Unlock skill-first hiring with HackerEarth today

Learn more
piller_image

How to form a winning team for hackathons

How to form a winning team for hackathons

Superhero movies and super successful companies have one thing in common. They both have a great team that strives to win, no matter what the challenge is. It is always the hero’s team that saves the day.

A challenge like a hackathon is no different. At hackathons, teams of developers, designers, and product managers work together to build prototypes and solve real-world problems within a specific time frame. The team that works the most efficiently and builds the best solution takes home the prize. Getting the right people on board gives your team a competitive advantage over others. Here are the top tips to form a winning team for your next hackathon:

1) Start your hunt early

Start looking for teammates from the time you decide to participate in a hackathon. Search for potential teammates on online platforms and communities like Stack Exchange, Stack Overflow, and Quora. Start with your own network of friends and like-minded acquaintances. You can also find other hackers on meetups and developer groups. Further, hackathons conducted on platforms like HackerEarth allow participants to form teams on the platform itself.

Start your hunt early
Start your hunt early

2) Work on your pitch

To attract talented people to your team, you need to sell your idea and your profile well. Update your Github profile and create a good pitch to share with potential teammates. Showcase your past projects. Highlight your skills and domain knowledge. Explain your idea and the problem that you plan to solve. Be proactive in pitching your idea and listen to feedback. Even if you arrive at the hackathon alone, with a good pitch, you still have a good chance of forming a great hackathon team.

Work on your pitch
Work on your pitch

3) Seek diversity

Diversity is what makes Avengers, the team of superheroes great as a team. Each member brings a unique strength to the table. While forming your hackathon team, hunt for talent from diverse domains like designing, frontend development, business management, etc. Having a team of people with diverse skill sets will help you in building a complete product.

Seek diversity
Seek diversity

4) Be aware of different working styles

Different people work differently and have different approaches to solving the same problem. Assign tasks and roles to team members based on their core strengths. Give everyone a fair chance to work on specific tasks which they are good at. Encourage mutual learning and problem-solving. Getting the chemistry right is the key to a successful team. If you have the time to prepare, do a mock run with your team to plan tasks and organize yourselves better as a team.

‘Getting the right people and the right chemistry is more important than getting the right idea.’?—?Ed Catmull, previously CEO of Pixar, author of Creativity, Inc.

Be aware of different working styles
Be aware of different working styles

A good team adapts well to any situation. Your final prototype is a result of your team’s work. By forming a good team, you can build better products and improve your chances of winning a hackathon.

Got a tip for building stronger hackathon teams? Share it with us in the comments below.

Hackerearth Subscribe

Get advanced recruiting insights delivered every month

Related reads

Recruitment Workflow Process: A Complete Guide
Recruitment Workflow Process: A Complete Guide

Recruitment Workflow Process: A Complete Guide

Finding the perfect fit for your team can feel like searching for a unicorn. But fret not, fellow recruiters! Having a well-defined recruitment…

Conquer Your Hiring Challenges: Top Recruiting Software Picks for Small Businesses in 2024
Conquer Your Hiring Challenges: Top Recruiting Software Picks for Small Businesses in 2024

Conquer Your Hiring Challenges: Top Recruiting Software Picks for Small Businesses in 2024

In today’s competitive job market, attracting and keeping top talent is crucial for small businesses to thrive. But for busy small business owners…

How To Become A Technical Recruiter: Your Guide to Launching a Rewarding Career
How To Become A Technical Recruiter: Your Guide to Launching a Rewarding Career

How To Become A Technical Recruiter: Your Guide to Launching a Rewarding Career

The tech industry thrives on innovation, and at the heart of that innovation lies a crucial role: the technical recruiter. Why Technical Recruiting…

How To Use Live Coding Interviews in Tech Recruiting?
How To Use Live Coding Interviews in Tech Recruiting?

How To Use Live Coding Interviews in Tech Recruiting?

In the fast-paced world of tech recruiting, finding the perfect candidate can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. Resumes can…

Building a Strong Talent Pipeline: Strategies for Effective Sourcing and Engagement
Building a Strong Talent Pipeline: Strategies for Effective Sourcing and Engagement

Building a Strong Talent Pipeline: Strategies for Effective Sourcing and Engagement

Struggling to find the perfect candidate when a position opens up? Build a strong talent pipeline to streamline your hiring process and have…

How to Build a High-Performance Team
How to Build a High-Performance Team

How to Build a High-Performance Team

A high-performance team thrives by fostering trust, encouraging open communication, and setting clear goals for all members to work towards. By focusing on…

Hackerearth Subscribe

Get advanced recruiting insights delivered every month

View More

Top Products

Hackathons

Engage global developers through innovation

Hackerearth Hackathons Learn more

Assessments

AI-driven advanced coding assessments

Hackerearth Assessments Learn more

FaceCode

Real-time code editor for effective coding interviews

Hackerearth FaceCode Learn more

L & D

Tailored learning paths for continuous assessments

Hackerearth Learning and Development Learn more