Vizolution have held our very first hackathon, where our developers have teamed up in their spare time to come up with creative ideas and solutions that will help the company innovate and overcome challenges. At the end of the voluntary event, the goal for each team was to present functioning software that could potentially be taken forward into Vizolution’s product roadmap.
Those who are familiar with the portrayal of hackathons from movies such as The Social Network may associate them with the Silicon Valley tech giants, but in reality hackathons are a great way for tech companies of all sizes to innovate at speed, and develop creative solutions to technical challenges within a short timeframe.
While a hackathon would typically take place in an office over a short period of time with the company providing refreshments while developers work their magic, COVID-19 has meant that Vizolution’s inaugural hackathon has been virtual, making the collaboration between the participants all the more impressive.
Senior Developer Lyndsey Browning welcomed the chance to push the creative boundaries and engage in a ‘free your mind’ session with no constraints.
“What I enjoyed about the hackathon was the opportunity to work on something outside of my day job, away from the constraints and rules of normal day to day working. I got to learn something new and had a lot of fun doing it. Hackathons are a great way to drive innovation and creativity through developers being able to take risks and go crazy with their ideas. There’s no right or wrong answer and anything is possible. It’s not something we would usually promote as part of day to day working so there’s a level of excitement in being able to do whatever takes your fancy. I can’t wait for the next one!” said Lyndsey.
Andrew Hudson, another of Vizolution’s Senior Developers, concurred.
“A hackathon is not something I’d done before, so I didn’t know what to expect. Especially given the remote nature of how we had to run it due to the ongoing pandemic situation. I definitely enjoyed the opportunity to open up my thinking, be a little creative and experiment with some technology I hadn’t had much experience of previously. The pizza delivery to my house on Friday was also most welcome! Can’t wait for the next one” said Andrew.
At the end of the designated hack week, a show-and-tell session allowed the participants to demonstrate the functioning software they had designed to senior members of Vizolution’s technology team, with the best idea winning a cash prize.
Vizolution will be making the hackathon a regular event, where the best ideas generated will be taken forward into the company’s roadmap, allowing us to continue to innovate and develop our solutions.
To see how Vizolution's solutions can help you replicate face-to-face experience remotely, get in touch to arrange a demo.
