Innovation is essential. However, for many data team leaders, it requires a juggling act between the long-term vision and immediate value. You have to deliver on timelines and keep up with all the demands of ‘business as usual’. You know your team needs to explore new ideas, but how do you justify the time required?   That’s where events like hackathons come in. They can be used as focused ‘sprints’ where problems can be discussed and ideas explored. For data team leaders who are serious about driving transformation, they can be an important way to harness creative energy.   The last few SAS Hackathons have shown some ways that data team leaders can turn the short sprint of a hackathon into long-term gains for their organisations. The key is that they have seen experimentation as a strategic lever, and not as a distraction.   Breaking out of the hamster wheel   The role of data team leaders is both strategic and operational. They are responsible for delivering value today but also building capabilities for tomorrow. However, when the everyday going gets tough, we all know that it is the time for strategic and long-term thinking that falls by the wayside. Hackathons provide a way to get off the ‘hamster wheel’ of business as usual, and look more strategically at ideas that offer longer-term value.   This ‘suspension of reality’ can be magical. The time-bound, cross-functional nature of a hackathon can provide opportunities to think differently, bring new people into the team, and try something new. Sometimes they provide a big breakthrough. More often, they provide at least a chance to see things from a new perspective.   Planning ahead   However, that magic doesn’t happen by accident. Getting the most out of a hackathon means investing time beforehand. You need to set clear boundaries and expectations, and focus your team’s effort in the right places. You might start by asking about business problems that could use a new perspective, or shelved use cases that deserve a second look - do you have (and use) a repository of unused ideas? Once you have some ideas in mind, your team can work with you to narrow down the focus. Teams with a shared understanding of scope tend to produce more transferable results.   Remember, too, that hackathons are not just for developers. It is a good idea to include business analysts, domain experts, and designers. We found that some of the strongest teams in the 2024 SAS Hackathon embraced this diversity from day one, and used no-code or low-code platforms to make sure that everyone could contribute.   It is also worth considering resources. Team leads often ask if they can really spare the time—but the returns can significantly outweigh the costs provided you plan appropriately. For example, you don’t need to involve the whole team. Instead, have a small hackathon group from the data teams, but pull in resources from other teams to supplement their skills. Importantly, make sure that hackathon teams have the time and space to concentrate on the hackathon, and are not constantly dragged back to their ‘day jobs’. Sell it as ‘time invested in accelerating ideas’, and see it as a fast way to generate minimum viable proofs.   Looking ahead to deliver success   Consider carefully how you will define success from a hackathon—and make sure that it extends beyond a prototype. Our experience is that some teams can and do walk away with a polished demo. However, validating assumptions or disproving ideas may be equally valuable. That said, it is important to think about what might happen after a hackathon. How will you use the results?   Teams tend to disperse and get back to their day jobs quickly. It is a good idea to take time to gather the learning before the end of the event, and work out what needs to happen next to build on the hackathon. Some ideas might be ready to enter your DevOps pipeline. Others might become pitch decks for executive sponsors. Either way, document the outcomes and treat them as living assets—not side projects.   Delivering innovation as ‘business as usual’   One of the most valuable outputs from a hackathon is the idea that innovation itself can be part of ‘business as usual’. Change your perspective, and see hackathons as providing strategic inputs for your discovery pipeline. Build in time for experimentation, for example through quarterly sprints, innovation weeks, or embedded R&D days. This will help you to attract and retain talented team members who value creativity. It will also build a culture that values both delivery and innovation.   Leadership in data and AI does not come from deploying the latest model. It comes from creating the conditions where new ideas can thrive—and hackathons are an important part of that process.   Interested in learning more? Check out this on-demand webinar: SAS Hackathons: Fueling Innovation Without Disrupting your Everyday Workflow   ... View more