Think of a hackathon as a musician's jam session. You get together with some people you know, some you don't, play with some ideas, experiment and fail, come u

Think of a hackathon as a musician's jam session. You get together with some people you know, some you don't, play with some ideas, experiment and fail, come up with some cool things, drink some beer, and don't sleep enough. The point is risk-free experimentation and a learning opportunity. The point of Startup Weekend is not to be the next big idea. * I've organized 3-4 Startup Weekends, attended a few more, organized dozens of hackathons, and attended more than that.