Hackerthon "Attack" Guide: How Developers Stand Out in the Competition?

Author: Yilmaz, Citrea DevRel (Developer Relations)

Compiled by: Felix, PANews

In recent years, Web3 hackathons have gradually emerged globally, becoming a major event for developers in the industry. A group of developers from all over the world brainstorm during the event, forming closely-knit teams to create fully functional applications in hopes of winning awards. However, successful participants are always in the minority. Aside from the technology itself, how to stand out in competitions might be a question for every developer. Yilmaz, a judge for the ETHGlobal Taipei 2025 hackathon, recently published an article offering his suggestions on how participants can excel in hackathons. The following is the full content.

You traveled halfway across the globe to participate in a hackathon. Your code is clean and concise, making it hard not to want to lick the screen. However, you returned empty-handed, without any prizes. What happened? Hint: This is not a technical issue.

This situation is not uncommon. Excellent developers and outstanding builders end up with nothing. This is not because their skills are lacking, but because they overlook certain key aspects of hackathons.

Recently, I served as a judge on behalf of Citrea at ETH Global in Taipei. Citrea sponsored the event and held selection activities such as "Best Bapp on Citrea" and "Experimental DeFi Bapps." For most of the event, I was not only responsible for judging but also observing—walking between booths and tables, listening to developers' ideas, and brainstorming together. Seeing these scenes reminded me of the days when I participated in competitions, during which I learned how to break down the rules of the game in order to have a chance to win rewards.

This article will share some insights on how to truly "conquer" hackathons—experiences from someone who has served as an architect and now works in developer relations (DevRel), having judged multiple Web3 hackathons.

The hackathon has already started before the competition day.

Thinking that the hackathon only starts on the first day is one of the biggest mistakes. In fact, that is not the case. I'm not saying you should have your project fully built in advance (that would immediately disqualify you), but there are many things you can prepare ahead of time.

observe

You might be a student or an experienced developer looking to get into the Web3 ecosystem. But do you know which area you want to focus on? You should start observing this industry early on. Not just chatting casually on Twitter, but really diving deep into the field to see what everyone is doing. What are the weak or blank spots that you can fill or improve upon, what improvements are on the horizon, and which projects are performing strongly in which tracks.

Having a comprehensive understanding of the field you want to venture into will be very helpful. This is said because many developers try to gain rewards from areas they know almost nothing about. This is usually not feasible because you don't even know what you are trying to build. Judges, hackers, and advisors may provide some help during hackathons, but it is still far from enough.

Build connections and teamwork

If you step into the arena without a team, you are already behind. Before the hackathon starts, you have a few days or even weeks to form a team – this gives you time to screen members, test the compatibility of team members, improve team collaboration, or adjust the roles of team members.

However, participating alone is not without hope. Perhaps you intend to form a team on-site, brainstorming with people from different backgrounds to spark unique ideas. If you don't have a team yet, be proactive: attend some surrounding activities, cocktail parties, and themed talks before the hackathon begins. Engage with developers, designers, product managers, developer relations personnel, and even business development staff. They may not understand programming, but they know many people and can help you find the perfect teammates.

Individuals helped form two teams before the Ethereum hackathon in Taipei. They did not know each other before, but one of the teams ultimately won a prize.

Check the track as soon as possible

Before the first day of the hackathon competition, check the tracks and the projects that provide funding as early as possible. Surprisingly, many participants only pay attention to this until the event starts. The tracks are usually announced a few days or weeks in advance, giving participants time to formulate their strategies.

For example, the ETH Global hackathon announced its tracks two weeks before the competition. Some developers will contact the project parties in advance, express their ideas, and ensure alignment with the tracks. This proactive approach allows them to adjust their ideas or choose the appropriate track, thereby maximizing their chances of winning.

Break the norms

Creativity is crucial. Even if you have the most streamlined codebase, you can still fail. Why? Because your idea is not distinctive enough. It hasn't achieved product-market fit, or the judges have seen too many similar products. If you submit yet another AI wallet interface that has hardly improved compared to the submissions of six teams in the past two months, you have no hope. Since the judges are not interested in your idea/concept from the first stage, it becomes difficult to attract their attention to your code.

The judges have limited time to evaluate each submission and cannot delve deeply into every line of code. Therefore, the product concept or idea is crucial. Is this concept reasonable? Is it unique, or does it provide a real improvement over existing products on the market? Does it feel novel?

Here is a real case. At the Ethereum hackathon in Taipei, there was a team from the Philippines. They had a Web2 background and no experience in Web3, but their idea completely broke the mold, and the novel concept immediately caught the judges' attention. They didn't even submit to our track, but they are now collaborating with us in our incubation project Citrea Origins. This is the power of an outstanding idea that can attract attention instantly.

Think from the perspective of the jury. After two days, the jury is exhausted after viewing more than twenty projects. You only have a few minutes to win the judges' favor.

The thought list in my mind is as follows:

• What product is this?
• Is this concept novel?
• Does it have potential product-market fit?
• Is this just a copy of other products?
• Is this coded during this hackathon, or is it pre-built/repeatedly submitted?

The judges have seen it all. If your project is just superficial, it will be quickly recognized.

Talip (Citrea DevRel) can easily identify pre-built projects.

interact with the jury

Want to improve your chances of winning? Why not communicate with the jury? The help they can provide goes far beyond your imagination. Before you start building, articulate your ideas and discuss them with the judges.

This not only enhances your ideas but also increases visibility. If the judges have seen your face, heard your proposal, and then see your project again in the submitted work - they will remember you. Then you naturally have an advantage.

Eye-catching

Make sure your work stands out. Once you have a great idea and a solid team, start building - but don't stop there. You may have an idea that can shine, but to ensure you win, you need to showcase it well. Many times, contestants neglect the presentation part and just send a GitBook, which might work too. It’s not that you have to create a colorful presentation, but you should have a clear and detailed presentation.

• Give it a good name — that's right, names are important. They set the tone.
• Design Architecture - Draw charts and simplify explanations.
• Create clickable demos - more powerful than videos, allowing judges to experience it firsthand.
• Create a concise and clear PPT - your slides should explain everything without requiring too much explanation from you.

Unless absolutely necessary, do not invest too much effort in video presentations. If it's just a five-minute user interface showcase, the judges are not interested. Provide some interactive content. Let the judges feel this application and experience it.

A professor of architecture once told me: "If I need to ask a question, it means your presentation has failed." This may sound a bit extreme, but consider it a guideline for your presentation. Because from a broader perspective, your presentation is essentially your Pitch Platform.

Wait, is everything just to attract attention? It always has been.

is more than just a bonus

Finally, remember: bonuses are nice, but they are not the real prizes.

A hackathon is an attention economy. Everyone is paying attention. Even if you don't win, you can leave a deep impression on the right people, and the door of opportunity will open for you: incubation opportunities, partnerships, job opportunities. The prize is short-term; your reputation is long-term.

Also, please don't participate in five obscure hackathons just to make up the numbers; no one will care. Create things that will help you grow, and make each hackathon add value to your portfolio.

In short, how to participate in a hackathon:

• Form a team as soon as possible
• Innovative ideas
• Think from the perspective of the jury and interact more.
• Create a clickable and beautiful presentation
• Promote it as if your future depends on it (because it does)

Related reading: Electric Capital Annual Developer Report: 39,000 new developers joined, with over half of Ethereum developers dedicated to L2.