upGrad’s Virtual Hackathon — 2020
An Event Where Innovations Came to Life!
Over a year of being struck by the worldwide pandemic and the resulting work from home situation, we have realised the importance of constant communication and working together to solve real-world challenges. We are now accustomed to remote working and are coordinating and creating solely on virtual platforms. Hackathons are the events where the unthinkable is achieved, and innovations are born. They also encourage us to put our brains to work and develop something that can solve genuine challenges. Hackathons are also hubs for networking. This year’s hackathon was a bit different at upGrad — with everyone working remotely, it was a challenging feat by the organizing committee to bring everyone together, online, and execute each step of the event with perfection.
We conducted a 36-hour long virtual hackathon in December 2020. It was upGrad’s first-of-its-kind remote event that was a massive success.
Pre-event Excitement
It all started with the organizing committee floating out forms to accept the innovative ideas a few weeks before the hackathon. We received over 60 interesting ideas, out of which a total of 15 ideas were selected on the hackathon day. The 15 selected ideas were pitched, and the final voting was conducted, out of which the top 8 ideas were selected. The participants who had pitched the selected ideas were declared as captains of the teams.
The Hack Begins
The teams were formed, and they rigorously worked to develop the solutions pitched earlier. Team formation was one of the most fun and essential parts of the whole hackathon. An IPL-style auction was held for team formation where captains placed bids for people to include them in their team. Separate rooms were set up for each team to chat and brainstorm on their solution.
To create a synonymous environment as that of an office, the teams had 15–20 minute chai breaks between work. We would meet up in an open meeting link and chat about random things. Regular checkpoints were organized for the captains to connect and share their progress and concerns. One checkpoint was at the beginning of the day, and the next was at the end of the day. The teams were developing their products at a rapid pace, and many of them completed their MVPs. True enough, hackathons are the fastest way to bring ideas to life.
The teams continuously worked hard from research to building an MVP of their solutions. The best thing was that even after the hackathon being a competition, all the teams were helping out each other and networking. A team plays an indispensable role in developing an idea to reality. It was astonishing how teams consisting of participants from different competencies came together and built solutions to solve real-world challenges.
The teams very well leveraged each other’s strengths. They identified their problem statements, developers, designers, and business minds worked out to develop the perfect solution. The outcomes were indeed impressive.
The Final Demo
It all boiled down to the 5-minute presentation of the final day. After 36 hours of non-stop development and fun, at 5 PM on day 2, the captains presented their final MVPs before the judging panel in innovative ways. A quick question–answer round was held after each presentation for judges to understand more about the ideas and clarify their doubts. Out of 8 teams, five winners were chosen instead of three. There was a tie between the 2nd and 3rd positions. The judges were highly impressed. They appreciated their hard work and gave constructive feedback to the teams.
The Judges and Judgement Criteria
The hackathon was judged by genius minds Rohit Dhar, President — Products at upGrad, and Puneet Tanwar, President — Technology at upGrad.
Rohit leads the entire Product, Data Science, Analytics, and Design teams. With his vast experience, he was able to critically analyze the innovative products developed by the teams.
Puneet, who leads the technology vertical at upGrad, has over 20 years of software development expertise. With his expertise in software and experience in leadership, he analysed the technical and practical feasibility of the MVPs and ideas.
The judgment was made on five parameters, including clarity of vision and roadmap of further development, user experience and ease, the complexity of implementation, completeness of the MVP, and the overall presentation.
The hackathon was a fun-filled, exciting event for the entire product and technology team at upGrad. The annual hackathon provided the team a platform to make their ideas a reality, experiment, and innovate in the field of ed-tech which is a promising domain right now. Even after the hackathon fatigue, the participants were still full of adrenaline and discussed ideas and further development.
Over the last year, upGrad has increased its team size and is looking forward to expanding even more. upGrad believes that online learning can transform one’s career. Online education is especially advantageous to those who don’t have access to in-person formal education. upGrad is bridging the gap and empowering individuals to learn affordably and from wherever they are.
Interested in working at upGrad?
By working with upGrad, you support thousands of dedicated learners who empower themselves with education and make progress in their careers. At upGrad, you change lives and contribute to the bigger mission of transforming thousands of students and working professionals’ careers. At upGrad, you learn and grow. This hackathon is only one out of the several tech and informal events we organize. Follow this blog to get future updates about technology and culture at upGrad.
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