of Excellence, challenged students to design a solution that would allow consumers to provide feedback on food quality while engaging with pertinent food information. A solution that proves that customer experience, it's important and a base for the company’s success.

Can blockchain hackathons increase innovation inside companies?

At this moment, you know that numerous companies have carried out this kind of work dynamic. Not to speak about Facebook, Google, NASA, or Telcel, which are hackathon "geeks". The digital transformation and the capacity for innovation they want to achieve are why large organizations hold these hackathons. In other words, they always seek new business challenges.

Through them, blockchain companies can strengthen their digital security (payment methods, cybersecurity, customer service, user experience, etc.), support innovation and entrepreneurship, facilitate financial management and education and detect, promote and retain talent.

At this moment, we know how hackathons can help generate business ideas and viable products. So, what's the next step? Check out some benefits of how hackathons can help blockchain companies grow faster.

Why Your Blockchain Company Should Run A Hackathon?

Different eyes, different solutions
Over 80% of Fortune 100 companies conduct hackathons to drive innovation. More than 50% of the hackathons are recurring events, indicating a reliable tool for sustained innovation. Perhaps this is the most crucial benefit. The hackathon makes it possible to use different talents to think of initiatives that attack a common problem.

Through these accelerating ideas, insights emerge that become projects and can positively impact the company and its products. For instance, in general, blockchain companies and other firms tend to gain a lot of problem-solving expertise from such hackathons, which also have the added benefit of being financially economical.

Be a top-of-mind market solution
The more people who know about your company, the better - especially if you opt for promotion by digital means. Blockchain markets are very competitive. So, the key to getting the best of your hackathon and company out to a broader audience is to spread the word. Partner with universities, sponsored social media campaigns, traditional media ads, and whatever else it takes to capture the most registrants and audience.

So, how can hackathons help Blockchain at this point? PR and Marketing are a halfway solution to strengthen your company's presence in the industry and connect your name to innovation within days.

Your next recruitment tool
This exchange of experiences will expand the networking of participants and, in the case of an external hackathon, grow the network of contacts of the organization itself.

Some companies use hackathons as recruitment and promotion tools. Hackathons give recruiters access to innovative ideas, as well skill sets, that might not have been considered otherwise.

They also provide great exposure for jobseekers by generating buzz around your hiring offers. Companies will often sponsor or host these events as part of their recruiting strategy.

As all tech players know, talent in this area it's constantly changing. Better participants, better solutions for your blockchain solutions.

Diminish your errors, give your company security
It is worth remembering that Blockchain was developed from the need to create a reliable and efficient system to record financial transactions, avoiding fraud, cyber-attacks, or even user errors. This is why financial services present several application cases for Blockchain. So, a hackathon can be an excellent playground to find security vulnerabilities for your project.

In 2016, in Ukraine, there was a hackathon focus on cyber-security. In less than 48 hours, 16 teams of IT specialists, business analysts, and Blockchain/Bitcoin enthusiasts brainstormed and designed viable business ideas based on the Blockchain-distributed technology.

In this case, an open-source solution was developed, available to anyone. The objective was to encode user data with OpenSSL to be accessed with a personal security key. This way, the Ethereum Blockchain app platform would provide routing between client and server and perform an escrow function, ensuring transparency of the deal.

Blockchain hackathons could mean new products!
Many startups and businesses that host hackathons want to test newer aspects of their company or product with external developers before implementing them internally. Because of the natural diversity and teamwork that such hackathons bring forward, they show to be the ideal environment for such idea testing and creation.

For example, Hasbro toys famously created 45 products throughout just one hackathon. Likewise, names like GroupMe and WorkFlow have emerged from hackathons, and in GroupMe's case, led to an $85 million acquisition from Microsoft.

In the blockchain world, companies like Digital Asset and SE2 prepared a hackathon focused on Daml, a multi-party application platform created by Digital Asset, to develop innovative Blockchain and smart contract applications.

Adoption of technologies
Digital transformation requires changes in company culture. And these changes involve investments that may initially impact the budget. By holding a hackathon, the organization will be updated on technological trends and become solutions to reduce costs and time in processes.

