First W4 Hackathon in Bratislava

Promoting innovation with agile methods: Flexibility, short development times and collaboration are in demand more than ever before. A hackathon puts the theory into practice. Recently, we invited some of our programmers to our offices in Bratislava to conduct the first W4 hackathon. Three teams competed against each other for two days. Each was tasked with developing a new tool for our in-house call center. However, the essence of a hackathon is not the finished product, but the learning experience it presents and the development of innovative solutions.

Hackathons do not have the long lead time usually associated with complex software products. Instead of getting bogged down in elaborate concepts, programmers have to develop a working solution on the go. However, this does not mean that aimless programming takes place. Participants work towards a specific goal. As with the W4 Hackathon, it is usually about the development of a Minimal Viable Product (MVP) - a digital prototype. The teams are randomly put together. Since there is no time for elaborate planning, the teams must be able to flexibly adjust to each other and use the strengths of the individual players effectively.

The solution that meets the outlined requirements the best will be optimized after the event until it is fully operational in practice. As a prize, the winning team received high-quality, wireless headphones. The real prize, of course, is the transfer of knowledge that took place and that not only benefits the individual participants, but ultimately the entire company and our customers. Because the the age of digitization knows only one way to success: stay agile, stay ahead!