🚀 10 Things to Clarify Before You Plan a Corporate Hackathon

Corporate hackathons can unlock game-changing ideas, spark collaboration, and boost morale - yet an estimated 60% fail to deliver value because these 10 foundational steps are skipped.

I’ve helped companies across industries run hackathons that lead to real business outcomes thanks to the groundwork. Here are 10 questions to clarify before you dive in to make your internal innovation event a strategic success:

1. 🎯 What’s the real goal for the hackathon?

Is your hackathon about building AI-prototypes? Surfacing bold ideas? Boosting employee engagement? Recruiting talent? Get specific. A vague “we want innovation” won’t cut it. Choose 1–2 clear goals.

2. 🧠 What challenge or theme will support the business/innovation strategy?

Link your hackathon to clear strategic priorities. Choose challenge areas that align with your org’s transformation roadmap while allowing for participants’ creativity.

3. 🏆 Who’s sponsoring it internally?

You need a senior sponsor who’ll champion the event and make sure outcomes don’t get ignored. Bonus points if they open the event and judge the pitches.

4. 📅 What’s the timeline, and when is the event?

Don’t rush it. Plan backwards from a fixed date, making sure you have time for scoping, comms, onboarding, facilitation, and follow-up. 3 months planning is recommended. Some experts (me!) can plan it faster if needed.

5. 💰 What’s your budget - and what’s in scope?

Are you paying for tech platforms? Coaches? Prizes? Food? External guests? Know what you can spend — and where to allocate it for impact. A professional corporate hackathon for 100 people can go from $30,000 to $100,000+ easily.

6. 🛠️ What tools and expert support will you need?

GPT copilots, AI-prototyping, no-code data dashboards… the right tools can supercharge output — if they’re set up and introduced intentionally. Decide early and plan setup, training, and expert support (sprint coaches, AI/UX/Data pros). Don’t wing it.

7. 🧩 Who’s participating - and how will you engage them?

Clarify who’s invited (cross-functional staff, external experts, data scientists, students?), how teams will form, and how you’ll onboard them. Use internal comms to build hype and drive participation.

8. 🔐 Any legal or IP issues to cover?

Especially if the hackathon is open to externals or contractors — define who owns the output and whether you need NDAs or approval flows.

9. 📈 How will success be measured?

Engagement? ROI? Prototype quality? Cost-savings? Set KPIs in advance, even if they’re directional. You can’t accelerate what you don’t measure.

10. 🔄 What happens after the hackathon?

What’s the follow-up flow? Will the winning teams develop their projects? Who will fund or sponsor next steps? Plan your post-hack funnel now, or great ideas will gather dust.

Final Thought

Hackathons are a powerful lever to unlock hidden talent, test bold ideas fast, reignite momentum across teams, and scale an innovation culture. But they only deliver real results when they’re strategically scoped, thoughtfully designed, and followed up with purpose.

Whether it’s your first internal hackathon or your tenth, I’ve helped dozens of global brands turn innovation buzz into measurable business impact - and it always starts with getting the foundations right.

A great hackathon starts long before you order the swag. Clarify these 10 things early, and you’ll set the stage for an experience that energises your teams - and generates real results.

👉 Download the free checklist to avoid the most common mistakes I see every year - and make your hackathon count.