Today, speed and agility on the blockchain niche are central to driving business value, making hackathons a valuable tool for accelerating organizational change and fostering a quick-march, customer-centric, can-do culture.

Sense of Community
Many innovative businesses managers learn how hackathons can help blockchain companies because they recognize the value of developing a self-sustaining, positive ecology around them.

Hackathons, as a clever marketing technique, can also aid in expanding a company's external network, particularly among engineers, who are often participating in feedback and content development.

Furthermore, DailyCoin defends that community participation makes learning the core value of the Blockchain easier to understand. Those who choose to engage in and participate in hackathons are typically intelligent and capable individuals who would keep in touch with the company's external relations staff for future events if the event was memorable.

Blockchain hackathons need to be planned to work

A hackathon is an event that needs to be prepared and managed. It's not just the cost of location, food, staff, and equipment. You also need to provide a creative atmosphere and a proper methodology to ensure the teams' high productivity.

Moreover, the solutions from a hackathon are not always entirely usable, but if worked on better in a post-event, they can become applicable. Suppose the topic is not attractive enough to participants. In that case, expectations for the solutions are too high, or the prize pool is not good enough to attract good participants, a hackathon can become more attractive just for the change of culture of the institution.

Last but not least, to summarize, if you have a blockchain company you want to:

Cost reduction due to less supervision and reduction of intermediaries;
Time savings. Fast sprints to prototype solutions created in days against traditional R&D process that can take weeks;
Built proof-of-concept blockchain pilots for your business;
Increased security by preventing fraud, manipulation, and cyber-attacks;
Increased efficiency, embracing digital transformation, over traditional systems

Now that you learn how hackathons can help blockchain companies, it's time to take the next step to engage with our community.

TAIKAI is a virtual hackathon platform that makes a virtual hackathon event much easier to host. You can count on us to take your company to the next level.

How to Prepare for Coding Challenges?

Rodrigo Nogueira — Mon, 27 Sep 2021 13:08:18 +0000

Many people are passionate about coding. 👩‍💻 Every year, millions of students study Computer Science as their major. And many others enroll in different courses related to it. The biggest part of this field is Programming.

If you have recently graduated and are looking for a programming job, then you should study to pass coding challenges.

Coding challenges are an excellent way of testing your skills and capabilities. They can be used as part of a job interview, or even just as fun exercises to help improve your programming ability.

👉 In this article, we will look into how to prepare for them and what they actually involve. We’ll also take a look at some tips and tricks on how to get better at them! 🙌

Everything You Need to Know About Coding Challenges 👇

What are Coding Challenges?

A code challenge is a test conducted by companies to recruit new employees. It is the first step to pass before conducting technical interviews.

These challenges or tests are for new internees and graduates. Usually, people with prior experience in programming do not have to take part. However, they are sometimes taken after the interview. These tests take place among many people in a limited timeframe to shortlist qualified and suitable candidates.

Generally, the organization you are applying for gives you the choice of language. But, other times, they might go with some specific programming languages.

Why Do I need to Engage in Programming Challenges?

Even if you are not applying for a job, there are many programming contests as well. Taking part in them will provide a lot of benefits.

Many students and beginners do not understand the potential of Programming Challenges. Here are all the reasons to tell you why you should engage in such challenges:

Develop Problem-Solving Skills

Many tech interviews ask you to debug an already-written program. While it may seem easy to some, it can be very difficult for newbies. That is because they are used to getting the help of different tools for search bugs in their programs.
Engaging in Coding Challenges will help you become a real problem solver. You will be able to point out the mistakes in lines of code easily. Plus, it will empower your technical skills to write error-free codes.

Faster Than Ever

The main constraint of a coding interview or test is the time limit. In a given period, you will have to write a completely error-free program. For a beginner, it is nearly impossible.
When you newly learn to program, you are very slow at it. You take hours to write simple codes and check them again and again for mistakes. While this is a good aspect in terms of care, it is unacceptable in coding tests.
Engaging in different coding contests helps you get faster at it. You will notice a significant change in speed in your coding skill and projects.

Write Better Codes

In programming, there are always multiple ways to write a single code. But, only a few of them are optimal solutions. And, this is an important factor in coding. You always have to check the efficiency of a program.
For instance, a code can be written on ten lines, and the same can be written on two lines. It would be best if you always went for the shorter route. It helps you get the job done faster and cleaner.

