Forming your team

Quick links:

• Tips for forming a team
• Hackathon team checklist
• FAQs

Tips for forming a team

One of the best things about a Hackathon is that it's a team event which means that no single person needs to have all the answers.

We have found that the strongest Hackathon teams usually combine different skills, experiences and perspectives to tackle a problem from multiple angles.

Whether you're entering the event for high school students or the event for university students and early career professionals, a well-balanced team will give you the best chance of approaching the challenge in new ways.

1. Find the right people

Start by talking to classmates, friends, fellow students or colleagues who are interested in innovation, technology, science, business or entrepreneurship.

Look beyond the people you normally work with. The most successful teams often include members with different strengths and ways of thinking.

2. Explore the challenges together

Before forming your final team, take some time to discuss the challenge themes and the types of problems you'd like to solve.

Ask yourselves:

• Which challenge interests us most?
• What skills do we already have?
• What additional expertise might strengthen our team?

If you're entering the High School event, consider discussing your ideas with a teacher, careers adviser or school counsellor. They may be able to offer valuable advice and feedback.

3. Build a team with different strengths

A team made up of people with similar skills can be effective, but the strongest teams are usually those that bring together a range of talents. Consider including people with experience or interest in:

• Technical skills: coding, engineering, hardware development, data analysis or technical problem-solving.
• Research skills: scientific investigation, evidence gathering, analysis and critical thinking.
• Creative skills: design, storytelling, idea generation and user experience.
• Business and strategy skills: entrepreneurship, market research, project planning and commercial thinking.
• Communication skills: presenting ideas, public speaking, teamwork and leadership.

You don't need an expert in every area, but bringing together some of above skills often leads to stronger solutions.

4. Make the most of networking opportunities

Throughout the Hackathon, you'll have opportunities to learn more about the challenges, meet judges and connect with other participants. These sessions are a great opportunity to:

• Refine your ideas
• Ask questions
• Expand your network

Hackathon team checklist

Once you've formed your team, use this checklist to get started.

Choose a team name and assign roles

Agree on your challenge theme and decide who will take responsibility for different parts of the project. Typical roles might include:

• Team lead
• Research lead
• Technical lead
• Design lead
• Presentation lead

Depending on the size of your team, you may need to take on more than one role.

Set up clear communication 

Agree how you'll stay in touch and how often you'll meet.

Define what success looks like

Talk about what you want to achieve as a team, besides winning. For example, you might also want to develop a new skill, build your network or explore a future career path in a certain industry.

Having a shared goal helps keep the team focused.

Start early

The earlier you begin, the more time you'll have to develop and refine your ideas.

Successful teams often start planning, researching and discussing solutions well before the submission deadline.

Research before you build

Spend time understanding the challenge before jumping into a solution. Explore:

• Existing solutions
• Relevant data and evidence
• User needs
• Current barriers
• Opportunities for innovation

FAQs