My First Hackathon and Why I’ve Been Hooked Ever Since

How it started

In 2022, I stumbled upon an Instagram ad: DevOps Hackathon in Berlin.

I didn’t know much about DevOps, but Berlin had been on my bucket list for ages. The idea of joining a hackathon there felt both exciting and intimidating. Still, I figured the worst that could happen was a rejection — so why not give it a shot?

I put together my application, openly admitting my limited experience but emphasizing my eagerness to learn. To my surprise, a few days later, an email popped up in my inbox:

"Congratulations! You’ve been accepted."

And just like that, I was in.

My first hackathon

The day finally arrived. As I walked into the venue, the room was already alive with conversation—small groups scattered around, people introducing themselves, laughing, and sipping on drinks.

And the atmosphere? Cozy. Surprisingly cozy.

It didn’t take long before I found a team. We were a mix of beginners and experienced hackers, but no one made me feel out of place. Instead, they took the time to teach, explain, and share their knowledge. Normally, hackathons are all about the rush, the race against time—but this one? It was different. Sure, there was pressure, but it never overshadowed the spirit of collaboration.

We worked, we struggled, we debugged, and somewhere in between, we became a team.

And when the hacking was over? We stepped out into the night, exploring Berlin together—complete strangers turned friends in just a day.

That weekend changed everything for me. It wasn’t just about coding; it was about the people, the energy, the thrill of learning something new in a matter of hours.

Since then, I’ve been hooked, chasing that feeling at every hackathon I can find.

And if you’re wondering whether you should attend one too—let me tell you exactly why you should.

Just Build It

Everytime I attend a hackathon, I'm amazed by how much can be achieved in such a short period. It’s a refreshing contrast to the process-heavy workflows of large corporations.

In a corporate setting, even starting a simple feature can feel like a drawn-out process—ticket creation, writing acceptance criteria, waiting for permissions. By the time everything gets moving, it can feel like weeks have passed.

While these processes are important for quality and alignment, they can also be slow and frustrating.

At hackathons, it’s completely different.

• You have an idea for a navbar? Build it!
• Want to experiment with OpenAI’s latest API? Go for it.
• you want to do simple changes such as changing theme color? JUST DO IT!

That’s the beauty of a hackathon—there are no tickets, no waiting, and no bureaucracy. Discussions happen in real-time with your teammates sitting right beside you. A quick chat replaces scheduling a meeting and waiting for availability.

Hackathons strip away the red tape and put the focus back on creating. It’s fast, collaborative, and exhilarating — a pure reminder of why I fell in love with building things in the first place.

Make new friends

People at hackathons are very friendly and open. The shared experience of building something together creates strong bonds quickly. I've met some of my closest friends through hackathons, and these connections often last well beyond the event itself.

What makes hackathon friendships special is that they're built on shared interests and experiences. You're not just making small talk – you're solving problems together and sharing knowledge. Nothing brings people closer than a debugging session at 2 AM or a midnight walk talking about random things.

You also get the chance to do things you wouldn’t normally do. One of my favorite memories is from a hackathon where our team built a gamified app in just one day. After finishing, we took to the streets to gather feedback from strangers. Watching their reactions and hearing their insights was both eye-opening and incredibly fun. To top it off, we recorded these interactions and showcased them during our final pitch. It remains one of my core memories to this day.

Get out of the comfort zone

Hackathons have also pushed me to step out of my shell. As an introvert, pitching ideas in front of a crowd was something I dreaded. Over time, though, I’ve started to enjoy the adrenaline rush that comes with it. Each time I pitch, it gets a little easier, and I feel a little more confident.

Losing hackathons is better than winning hackathons

When I tell people I’ve won ten hackathons, their reaction is usually, “Wow, that’s impressive.” What they don’t see, though, are the many hackathons where I didn’t make it to the podium. Surprisingly, those losses often taught me the most.

In many of the hackathons I didn’t win, I took the opportunity to try something completely new. I’ve had the chance to work with OpenAI’s Realtime API, dive into Angular for the first time and even experiment with building a RAG system. The learning curve is steep, but the experience is unmatched.

Final thoughts

For me, a hackathon is an opportunity to learn, grow and connect with amazing people. At the end of the day, it’s the lessons you take away and the friendships you form that truly matter.