Winning awards is important, but not the most important thing.
Ready to sign up for your first hackathon? Perhaps you're a college student looking to work on something cool over the weekend, or an independent developer eager to explore new technologies and connect with like-minded individuals. Whatever your preference, welcome! You're about to experience one of the best ways to learn, create, and grow as a developer.
But most beginners don't realize that the person who gains the most from a hackathon isn't necessarily the one who wins. The 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 beginner pitfalls, ensuring you reap rewards regardless of whether you win an award or not.
1. How to choose your first hackathon and the platform to participate in?
Not all hackathons are the same. As a beginner, it's recommended to start with events hosted by large companies, such as AI-themed hackathons from Google or AWS, or events from large crypto tech companies like Circle and Binance. These hackathons have clear rules, the organizers respond promptly, and the judges provide valuable feedback (and of course, the rewards are more generous).
A reliable platform can help you filter out the noise. DoraHacks is one of the world's leading hackathon platforms. Thanks to the trust of hackers and the industry, DoraHacks has consistently partnered with leading companies and communities to host hackathons in various technology fields such as AI and blockchain. The platform's reputation means that both the organizers and participants have a basic level of quality assurance. In addition, the platform archives hundreds of thousands of past projects, allowing you to research before participating and learn from past winners (more on that later).
Be wary of small platforms or hackathons with vague information—your time is precious, so spend it on competitions that respect your time.
2. Treat the rules as your lifeline (this is crucial for your submitted work).
This may sound like a truism, but you'll be surprised how many excellent submissions are ultimately disqualified for not following the rules. Before writing your first line of code or description, thoroughly understand the rules and figure out exactly what details to submit and what format to use.
Pay attention to eligibility requirements; check submitted materials such as demo videos, GitHub repositories, or any documentation; be aware of restrictions; and understand the judging criteria.
Rules for the 2025 AWS AI Vibe Coding Hackathon
Rules are not red tape; they are a contract between you and the organizers. Adhering to the rules not only demonstrates your professionalism but also ensures that your efforts are fairly evaluated.
3. Don't be a "bonus miner"
Do you see every hackathon trying to submit the same project to get lucky? Hold on, the organizers and judges can easily spot projects that are just repeating old ideas or going off-topic; these submissions usually don't turn out very well.
Most hackathons have a theme for a reason. Even with an "open track," judges will still evaluate how well your project fits the hackathon's goals. Submitting an irrelevant matching application to a blockchain hackathon, no matter how sophisticated, is inappropriate.
Instead of scattering your energy across ten unrelated competitions, focus on a few hackathons that truly align with your interests and skills. You'll produce better work and impress judges and sponsors who genuinely care about these issues.
4. Communicate early and frequently.
Many beginners treat hackathons like exams—burying themselves in their work, avoiding communication, and trying to solve everything on their own. This is a big mistake. Good hackathons have organizers, mentors, and community channels designed to help you succeed. Use them!
If any rules are unclear, ask for clarification before going in the wrong direction. If you encounter technical difficulties, consult a mentor or post on the community's Discord forum. If you're unsure whether your idea aligns with the topic, confirm with the organizers early on, rather than waiting until the review process. For example, on DoraHacks , you can directly message the organizers.
Don't try to tough it out on your own when there's readily available help.
5. Learn from other hackers
One of the most underestimated benefits of hackathons is the opportunity to learn from other participants. You're surrounded by people solving similar problems using different methods, at different levels, and from different perspectives.
Studying past entries is one of the fastest ways to improve. On DoraHacks , you can browse a vast number of past projects (like this one ), filter by category, and see what the winning teams actually submitted. Watch their demo videos, read their project pages, and observe how they presented their ideas. Note the elements that make top-performing projects stand out: clear problem statements, polished presentations, and a strong fit with the theme. Equally important: observe what weaker projects lack so you can avoid the same pitfalls.
Interact with other participants throughout the competition. Share your progress, ask what others are doing, and don't be afraid to give or receive feedback. The hacker community is usually very supportive; today's competitors could be tomorrow's collaborators or co-founders.
6. Submit a good demo
A great project with a weak presentation will often lose to a decent project with a stunning demo. Judges have limited time and have to review dozens of entries, so we should try to make things as easy as possible for them.
Your written description is crucial: be clear, logical, and don't assume the judges have background information you haven't provided. Screenshots, charts, and links to working demos can significantly strengthen your submission.
Demonstration videos should be concise and clear: clearly state what problem you are solving, demonstrate how the solution works, and highlight its unique features—unless otherwise specified, all should be kept to 1 to 3 minutes.
Example of an award-winning project on DoraHacks
Treat your submission like a pitch. You're not just showing what you've done, you're convincing the judges why it matters.
7. Smart Time Management
Hackathons have deadlines, and they come sooner than you think. Poor time management is the most common reason why promising projects end up with incomplete submissions.
Finally, allow sufficient time for submitting your materials. Recording demo videos, writing documents, and packaging everything will take longer than you expect. Don't leave it until the last minute.
If working in a team, the division of labor must be clearly defined. High efficiency in parallel work depends on each person knowing their responsibilities.
8. Accept the results and continue building.
Hackathons are competitions, and competitions have winners and losers. You might give it your all and go home empty-handed. That's disheartening, but perfectly normal.
The difference between successful hackers and frustrated hackers lies in how they cope. If you don't win, ask yourself what you've learned. If your idea is sound and you consistently iterate diligently, opportunity will come your way. Many successful projects didn't win their first hackathon, but through continuous improvement, they eventually found their moment.
The hackathon is over, but your work doesn't have to. If the project has potential, keep developing it. Hackathon projects are excellent portfolio material, and continued progress demonstrates your seriousness to potential employers or investors.
Countless brilliant projects are born at hackathons, only to disappear forever. The excitement fades, life gets busy, and that brilliant idea is never committed again. Don't let that happen to you.
Celebrate victories, learn from defeats, and keep competing. In the long run, perseverance is more important than luck.
Conclusion: Cast a long line to catch a big fish.
Your first hackathon is just the beginning. You'll make mistakes, learn lessons, and maybe even regret not doing certain things sooner. That's okay; everyone starts from scratch.
Those who gain the most from hackathons treat each one as a step in a long journey. They accumulate skills, expand their networks, and build a track record of consistent participation and delivery. Over time, victory comes naturally, not because of good luck, but because they have become stronger.
So, find an exciting hackathon on DoraHacks , read the rules, chat with the organizers, learn from others, and keep creating. The rest, time will tell.
Have fun hacking!
About DoraHacks
DoraHacks is a leading global hackathon community and open-source developer incentive platform. DoraHacks provides toolkits to empower people to organize hackathons and fund early-stage ecosystem startups.
DoraHacks is dedicated to driving a global hackathon in Web3, AI, quantum computing, and space technology. To date, over 30,000 startups have received more than $300 million in funding through the DoraHacks community. Numerous open-source communities, enterprises, and technology ecosystems are actively leveraging DoraHacks and its BUIDL AI capabilities to organize hackathons and fund open-source initiatives.
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