Startup Creation Beyond Hackathons – A Survey on Startup Development and Support

Abstract

Hackathons are themed, fast-paced events where participants gather in teams to work on a project of their interest. Hackathons are often organized to drive entrepreneurial behavior, however, little is known about how they have supported startup creation. To address this issue, we conducted a cross-sectional survey among hackathon participants about their motivations for participating in a hackathon including creating a new startup product and advancing their careers. The survey also addressed their perceived hackathon benefits related to entrepreneurship, such as learning and networking, and how useful they were to their startups. Moreover, the survey included aspects of the hackathon setting that may have influenced startup creation, including winning awards. We obtained answers from participants who have attended 48-h, in-person hackathons. We found motivations related to entrepreneurship that were related to startup creation, such as learning about the startup domain. Our findings show that participants with entrepreneurial motivations are more likely to create a startup after the hackathon. We also found that participants with startups in an early stage have attended hackathons motivated to build the initial version of their startup product, however, they have also worked on other projects unrelated to their startup. To support startup creation beyond hackathons, organizers should gain awareness of such hackathon participants who are motivated by entrepreneurship.