A Plus Point for Interviews - Interview Preparation Tips

Although passing the test does not necessarily mean you are recruited, it is certainly a positive point. Software Developer candidates who have passed the challenge are one step closer to getting the job.
Tech Companies usually look for practical workers. A code challenge helps organizations to identify which program can excel at writing codes. Hence, it will give you a considerable upper hand over other candidates.

Get a Better Grip on a Language

Programming challenges will help you strengthen your skills in a specific language. If you are a new programmer, you should concentrate on only one language. You can find the right one by researching which one is currently in demand.

Most Common Programming Language Challenges

Like we mentioned earlier, usually, companies allow you to choose a programming language. However, not all of them give you this option. Some companies work with certain languages, so you are only restricted to pass tests in them.

Here are some of the most common programming language challenges:

Python
Java
Javascript
Rust
TypeScript
Ruby
PHP
SQL
CSS
C#
C++
HTML

The reason for providing this list is so that you can learn and practice one of these languages. With a strong grip, you will definitely get ready for technical interview questions. 💪

How to Get Better at a Coding Challenge

Many beginners and students look for tips to pass a code challenge. But, you do not have to worry. We have covered all the ways of how you can get better at programming challenges and interview prep.

Master a Language

The best way is to just work on a single language first, for example, Python. Do not jump into different languages at this stage. Learn all that you can about it Python. Write different and difficult codes in it.
You should be so good that you can debug a code without any problems. That is only possible by deep-dive your technical skill in a specific programming language for you to be ready for a python challenge in the future. These common practices will help you advance fast in a challenge and give you an advantage during the interview process.

Efficiency

Your first priority should be efficiency. Always look for a better way of writing codes. Companies prefer clean and readable programs.
Most people look for the easiest way to execute a program. However, sometimes that solution contains a long code. If you want to get good at coding challenges, you need to look for an efficient way rather than an easy one.

Constantly Check Your Code

While it may take some time, checking code again and again can make it ten times better. You can even find your mistakes. It can also help you make the right changes to your code.
Sometimes, you will see some statements that do not affect the overall program but increase the time complexity. Rechecking your code will allow you to remove such statements.

Practice

As the saying goes, “Practice makes a programmer perfect.” It is 100% true that practicing your skilled language can help you get better exponentially.
Whether you are looking to pass coding challenges or working professionally, practice is a MUST.
It will enable you to write error-free programs in less time. Plus, you will no longer need to look up solutions on the Internet. Once you start exercising your programming skills enough, you can become the ultimate problem solver.

Mistakes to Avoid During a Code Challenge

Here are some of the most common mistakes that you should avoid during a coding test.

Do Not Rush It

While there is a time limit, it is long enough for you to write the full code. If you try to rush things too fast, you will be compromising on the quality of your program.

Avoid Repetition

Many codes will require you to follow the same formula. However, it would be best if you never repeated any segment. If you have to, then try to write it differently.

Choose Correct Variable Names

Although it may seem like a small thing, companies pay a lot of attention to it. The choice of variable names depends on you. That is why most new programmers go for simple names, like A, B, C, etc. Instead, go for more specific and clearer names, like FirstValue, SecondValue, etc. It will increase the readability of the code, and users will understand the purpose of the variable on the first viewing.

Do not Go to The Long Route

A long code means less readability, more time complexity, and less efficiency. But, most programmers do not understand that. If there is an optimal solution available, take it and go for shorter and neat codes.

Not Pre-Planning for the Project

If you have an upcoming test, then give your best to prepare for it. Practice with difficult codes and try to debug them. There are many software tools online that can you with this.

How to Plan For a Hiring Coding Challenge

Every task requires pre-planning. If you were to build architecture, you would first construct a blueprint. Programming is not much different.

Planning for a coding challenge includes identifying the problems and ways how to solve them in the code editor. First, you have to set a goal for your solution and discover how you can accomplish it. Then, you will work towards it. It is best to go in prepared for the challenge.

Best Platforms to Test Your Coding Skill 📚
Here are some of the best platforms where you can try your coding skills and get one step closer to being employed.

