Your first hackathon: what 36 hours actually look like

Every event, a few people tell me the same thing on Friday night: this is my first hackathon, and I almost did not apply.

Almost all of them are glad they came. The fear is usually one of three things. I am not technical enough. I do not have a team. I do not know what actually happens. So here is the whole weekend, using our next innovation sprint in Zurich as the example.

Before the weekend: profile, apply, find a team

You create one profile on the sprintd platform and apply with one click. You can apply with your own team of three to four, or alone. If you apply alone, you are not dropped into a random team. In the weeks before the event you browse the other people who applied on their own and choose who you want to build with. If you still have no team when you arrive, we help you find one on site.

Friday: doors, challenges, go

Doors open at 17:00. The opening ceremony reveals the challenges, real problems brought by the companies that partner with the sprint. Teams settle, and by 20:00 the building starts. The first night has an energy you do not get anywhere else.

Saturday: one long build

One continuous stretch from morning to night. Mentors walk between the teams, ask hard questions and help you sharpen what you have. Some teams work through the night, others sleep a few hours. Food, drinks, showers and a mattress are all on site, so nothing pulls you away from the work.

Sunday: pitch what you built

Final submissions go in during the morning. Then every team presents what it built. The jury picks the solutions worth awarding, and the closing ceremony sends everyone home with working software, new people in their corner and proof of what 36 hours can do.

Do I need to be a developer?

No. With today's AI tools almost anyone can ship software. The real edge is having different angles on the same problem: a designer who sees the user, a domain expert who knows why the old process fails, a business mind who knows who would pay for it. The strongest teams mix all of them.

What to bring

Your laptop and charger. A sleeping bag, which is the one essential, since we provide the mattress. A pillow, a sleeping mask and earbuds if you want real rest. That is it. Entry is free, and food, drinks and showers are covered for the whole weekend.

Your first one

sprintd Zurich runs from 9 to 11 October 2026 at Bluelion in Zurich. Around 100 builders, 36 hours, free to enter, open from 16. Applications close on 6 October.

If you have been waiting for the right first hackathon, this is a good one to start with. Create your profile on the sprintd platform and apply.