Power Platform | Running an internal Hackathon?

In one of my previous articles, I outlined a typical Power Platform journey that contained a milestone which was called out a Hackathon. Since then, I received a couple of requests in terms of best-practices I could share on how to initiate or run such an event. Funny enough last week was Microsoft´s Global Hackathon week with a lot of interesting projects to participate and enrich everyone´s knowledge or just discover new technologies.

So today, let me share with you some best-practices. First, above visual summarizes the typical aspects and phases of executing a Hackathon. You see me talking about making use of subject matter experts (SMEs), that could be externals as well. To get connected with the Power Platform community, there´re various ways. Let me outline a couple of options for you:

• Connect with #PowerAddicts via Social Media channels such as LinkedIn, Twitter or TicTok or Twitch
• Learn and connect with #PowerAddicts by joining the monthly Power Apps community calls
• Find and connect with a subject matter expert through a Power Platform community group
• Self-study via a video tutorial available on YouTube and connect afterwards with the host.

But now, let´s deep-dive into a successful execution of a Hackathon.

The execution itself can be structured in 3 main phases. A pre-hackathon phase containing 3 steps, the hackathon phase with 4 steps and a post-hackathon phase with another 3 steps. Ready to take a look into those phases?

First, let´s unpeel the pre-hackathon phase with the 3 steps inside. One of your main 4 tasks that you could also find listed in above visual is to find an exec BDM sponsorship in your company. This is vital to credibility for the hackathon as it shows the initiative being sponsored, watched and prioritized by the C-level. The visual also outlines more milestones that should be achieved during the planning step. Last but not least your step is to write-up mission and objectives. This is for every participant to understand the background of this initiative, how it is monitored and of course it should be the final motivation to sign-up of this event.

The next visual shows you the Hackathon phase itself which is grouped into 4 easy steps. The first one being the awareness. An event needs to be promoted to raise awareness. If no one knows about it, how should participants sign-up for it? This might be outside your comfort zone as you´re not working inside Marketing department who would be more familiar with tasks like this. But consider working together and collaborate to create the hackathon as a brand. Use internal networks to promote and if involving externals, ensure SMEs or coaches to understand the intent of your hackathon. Again, you can find additional milestones outlined in above visual – such as your judging process.

Next, it´s about ensuring the readiness. You can´t run a hackathon, if participants are not familiar with the toolchain being used during the hackathon. Think about a sports event, would you participate in a Marathon if you haven´t done any training before? Probably not. So you should ensure, participants being familiar with the toolchain. A couple of options, you could find listed inside the milestones in above visual. You need some options? Follow https://aka.ms/PowerPlatformResources.

To ensure the hackathon being a full success, this step is around ensuring the gamification. Meaning take care of preparing an easy process and template to submit the apps/flows being created during the Hackathon. That way the judging process can easily kick-in and of course you also ensure that the content being created get´s promoted. For this it helps, if you offer at least a couple of blank app templates that already contains your corporate branding. On processes (flows), you should make usage of flow templates.

Last, but not least – it´s about ensuring the day or event is fun! So ensure a good catering, a high-quality line-up on subject matter experts or coaches the participants can connect and discuss with their app/flow ideas. Of course coaches can be judges as well, but ensure them being connected to multiple teams then and not being biased because of acting with a single team. As this shouldn´t be a one-time event only, already think about the next event. Meaning, take photos or videos that you can re-use in next phase.

Three easy steps with milestones listed in above visual should conclude the hackathon in the post-phase. This again is to ensure this not being a one-time event only. Participants feeling deeply involved in the post-process which could be the winning teams app or flow to ensure to deploy to public. That of course causes a Center of Excellence team to pick this up and ensure the scale-out. After the event, is before the next event. So ensure promoting the hackathon in your internal community.

These best-practices shared with yours today, hopefully gives you an overview and a deep-dive to help you executing an internal hackathon at your company. Remember, you can group up as a team – it doesn´t need a hero taking all this tasks on their own. Also keep in mind that connecting within the Power Platform community can help you find others that already executed such an event. #PowerAddicts are easy to reach-out to and they offer a helping hand. Your Microsoft Partner or Microsoft itself of course can be „partners in crime“ as well. Again, ensure all this remains a fun activity. Until then, …