CoderPad CoderPad is one of the most well-reviewed platforms where companies provide challenges for coders.
CoderByte CoderByte is the most popular website with more than 600 organizations. These companies share MCQs and other programming challenges for potential employees.
HackerRank HackerRank is most suitable for advanced-level programmers. Here, companies can select the ready-made challenges or create their own to test people.
CodeFights CodeFights is a one-stop-shop that allows companies to find, test, and interview candidates.

Final Thoughts

Whether it is a coding interview or online coding challenges, practice is the key.

By going through this article, you will understand everything about such tests, including why you need to take part in them, how to get better, which mistakes to avoid, and how to pre-plan.

Each aspect will give you a different perspective, and every new coding challenge will teach you a new lesson.

At TAIKAI we take the Coding Challenges to a different level 😲, with hiring challenges any organization can manage their coding challenges and follow the candidate progress using a single platform.

If we are looking for a platform to evaluate your candidates coding challenges, we are your right partner for you.

Not Convinced 🤨, talk with us today or Request a Demo.

How to recruit talent using a hackathon

Rodrigo Nogueira — Tue, 17 Aug 2021 18:29:33 +0000

Hackathons are a highly beneficial tool to scout out talent and promote breakthroughs in an organization. Read ahead to find out how to recruit talent with a hackathon and its benefits over traditional recruitment processes.

Attracting Talent with Hackathons

The following is an overview of how hackathons aid organizations in their efforts to innovate and recruit talent.

Hackathons differ significantly from traditional recruiting methods. While both involve searching for qualified employees, the latter relies solely on resumes and interviews. Hackathons provide additional opportunities for employers and job hunters alike.

In addition to allowing applicants to showcase their abilities and expertise, hackathons also allow businesses to learn more about their customers and clients. For example, Google held its annual Android Developer Challenge where developers were able to create mobile apps for their ecosystem.

However, many companies hold hackathons specifically designed to identify hidden gems among otherwise unappealing candidates. These events give anyone without experience a chance to prove themselves. Since they focus primarily on uncovering undervalued qualities such as creativity, communication ability, leadership, and problem-solving skills, they effectively remove biases associated with conventional hiring practices.

Forces people to leave their comfort zone🛋

This is one of the primary ways hackathons help to unleash creativity. Hackathons offer a refreshing break from the monotony of the daily job.

Offline Hackathons are typically 1–2-day events in which participants must solve a given problem within a limited amount of time. These events force players to leave their comfort zone and put them under extreme time constraints.

The intense environment creates a sense of urgency, motivating individuals to offer their best effort or risk losing. It drives individuals to take risks and test new ideas to succeed in such situations. This sense of urgency does not exist in a typical 9-5 shift.

Participants who are driven to expand their creative muscles in such a manner experience a free flow of original ideas, not only from group mates but also from themselves. Due to this, hackathons generate novel solutions to problems they are designed to solve.

Allows for a wide range of social inputs 🤙

As previously stated, hackathons include both external and internal team members. These extra members can be from anywhere, creating a socially varied environment for the event. This level of multiplicity promotes the generation of novel ideas and thoughts.

The incorporation of multiple points of view is a reason for this. As a result, the problem is understood in a variety of ways.

A freelancer who works on a flexible schedule, for example, may see a problem from a different perspective than a corporate suit who adheres to a traditional 9-5 schedule.

Differences in a team’s culture, lifestyle, and attitude add dimensions to the cognitive process. Innovative solutions to problems are more common when information from other perspectives is gathered. Hackathons enable experimentation with various inputs driven from multiple viewpoints working collaboratively to achieve a breakthrough solution.

New groundbreaking products 📦

One of the most important ways for businesses to gain from hackathons is by developing new groundbreaking products.

Hackathons promote the free flow of revolutionary ideas in a diverse collaborative environment. These innovative concepts lead to the creation of new applications based on evolving technologies or new goods based on novel methodologies.

A hackathon’s limited time frame is insufficient to completely develop a new product; however, the intensive creative environment might result in the development of game-changing prototypes.

These prototypes form the basis for a revolutionary product. Once an idea has been formed, the product can simply progress to the development stage. Hackathons initiate the development process by making prototypes in a short period based on nonstop brainstorming.

