Why do I want to take part in a hackathon?
The first reason is that I need a place where I can meet more developers. We improve by talking and learning from one another. Since I do not come from a computer science background, I have even more reason to learn from people who specialize in the field. It would also give me a chance to meet more founders and learn from their experience.
The second reason is AdventureX, which I came across online in July. It looked like a lot of fun, and it also offered a chance to experiment with projects that combine software and hardware. More importantly, I could see firsthand how a concrete project moves from an idea to collaboration and then to investment. That kind of experience would be useful for my own development.
A couple of days ago, I saw a Shenzhen–Hong Kong hackathon on Douyin. The organizer's WeChat post looked decent, so I joined the group and quietly observed. Yesterday, I told my boss about the event. Before he replied, I chatted with my colleagues and found that they were interested too. When my boss later came to speak with me, he was unhappy that I had already told the team before getting his approval. We then looked into the organizer and found that it did not seem to have much of a track record. Further research confirmed that impression, and many important competition details had not yet been published. In short, the event did not look very reliable. My boss was right about one thing: I should have finished the research before bringing it to other people.
For now, I will wait for the full competition details. If this event is not a good fit, I will look for another one. I will probably participate as an individual, though. Whenever I try to discuss things like this with my boss, I feel as if I have very little room to maneuver.