Hackathons aren't necessarily about shipping. To me, they're about having fun with smart people and maybe (or maybe not) producing a seed for a future shipping

Hackathons aren't necessarily about shipping. To me, they're about having fun with smart people and maybe (or maybe not) producing a seed for a future shipping software product. In the very worst case scenario, maybe you learn something. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I haven't seen anyone carrying the "Hackathons are how we build software" banner.