Aside from that, the exploration and learning that takes place throughout the process is an excellent takeaway for both the host firm and the participants.

Allows the evaluation of talent, ability, and temperament in real-time 🗳

Another reason why large corporations organize hackathons is to attract talent. From Foursquare to Chevrolet, Facebook to PayPal, the world’s largest corporations all see hackathons as a possible recruiting tool.

Hackathons provide an opportunity for host organizations to witness a live exhibition of participants’ abilities and skills. Resumes are limited to a candidate’s credentials and provide no evidence of the applicant’s actual ability.

Hackathons provide a unique chance in the hiring process, allowing potential candidates to demonstrate their capacity to favorably contribute to innovative development projects.

Hackathons allow host organizations to assess not only a candidate's talents but also their disposition. Such activities necessitate teamwork, allowing the host company to assess a candidate's capacity to perform inside an organization. A hackathon’s rigorous setting provides the host organization with insight into potential applicants’ persistence and ability to work under pressure.

While technical proficiency is an important factor in the hiring process, other qualities such as stress tolerance, a collaborative attitude, and a calm demeanor are also important.

Attractive prize packages 🏆

Hackathons are competitions, and the winners are abundantly rewarded with incredible gifts. The prize package draw assists the host organization in attracting top talent and generating unique ideas.

Hackathons have tight grading procedures in which only the most groundbreaking ideas are rewarded. To win the hackathon, participants are greatly incentivized to develop innovative solutions. As a result, the host company gains an advantage from the prototypes that are created, which possess the potential to bring development to the market.

Prizes for hackathons can range from substantial sums of money to summer internships with the sponsoring company to prestigious honors. These events recognize the accomplishments of participants, which encourages freelancers and talented professionals to participate. As a result, the host firm can identify potential applicants and integrate top talent into its business.

Increased corporate branding 💎

Hackathons provide a marketing prospect for the host corporation. This is especially critical for companies seeking to hire talented employees.

Due to the status associated with working with well-known businesses, job applicants prefer to work for them, posing a significant hurdle for startups. It is tough for a company, no matter how active, to attract devoted personnel.

Hackathons generate a lot of discussion about the host firm and assist in positioning it as a dynamic market participant. If a company can conduct a hackathon assessed by industry executives and technical consultants, the company can get market traction.

As hackathons are becoming more popular, getting sponsors to provide financial support for branding efforts and events is becoming easier. Requesting local press coverage of the event can also aid in attracting talent, and social media can be used to reach a larger audience.

There is no doubt that hackathons help businesses of all sizes flourish. Whether it is via developing an industry brand, creating inventive intellectual property to use in the future, or using it as a talent magnet for recruiting.

Hackathons are extreme events that necessitate extensive planning. Before submitting a bid to host one, all the minor elements must be considered. To achieve a successful hackathon, meticulous planning is essential in advance.

In recent years, there has been a boom in Hackathons to recruit talent and the channel has constantly been evolving ever since. Listed below are some of the various techniques used to leverage hackathons as a recruitment tool.

Types of recruitment hackathons

1. VIRTUAL HACKATHONS
Recruitment hackathons can be tailored to a company’s requirements and the talent that it wishes to recruit. Virtual hackathons are no different and can be considered as of the best methods to hunt international talent. These hackathons are conceptualized around competitive programming challenges and allow recruiters to get an idea of what programmers around the world are capable of based on the competition leaderboard.

These challenge-based recruiting tactics are highly useful for small companies who lack the resources or budget to market themselves overseas or establish recruitment centers in foreign countries. Companies could benefit from an additional talent pipeline in the funnel, and hackathons have evolved into a lean technique for partially leveling the playing field for smaller organizations trying to implement guerilla recruiting strategies.

2. INTERACTIVE HACKATHONS
Due to the intimidation element of a 1:1 interview and the associated uneasiness, highly qualified individuals are frequently dismissed in a traditional interview session.

Throughout a day or more, hackathons provide an opportunity to dive in, become comfortable, and demonstrate ingenuity. From the interviewer's standpoint, hackathons help assess a candidate’s talents and performance in a potential working environment.

