Every year I participate in a 48-hour hackathon at work. It’s an opportunity to write software you otherwise wouldn’t get to write, this could be a neat automation tool to save you time on daily tasks or something totally unique like a virtual reality Blackjack game that will never see the light of day. As long as you think you can write it in 2 days nothing is off limits. There are several prize categories; Most Creative Hack, Most Business Value, and Non-Technical Project. This year I decided that I’d give virtual reality a crack and aim to at least get an honourable mention in the Most Creative Hack category.
The hackathon typically starts on a Thursday and finishes on Friday afternoon before our annual Christmas party. Given its participated in during work time, most teams don’t go hardcore and spend the full 48-hours on their projects like some hackathons you hear about. It is a lot more laid back than that and most hacks usually never have more time spent on it than the 16 working hours, I think this reduced timeframe adds to the pressure of creating something that is worth entering in the contest.