Team-building often means doing activities like trust falls or company trips. These can be fun but may not always help the business. At Elixr Labs, we use hackathons, which are both fun and really help us achieve our goals.

A hackathon is a fun event where teams solve real-life problems. It’s unique because it helps us develop new ideas that make our products better. We get to team up, enjoy the process, and create solutions that benefit our business.

What is a Hackathon?

Hackathons are exciting team activities designed to solve problems. They usually last from one day to a week, based on the specific goals. At Elixr Labs, we’ve adapted hackathons to our style and found they help us create fantastic ideas and solutions.

The Hackathon Process at Elixr Labs

We conduct intense, one-day hackathons that unite teams from different departments. Here’s a detailed look at how we manage these events:

Identifying the Challenges: The day begins with the team coming together to talk about the biggest problems we need to solve. These could be issues our customers often face or things we need to fix within our company. Everyone gets to share their ideas, and we want to hear different opinions. This step is important because it helps us choose problems that really matter.

Brainstorming Solutions: Once we identify the problems, we divide into small teams to brainstorm solutions. Each team includes people from various departments—such as developers, designers, marketers, and customer support—to ensure we get a range of perspectives. This is where the fun starts! Ideas fly around, and no idea is too crazy. The goal is to think creatively and find new ways to solve the problems. This step is also great for teamwork and helps everyone feel connected.

Building Prototypes: After brainstorming, each group picks the best idea and starts building a simple version of it, called a prototype or Proof of Concept (POC). This is where everyone gets to work and tries to create something real. The goal is to make a basic version of the solution that we can test and improve later. At this stage, our hackathon is different from regular team-building activities because we’re not just talking about ideas; we’re actually making them happen. This hands-on work keeps everyone excited and focused on the final result.

Demoing and Refining Solutions: By the end of the day, teams present their prototypes to everyone. This demo session is full of energy because it allows everyone to check out the remarkable ideas that were created. But we don’t stop there. After the demos, we listen to feedback from the team and start improving the best solutions. This back-and-forth process makes sure the final product is polished and ready to be used.

The Real Impact: Turning Ideas into Action

The best part of our hackathons is seeing the ideas from these sessions make a real difference in our products. Over the years, we’ve added several features that started as hackathon ideas. Now, these features are helping both our company and our customers.

For example, a recent hackathon led to a new customer support feature that is now part of our main product. This feature helps us respond to customers faster and makes them happier. It’s a great example of how a team-building activity can create real benefits for our business.

Why Hackathons Work

What makes hackathons such a strong team-building activity? Here’s why they’re so effective:

Promotes Collaboration: At hackathons, individuals from various parts of the company join forces to tackle projects. Everyone plays a part, and having different departments involved helps make sure all ideas are explored.

Encourages Innovation: The fast and exciting atmosphere of hackathons encourages rapid thinking and idea generation. With a short window to work, teams prioritise important issues and craft creative solutions.

Builds Morale: It feels really good to turn an idea into something real in just one day. Building something you can actually see and touch makes everyone feel proud and happy.

Delivers Tangible Results: Unlike other team-building activities, hackathons create real results. The ideas and solutions from these events can be improved and used, showing clear benefits for the company.

At Elixr Labs, hackathons are more than a fun experience—they’re a crucial part of generating useful ideas and advancing our products. Teams working together on real problems create inventive and practical solutions. By working hands-on, we make things that really help our company and customers. For example, a recent hackathon gave us a new feature that helps us support customers faster and better. Hackathons are a fun way to work together and make real changes that benefit everyone.