Interactive hackathons can assist by grouping interviewers and potentials applicants into teams where they can collaborate constructively and creatively. The interactive hackathon’s capacity to link industry professionals and students or other candidates of all types and technological skillsets seems quite promising!

3. INDUSTRY HACKATHONS
Industry hackathons are gradually gaining traction as a means of combining resources and adding emphasis and purpose to the traditional concept of hackathons as Red Bull-fueled frenzies for major tech companies.

Industry hackathons link recruiters with technical talent that understand their business and possess the potential to bring much-needed creativity into their already set-up products, processes, and technology. Despite having been initiated by tech companies, the traction of industry hackathons is growing in areas like education, construction, and fashion.

4. INTERNAL RECRUITING HACKATHONS
The opportunity to “recruit” your own staff is another benefit of hackathons as a recruitment strategy. For companies wishing to organize a hackathon, it is recommended to encourage their full-time employees and technical talent to join if they feel inclined.

Internal hackathons, by definition, enable businesses to access previously untapped potential within their organization as employees are placed into silos or boxes. Encouraging your engineering talent to engage in hackathons allows them to design and create things outside the box while broadening their relations with coworkers with whom they may not ordinarily collaborate. It unquestionably promotes healthy free-thinking, which adds to motivated employees.

Benefits of using hackathon to recruit talent

Traditionally, many companies held hackathons internally to get their creative juices flowing and help their committed employees brainstorm and generate ideas.

Nowadays, hackathons are increasingly being adopted in the modern hiring process, and for a good reason. Today, most recruiters utilize this method to evaluate candidates' problem-solving, interpersonal, and time-management skills. There are many benefits to using hackathons over the traditional hiring processes, which can be explained below.

REDUCE COSTS 💰
One of the main benefits of using hackathons to recruit talent over the traditional process is that it helps reduce costs by a lot. As per the latest Talent Acquisition Benchmarking Report, the average cost of hire is $4,425. On the other hand, the average cost of hackathons for a hire can be much lower with the advantage of hiring multiple candidates.

This cost reduction has inclined many companies to shift over to using hackathons for the recruitment process. When it comes to traditional hiring, it might be difficult to justify the overall cost of the process. Hackathons, on the other hand, are low-cost and can be made to be cost even lower by holding them online

SAVING TIME ⏰
Using hackathons in recruitment allows companies to cut their recruitment time by 80%. Recruits hired through hackathons get a chance to get acquainted with the company dynamic and culture and the necessary training. This can cut down the time required for training from 3-6 months to less than 6 weeks.

Additionally, most of the recruitment processes followed by many companies are so long and unstructured that it wastes the time of both recruiters and applicants. Hackathons as a recruitment process prove superior due to the ability to gather and analyze candidate data in a very short time frame.

SCREENING 📃
Hackathons are a promising alternative to unorganized recruitment processes. These processes are not only time-consuming but also don't always result in quality hires.

You might be surprised to know that only 50% of the hires you make fit the bill through the traditional hiring process. Also, it takes almost three months to know if you have made the right hire or not, which results in a drain in resources. Screening during hackathons is much easier than in traditional recruitment processes. During hackathons, you get to take a look at how well a candidate works with other people and effectively gauge their core technical skills, cognitive abilities, and behavioral competencies.

DIVERSITY 🧑‍🦰👩🏾‍🦰🧔🏼‍♀️
Hosting online hackathons allow recruiters to attract a diverse range of quality talent. Companies have found that hosting online hackathons has attracted candidates hailing from areas that they wouldn’t usually go for recruitment. Diversity in the hiring process opens up access to people who might be more talented and valuable to your organization than people from your usual target recruitment areas.

Why hackathon are good for hiring? 🤔

40% of people who participated in a hackathon were hired within 6 months after participating in the event.

Recruiters say they use hackathons because they want to get creative solutions from their employees. Hackathons help them identify and develop potential employees before making an offer.

Hackathons give them access to innovative ideas that might not have been considered otherwise. They also provide great exposure for job seekers by generating buzz around your hiring process. Companies will often sponsor or host these events as part of their recruiting strategy.

It’s not uncommon for companies to throw one-day competitions where participants create apps, websites, games, videos, etc., all designed to solve problems related to their business needs.

