Member-only story
I Went Into a Hackathon Knowing Jack Shit
My team went home with two awards. I don’t know how that happened, but here’s how it went and what I’d do differently.
I don’t remember if I was drunk when I signed up for this hackathon four years ago, or simply delusional. Physically attending beginner’s workshops and events and clicking my way through online videos didn’t mean I could all of a sudden code functional projects in real life, and I was soon to find out.
So I signed up for a hackathon
Upon registration, I was given a badge that would allow entry into the event location. After the opening talk, it was time to mingle. The goal was to discuss and exchange ideas, and to form a team. Later I found out one already-formed group consisted of hardcore coders who attended hackathons (and won them) for a living. This was their job! And then you had me.
Up to this point I could navigate the terminal and build basic websites, but what on earth was I even thinking? What was I doing here next to these professionals? I told my insecurities to shut themselves up and continue walking down the path many newbie coders had followed before me, and that was to get through the hackathon, for better or for worse.
