Beginner's Hacker Guide: How to Make the Most of Your First Hackathon

0. Winning is Important, But Not the Most Important

Ready to sign up for your first hackathon? Maybe you're a college student wanting to build something cool over the weekend, or an independent developer looking to explore new tech and meet like-minded people. Either way, welcome! You're about to experience one of the best ways for developers to learn, create, and grow.

But most newcomers don't realize this: the people who gain the most from a hackathon aren't necessarily the ones who win in the end. Prizes are great, but the skills, portfolio projects, and connections you gain have a much longer shelf life.

This guide will help you avoid common rookie mistakes and ensure you walk away with a full haul, win or lose.

1. How to Choose Your First Hackathon and Platform

Not all hackathons are created equal. As a beginner, it's advisable to start with events hosted by major companies, such as Google or AWS for AI-themed hackathons, or large crypto-tech companies like Circle or Binance. These hackathons have clear rules, responsive organizers, and judges who provide valuable feedback (and yes, the rewards are often more substantial).

A reliable platform helps filter out the noise. DoraHacks is one of the world's leading hackathon platforms. Thanks to the trust of hackers and the industry, DoraHacks consistently collaborates with leading enterprises and communities to host hackathons across various tech fields like AI and blockchain. The platform's reputation means both organizers and participants have a basic quality guarantee. Furthermore, the platform archives hundreds of thousands of past projects. You can research before competing and learn from previous winners (more on that later).

Be cautious of smaller platforms or hackathons with vague information—your time is precious, so spend it on competitions that respect it.

2. Treat the Rules as Your Lifeline (They're Crucial for Your Submission)

This might sound obvious, but you'd be surprised how many excellent projects get disqualified for not following the rules. Before writing your first line of code or description, thoroughly read the rules. Understand exactly what details to submit and in what format.

Pay attention to eligibility requirements; check submission materials like demo videos, GitHub repositories, or any documentation; note any restrictions; and understand the judging criteria.

Rules for the 2025 AWS AI Vibe Coding Hackathon

Rules aren't red tape; they're a contract between you and the organizers. Following them not only demonstrates your professionalism but also ensures your efforts are judged fairly.

3. Don't Be a "Prize Miner"

Tempted to submit the same project to every hackathon hoping to get lucky? Stop. Organizers and judges can easily spot recycled, off-topic projects, and these submissions usually don't fare well.

Most hackathons have themes for a reason. Even with an "open track," judges will still evaluate how well your project aligns with the hackathon's goals. Submitting an unrelated dating app at a blockchain hackathon, no matter how polished, is simply not a good fit.

Instead of spreading yourself thin across ten irrelevant competitions, focus on a few that genuinely match your interests and skills. You'll produce better work and make a stronger impression on judges and sponsors who actually care about those problems.

4. Communicate Early and Often

Many newcomers treat hackathons like an exam—heads down, no talking, figuring everything out alone. This is a big mistake. Good hackathons have organizers, mentors, and community channels specifically to help you succeed. Use them!

If a rule is unclear, ask for clarification before going down the wrong path. If you hit a technical snag, reach out to a mentor or post in the community Discord. If you're unsure if your idea fits the theme, confirm with the organizers early; don't wait until judging to find out. For example, on DoraHacks, you can message the organizers directly.

Don't struggle alone when help is available.

5. Learn from Other Hackers

One of the most underrated benefits of hackathons is learning from other participants. You're surrounded by people solving similar problems with different approaches, skill levels, and perspectives.

Studying past submissions is one of the fastest ways to improve. On DoraHacks, you can browse a vast library of past projects (like this one), filter by category, and see exactly what winning teams submitted. Watch their demo videos, read their project pages, and observe how they present their ideas. Notice what makes top projects stand out: a clear problem statement, a polished demo, strong alignment with the theme. Equally important: observe what weaker submissions lack so you can avoid the same pitfalls.

During the competition, engage with other participants too. Share your progress, ask what others are working on, and don't be afraid to give or receive feedback. The hacker community is often incredibly supportive, and today's competitor could be tomorrow's collaborator or co-founder.

6. Submit a Great Demo

A brilliant project with a poor presentation often loses to a decent project with a stunning demo. Judges have limited time, reviewing dozens of submissions. Make it easy for them.

Your written description is crucial: be clear, logical, and don't assume judges have background information you haven't provided. Screenshots, diagrams, and links to a working demo all make your submission stronger.

Your demo video should be concise and clear: explain the problem you're solving, show how your solution works, and highlight what makes it unique—keep it to 1-3 minutes unless the rules state otherwise.

An example of a winning project on DoraHacks

Treat your submission like a pitch. You're not just showing what you built; you're convincing the judges why it matters.

7. Manage Your Time Wisely

Hackathons have deadlines, and they arrive faster than you think. Poor time management is the most common reason promising projects end up with incomplete submissions.

Always reserve time for preparing your submission materials. Recording the demo video, writing documentation, and packaging everything up takes longer than you think. Don't leave it until the last minute.

If you're in a team, define roles clearly. Parallel work is efficient only when everyone knows what they're responsible for.

8. Accept the Outcome and Keep Building

Hackathons are competitions, and competitions have winners and losers. You might give it your all and walk away empty-handed. It stings, but it's completely normal.

The difference between a successful hacker and a frustrated one is how they respond. If you don't win, ask yourself what you learned. If the idea is solid and you keep iterating seriously, opportunities will find you. Many successful projects didn't win their first hackathon either but found their moment through continuous improvement.

The hackathon ends, but your work doesn't have to. If the project has potential, keep developing it. Hackathon projects are excellent portfolio pieces, and continued progress proves to potential employers or investors that you're serious.

Countless amazing projects are born in hackathons and then disappear forever. The excitement fades, life gets busy, and that brilliant idea never gets another commit. Don't let that happen to you.

Celebrate wins, learn from losses, and then sign up for the next one. In the long run, persistence matters more than luck.

Conclusion: Play the Long Game

Your first hackathon is just the beginning. You'll make mistakes, learn lessons, and probably wish you'd done some things earlier. That's okay. Everyone starts somewhere.

The people who gain the most from hackathons treat each one as a step in a longer journey. They accumulate skills, expand their network, and build a track record of consistent participation and delivery. Over time, victories come not because of luck, but because they've become stronger.

So, head to DoraHacks, find a hackathon that excites you, read the rules, chat with the organizers, learn from others, and keep creating. Leave the rest to time.

Happy hacking!

About DoraHacks

DoraHacks is a leading global hackathon community and open-source developer incentive platform. DoraHacks provides a toolkit for all parties to empower them to organize hackathons and fund early-stage ecosystem startups.

DoraHacks is committed to advancing a global hacker movement in Web3, AI, quantum computing, and space tech. To date, over 30,000 startup teams have received more than $300 million in cumulative funding through the DoraHacks community. A large number of open-source communities, enterprises, and tech ecosystems are actively utilizing DoraHacks and its BUIDL AI capabilities to organize hackathons and fund open-source initiatives.

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