5 reasons to participate in a hackathon

As we wrap up another successful Hack the Dot event in Portland, all of us at Name.com are reminded once more just how amazing hackathons can be. When you put a bunch of excited, innovative people in a room together and give them the task of creating something amazing, the results are often beyond words. Strangers become colleagues, ideas become reality, and kegs become tapped.

If you’re never participated in Hack the Dot or a similar event, you’re missing out. Here are some of the top reasons to participate in a hackathon in your community.

Network and meet new friends

Hackathons are one of the best places to meet others in the tech community. Most of the people who attend the events are locals so it can be a great way to get to know new people in your area. Hack the Dot is open to the entire community, so anyone from coding students to marketers to experienced developers or startup owners may be in attendance. Some of our attendees have even gotten job offers from people they met through Hack the Dot!

Gain valuable web development experience

Many of our Hack the Dot attendees are student coders who want to develop their skills. Hackathons are a safe, low pressure way to practice web development and create something fun. Learn from experienced coders or work with fellow students to come up with creative solutions.

Eat free food (and drink free beer)

Most hackathons will keep you fueled with tons of delicious food … and if you go to a REALLY cool hackathon event (like ours) you’ll get free beer throughout the night as well. During Portland Startup Week, our friends at Base Camp Brewing were kind enough to provide attendees with a keg to kept us hydrated all night. It was like college all over again (but classy—no keg stands involved).

Learn something new

Maybe you’ll learn a new JavaScript trick or find out about a cool Photoshop tool. Perhaps you’ll discover a New Domain extension that you didn’t even know existed. Or you might just walk away knowing something weird and random, like that the plural form of “platypus” is not, in fact, “platypi.” No matter what, you’re bound to learn something new and valuable.

Have tons of fun

Above all else, hackathons are fun. They’re an opportunity to get together with some seriously cool people and create something amazing in a no-stress environment. We don’t expect you to create the most amazing thing we’ve ever seen in our lives—just make it functional and funny and we’ll be happy.

Ready to give hackathons a try for yourself? Keep an eye out for a Hack the Dot event near you. These two-hour hacks are free for community members and you don’t have to be a developer to participate. Learn more on our Hack the Dot event page.