From Job Rejection To Innovation - How Hackathons Changed My Life

Bloggers Note - The below post is adapted from a TED Talk given.by Angela Chan.

From Job Rejection to Innovation: How Hackathons Changed My Life

When you hear the word "hacking," what comes to mind? A dimly lit room full of IT professionals hunched over multiple screens with lines of green code cascading down? That's exactly what I pictured too. But here's what I discovered: there are actually two definitions of hacking. The first is unauthorized access to data—the stereotypical version we see in movies. The second, and the one that completely transformed my career, is the active participation in quickly implementing ideas.

The Struggle That Started It All

Fresh out of university, I hit a wall. Hundreds of interviews with PR agencies led nowhere. I was desperate and frustrated, asking myself how I was going to sustain myself financially. That's when I had what felt like a brilliant idea: "Why wait five or ten years to start my own business? I'll develop an app right now, make money, have flexible working hours, and work from anywhere!"

Sound familiar?

I approached a friend with enthusiasm, ready to conquer the startup world. What I expected to be a two-hour strategic conversation turned into an awkward two-minute exchange:

"I've got this brilliant idea! I'm going to make money off this app!"

"That sounds great. Why do you want to do that?"

"Uh... I don't know. Maybe make an awesome difference to the world?"

"Okay, so what problem are you solving?"

"Let me get back to you on that."

The truth was embarrassing: I had zero business acumen, no understanding of design thinking or creative problem-solving, and honestly thought "startup" was something you put in bread to make it rise.

 The Game-Changing Suggestion

Another friend offered advice that would reshape my entire career trajectory: "Why don't you go to a hackathon? It'll be a great opportunity to develop technical skills and meet like-minded people."

It sounded weird, but it was only a weekend. I decided to give it a shot.

 What Exactly Is a Hackathon?

For those unfamiliar, a hackathon is a two to three-day creative intensive competition where diverse groups of people collaborate to solve problems using technology. You typically register as an individual, get placed on a team with strangers, identify a problem or opportunity, brainstorm solutions, prototype your ideas, and present a working prototype to judges who provide immediate feedback.

It's an incredible opportunity for self-discovery, networking with like-minded individuals, and experimenting in a safe environment.

 My Three Hackathon Hacks for Success

After attending 30-40 hackathons over three years (essentially earning what I call my "second university degree through experiential learning"), I discovered three key strategies:

 Hack #1: Celebrate Your Uniqueness

When I first heard about innovation, I didn't think it applied to me. I figured innovation was reserved for people like Richard Branson, Elon Musk, or Mark Zuckerberg. But hackathons taught me that everyone can contribute to innovation—it's literally in our DNA.

Success starts with having an open mindset. You need to be willing to:

- Collaborate with others

- Think outside the box (or acknowledge there might not be a box at all)

- Unlearn what you've previously learned

- Adapt to different environments

- Work with diverse personality types

Understanding hackathon team dynamics helped me find my place. Every successful team needs three key roles:

- **The Hustler**: Communicates and presents solutions to audiences

- **The Hipster**: Designs the customer experience

- **The Hacker**: Rapidly builds the technical solution

Coming from a public relations background, I naturally gravitated toward the hustler role, leveraging my writing and communication skills. This pushed me out of my comfort zone as a natural introvert, helping me develop presentation abilities while learning about customer journeys, technology applications, and feature-benefit analysis.

Through hackathons, I discovered I was resourceful (quickly spinning up websites and identifying advertising opportunities), relationship-focused (connecting with participants on social media and reaching out to judges via LinkedIn), and resilient (attending dozens of events over multiple years).

 Hack #2: You Never Know Who You'll Sit Next To

At my first hackathon, I sat between Rachel, a recent graduate skilled in rapid prototyping tools, and an 11-year-old boy who was already learning to code. I was twice his age and feeling pretty humbled. We ended up winning the New South Wales division.

During the Melbourne finals, I found myself sitting next to a 13-year-old entrepreneur who had started his own gaming app business and a 15-year-old who had just won $10,000 to build a safety app for truck drivers and earned a trip to the United States. Mind. Blown.

Hackathons attract incredible mentors and industry leaders: heads of businesses, managing directors of global organizations, startup founders, and representatives from companies like Canva, Atlassian, Facebook, and Google. These connections provide invaluable insights into different organizations and career paths.

Remember how I struggled to find a PR job initially? The more hackathons I attended, the more projects I added to my LinkedIn profile. Eventually, PR agencies started calling me because I could demonstrate my ability to gather learnings across different industries and connect the dots between them.

In fact, my current position as Head of Innovation and Growth was created after I ran a smart cities hackathon. I was on the judging panel alongside the company president and head of human resources. They pulled me aside afterward asking, "Angela, what are you actually good at, and how can we harness the energy you've demonstrated?" I had the opportunity to create a role that didn't exist before.

 Hack #3: It's Okay to "Phlearn" (Fail to Learn)

Over 30-40 hackathons, I experienced every possible disaster: mind blanks during presentations, server crashes while demonstrating working prototypes, and teammates literally disappearing mid-event. The key is putting a fun lens on these experiences and treating them as learning opportunities.

I've explored emerging technologies through hackathons in fascinating ways:

- **3D Printing**: During Startup Bus (a hackathon that traveled from Sydney to Melbourne), we worked on custom-made glasses and had a 3D-printed prototype delivered to the biggest startup conference in the southern hemisphere

- **Virtual Reality**: At a MasterCard hackathon, we discovered how VR adds a completely new dimension to design—you can walk around, touch, and feel your creations rather than just viewing them on a screen

- **Blockchain Technology**: At an EOS hackathon with $100,000 in prizes, our team secured $50,000 in venture capital funding for a digital scarcity project

The Bigger Picture

Hackathons are incredible opportunities for self-discovery, understanding your unique value, connecting with amazing people, and testing ideas. Innovation isn't just in my DNA—it's in yours too.

Remember: innovation is a journey, not a destination. Hackathons create pressurized, challenging environments, but when you reflect on the hills you've climbed and the distance you've traveled, you realize you can make a positive difference in this world.

So what are you waiting for? Your next hackathon could be the catalyst that transforms your career, just like it did mine.