Characteristics of invention development during the hackathon

Abstract

The hackathon was developed by practitioners and it could be said that they used structures and characteristics from other invention development methods that intend to spark creativity. This paper aims to define and evaluate those characteristics that serve as determinants of invention. It analyses research performed on 14 different hackathons with the following ethnographic approach: 1000 h of observation, 36 semi-structured interviews and digital ethnography (netnography). Collected data has been analysed with the use of grounded theory methods and machine learning, which has been introduced as a triangulation method. As a result 9 main characteristics within the hackathon method that serve as invention determinants were discovered and holistically described. The identified elements have been backed by different theoretical backgrounds, but as one they form a flexible and unique mixture that helps to understand the hackathon phenomenon, potential hazards and its inner mechanisms. The discovered characteristics can help in effective organization of hackathons in the future.