The current landscape for discovering hackathons is fragmented across multiple platforms, making it challenging for participants to find relevant local events. This fragmentation creates missed opportunities for participants, lower turnout for organizers, and reduced ROI for sponsors. A centralized platform could address these issues by aggregating and curating hackathon information with specialized features tailored to this unique event type.

Core Features and Functionality

One way to approach this would be through a platform that offers:

• Comprehensive listings with filters for location, skill level, focus area, duration, and prizes
• Personalized recommendations based on user profiles and past participation
• Value-added tools like team formation assistance and mentor matching

The platform could maintain its database through a combination of web scraping and manual submissions, with organizers able to claim and manage their listings. Unlike general event platforms, this solution would focus specifically on the needs of hackathon participants and organizers, offering features like technical resource sharing and post-event networking.

Stakeholder Benefits and Monetization

Such a platform could serve multiple stakeholders:

• Participants would gain easier access to relevant events matching their skills
• Organizers could increase visibility and attract better-qualified attendees
• Sponsors might see improved talent pipelines and brand exposure

Potential monetization approaches could include sponsored listings for organizers, premium features for participants, and analytics services for corporate sponsors, while keeping core functionality free to maintain accessibility.

Implementation Strategy

A phased approach might begin with a basic web platform featuring manually curated listings and simple filters, then gradually add automated scraping, user accounts with preferences, and more advanced matching algorithms. The final phase could incorporate mentor networks and sponsor dashboards. This incremental development would allow for testing key assumptions about user needs and platform differentiation from existing solutions.

By focusing specifically on hackathon-related features and community building, such a platform could fill a gap left by general event discovery services while creating value for all participants in the hackathon ecosystem.