The winning team gets paid cash prizes while everyone else walks away with some sort of recognition. These kinds of events tend to be very popular among tech-savvy Millennials. Companies like Microsoft, Facebook, Amazon, Oracle, eBay, IBM, Apple, Adobe, Groupon, Zappos, LinkedIn, Twitter, Netflix, Airbnb, Dell, Intuit, Salesforce, and many others regularly hold hackathons throughout the year at various locations across the country.

The final verdict 🥁

In conclusion, hackathons are a very useful tool in recruiting good talent. 👷‍♂️

There are several types of hackathons from which to recruit promising talent, however, a virtual hackathon is the most favorable one as it allows a diverse range of participants to showcase their abilities. Using hackathons as a recruitment method provides various benefits over a traditional hiring process such as reducing costs, saving time, and having the screening process be much more transparent. As such more companies should adopt this recruitment method.

Do you want to host or organize a hiring challenge for your company?

Talk with us today, we are here to help you with the process.

Hackathon -Develop a UI dashboard that displays weather forecasts to African farmers

Rodrigo Nogueira — Tue, 08 Jun 2021 14:05:51 +0000

The Kanda Weather Group is seeking participants to develop a simple User Interface (UI) dashboard that shows our forecasts in an easy-to-understand way for local farmers and stakeholders.

The company is refining a weather balloon (also known as radiosonde) IoT technology product that collects data and uses Machine Learning to make a simple 12-hour rain forecast. They are 80% cheaper than traditional radiosondes and can be set up anywhere on earth.

Challenge: Develop a UI dashboard that displays weather forecasts to African farmers and stakeholders
Prizes: 1.500$
Deadline: July 1th, 2021
JOIN THE CHALLENGE

They are working with decentralized climate company dClimate to provide near real-time access to other variables such as soil moisture or rainfall data for our two forecast regions Accra, Ghana and Uyo, Nigeria. We invite participants to be creative in their efforts to build a display dashboard.

Submission Directions

On July 1st, the Kanda Weather Group will host a live virtual weather radiosonde launch to kickoff the hackathon.

Also on that day, a series of "Hindcasts" will be provided that participants can use as input to their forecasting dashboard. For the purposes of the hackathon, the only difference between a Hindcast and a forecast is essentially the date. It is essential that a dashboard include at least one of these Hindcasts into the display.

You will receive an email from the hackathon when the Hindcasts are posted to Taikai. Additionally, you can view them in the Updates tab, when they are made available.

Deliverables

The submission must include the following by July 31, 2021 at 23:59 GMT :

In English, please provide either ONE of the following describing the technologies you used and what makes your dashboard unique:
Link to a 2 minute video accessible via YouTube or other hosting platform in the Project's Description section
OR (if your English is not that good) greater than 250 word summary in the Project's Description section
At least 2 different screenshots of the dashboard you created
Link to code on github with README.md file for how to build and run the software. If the dashboard can handle multiple locations and forecasts, please include how to adjust the backend parameters to achieve this functionality.

Example Approaches

The "Simple" dashboard
- Handles only one location/date/forecast.
- For example: Uyo, 5/20/21, No rain
The Adaptable dashboard
- Handles many locations, dates, and forecasts
- Forecast adjustable via some backend (csv input file, raw input)
- For example:Uyo, 5/20/21, No rain or Accra, 5/22/21, Heavy rain
The Exceptional dashboard
- Handles many locations, dates, and forecasts
- Forecast adjustable via some backend (csv input file, raw input)
- Reads in soil moisture for the given location/date from dClimate's API and shows flood risk based on that information

For example:Uyo, 5/20/21, No rain, Low flood risk or Accra, 5/22/21, Heavy rain, High flood risk

(HINT: high 10cm soil moisture values or water runoff values indicate higher flood risk)

Getting Started

Of course, the first steps are to create a profile here on TAIKAI and find other participants that are interested in your approach to developing this product. Once you've done that, create a project under this competition and go through the necessary steps.

We recommend using one (or more) of the following javascript frameworks when developing a desktop application.

Vue.js
Angular
React (Create react app)

JOIN THE CHALLENGE