The Hackathon

Have you ever wondered what transforms a hackathon project from good to extraordinary?

With the help of Irma Van Den Poel's stunning illustrations, "The Hackathon Survival Guide" provides you with the thought process, ways of working, toolkit and creative edge to make your hack stand out from the crowd.

Image of Book cover

Hey, I'm Sam.

A hackathon enthusiast and full-time software engineer. I have attended over 50+ hackathons as an attendee, mentor or sponsor and won over $85,000 in the last year.

How do I keep winning? I'm not a wizard. I am not any smarter than you. The secret is the right combination of tools to set you up for success.

This book contains all my tips, tricks and secrets - It's everything you need to win your next hackathon and get the most out of the event while you do so.

What we cover.

1

Origin of Hackathons

2

Finding a Hackathon

3

Forming a Team

4

Idea Generation & Validation

5

Planning & Timing

6

Implementation Choices

7

UX Wins

8

Branding Considerations

9

Surviving the Night

10

The Presentation

11

The Submission

12

Next Steps

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The book seen at hackathons sponsored by...

Level up your Hackathon.

Give your attendees "The Hackathon Survival Guide" to ensure they get the most out of your event.

Discounts are available to hackathon organizers buying 50+ copies at a time.

Hackathons are at their best when open to all people.
The "Hackathon Survival Guide" embraces that.

It doesn't matter if you're a front-end newbie, back-end guru, UX designer, graphic artist, passionate student or curious senior. Every effort has been made to ensure that each chapter caters to you regardless of your background or experience. There's something in here for everyone.

What Others Are Saying...

Laura Corbin

Principal Designer at American Express

"For those designers out there that are scared of the elusive and seemingly only for developers hackathons, Sam breaks it down for you in a way that makes you want to google search the next hackathon to participate. His writing style is engaging and not so technical it goes over your head. The graphics are sprinkled in for moments of laughter and pause. I highly recommend all designers read this book."

Tessa Breen

Front End Engineer at BBC

"This book offers valuable advice that you can put to use immediately. Sam doesn’t waste any time sharing succinctly tips he has learnt from experience that can propel your ideas forward to succeed whether you are taking part in a hackathon or looking to economically develop a business idea."

Scott Spence

Developer Advocate at GraphCMS

"Wow! This covers everything! Like, the lot, Git clients, what technology to use, It's literally for anyone that wants to do a hackathon, not just developers!"

Ruben Casas

Staff Engineer at Postman

"I had the privilege of seeing Sam in action and a hackathon and he knows his stuff! This book comes packed with tools, ideas, templates and guides that give you a jump start so you only have to worry about executing your idea and making the most of your hackathon experience."

Benjamin Read

Senior Engineer at Webiny

"Sam has collected so much useful information about hackathons that I haven't seen put together before, and his obvious enthusiasm for the subject comes across clearly. This book makes me want to attend a hackathon!"

Ryan Gregory

Front End Engineer at American Express

"I've competed in my fair share of hackathons over the years, yet this book was consistently refreshing in each chapter; offering insights, techniques, and thoughts that would have taken me over the line to winning consistently had I have had them in my arsenal earlier."