Hackathons

Agenda1. How we do

hackathons at Simply Business

2. What has Simply Business achieved with hackathons

3. How you can start doing hackathons

About Simply Business• UK’s largest business

insurance broker• A tech company in

the insurance business

• Tech team of 30• Offices in London and

Northampton

Hackathons at Simply BusinessTwo formats of hackathon:• All company• Continuous

Why have two formats?

All Company Hackathon

All Company HackathonGoals:• Bring people

together• Try lots of ideas• Work on whatever

you like• Engage people• Have some fun

All Company HackathonFormat:• Announce one week

prior• Pitch meeting one

day prior• Two days of hacking• Demo meeting• Winner by vote gets

prize

Continuous Hackathon

Continuous HackathonGoals:• Quickly try out

radical ideas• Work on a passion

project• Give otherwise quiet

people opportunities to shine

Continuous HackathonFormat:• Pitches heard

fortnightly at the all hands meeting

• Vote for pitch• Lasts for two weeks• Option to re-pitch

What Have We Achieved?

How Can You Hackathon?

All Company Hackathon• Budget for pizza,

beer, kit, prizes• Involve everyone• Pause day to day

work• Choose what you

work on• Working alone is

okay• Anyone can pitch

anything

Continuous Hackathon• Provide support for

writing pitches• Company votes on

pitch after Q & A• Bring in the right

people• Two weeks with no

distractions, holidays

• Hacked code goes live (but don’t break anything!)

Hackathon: Word to the WiseApps:• Will be unfinished• No direct application

to your business

Post hackathon:• Have a plan

Hackathon is not backdoor prioritisation!

Q & AWho has tried hackathons?

What would prevent you from trying a hackathon?

ResourcesHackathon tipsConstructive criticism of hackathonsSimply Business guide to hackathonsLessons learned from our initial hackathonSimply Business continuous hackathonVideo from our 2014 hackathonVideo from our 2012 hackathonCareers in tech at Simply BusinessRecent hackathon about clusteringLeaderboard hackathon