Organising a hackathon isn’t just about throwing people into a room and expecting them to develop fully formed solutions in a few days. A solid preparation means the difference between an abandoned prototype or an idea that reshapes your business. At TechWolf, we’ve spent the last 4 years organising internal hackathons, each time refining our approach along the way. 

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Great hackathons don’t happen by chance. This post shares four key levers that have helped us turn internal hackathons into a repeatable driver of product innovation and team energy.

Start early with an Idea Marketplace

Good ideas need space to grow. That’s why we kick things off with an Idea Marketplace, well before the hackathon even starts. Anyone, from product and engineering, to sales and customer success, can submit ideas based on customer insights or internal pain points. Allowing people to vote surfaces the projects that really matter.

To keep submissions clear and useful, we use a simple template that covers:

• The problem statement
  
  
• Possible solutions
  
  
• The value for customers or internal workflows
  
  

This approach creates early buy-in, and ensures we spend the hackathon building, not debating what to build.
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Let ideas form teams, not the other way around

We don’t assign teams. People self-organise around ideas they care about. This works for one simple reason: when people care about the problem, they’re more motivated to solve it. 

Diverse teams develop better products, and it applies to hackathons too. We encourage cross-functional teams, but don’t enforce it. 

Best team size? 3–5 people. Small enough to stay focused, big enough to bring different angles.‍

Keep the atmosphere energised

Hackathons are about solving problems, but they’re also a chance to inspire, connect, and have fun. Choose a comfortable venue, keep food and snacks flowing, and plan small recharge moments (even a quick walk can do wonders). To keep the energy high, mix in a little friendly competition. At our hackathons, we hand out awards that reflect our company values, such as an Aim for the Moon prize for the boldest idea.

Once the deadline hits at 6PM, there’s room for relaxing. Shared dinner, board games, wellness time, you name it. It’s all about recharging, and enjoying the moment together. ‍

Maintain momentum after the event

What you do before and during the hackathon, is as important as what you do after. The biggest mistake? Letting great ideas gather dust.

We make outcomes visible: sharing demos internally, highlighting projects in newsletters, and talking to customers early. When an idea shows promise, we invest in it.

For projects that show significant potential, form a dedicated task force to pilot the idea, test with customers, and refine the prototype into a product feature or internal tool. This ensures a clear path from experimentation to execution.

Now it’s your turn

A hackathon can be a game-changer if you treat it like more than just a fun event. Start with strong ideas, form focused teams, create the right environment, and commit to follow-through. Not convinced yet of a hackathon’s value? Head over to Part 1, where we share how they have shaped a culture of innovation at TechWolf.

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