Avanade Norway’s Ahmad Najjar was a judge at the 3-day ACDC Hackathon in Oslo in February. Hear why hackathons are so important for the developer community, and what came out from the day.
Give us some background to this particular hackathon
ACDC stands for Arctic Cloud Developer Challenge Hackathon, and its goal is to push technology to the limits while participants learn from each other and socialise. It focusses on Microsoft cloud technology, such as Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, IOT, Azure, ML and Power Platform. Each year, the hackathon has a theme and this year it was Mutant Teenage Ninja Turtles.
Who were there and what the ambiance was like?
On the day, there were 50 people at the event, which was great following last year’s virtual version, which isn’t the same thing. The seniority of the developers varies, some of them use out-of-the box tools, whereas others complement existing technology with code that they have written themselves. The focus of the event is Microsoft tech, but we also verge into other technology which is interesting.
Events like this offers an opportunity to ‘’geek’’ out and pursue your passion for coding and how it can solve business problems, no matter your level or experience.
"The ambiance at an event like this is very special. The first time I participated, I was taken back by how amazing it was and it stayed in my mind long after."
The ambiance at an event like this is very special. The first time I participated, I was taken back by how amazing it was and it stayed in my mind long after. Following that experience, I was very eager to attend again, and to date I haven’t missed one. It is my second time as a judge, and I’m so impressed with the collaborative atmosphere. Even if it is a competition, everyone helps each other, and it is also possible to approach the judges during the hackathon to ask for their advice or input.
What types of challenges were solved during the day?
The hackathon revolves around earning badges and categories. There are 30 badges to win and each is worth 10 points. An example of a badge could be using 3 Microsoft APIs in your solution. There were four categories; Excellent User Experience, Most Extreme Business Value, Rock Solid Geekiness and Killer App. Each category is awarded between 1-10 points by the judges.
What was the most interesting solution you saw as a judge?
To be honest, most solutions presented to us are interesting as they are based on what customers need. There was one solution which I found really cool where a team used a 3D printer to build a fridge, which they then built into a box and installed a camera. Through AI, the fridge could then recognise which ingredients were missing when tasked with looking at the pizzas of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (theme of the hackathon).
Another team came up with what was the winning solution for the day, a virtual tour of the Munch Museum in Oslo, using a blend of SharePoint Spaces, Power Apps and AI builder. The tour is so good, it feels as if you’re there. You can then take a photo of any painting or work of art and using AI the app retrieves information about the artwork and the artist.
The team behind this solution showed they can work as a team and that their implementation of the tech was unique. As it happens, they were not the team that had won the most badges during the competition, but they did score the most categories. I want to stress that the focus of the competition isn’t just on the implementation of the tech, but what business problem it is solving.
Why is it of value to attend hackathons as a developer?
It is an opportunity to meet others and learn, and to explore things you haven’t come across before. Going outside of one’s comfort zone is important, as this is how you grow as a developer. At one of these hackathons, I created tracking device using a small Raspberry Pi, and I remember how exciting it was to work on something I don’t know, as opposed to what I already do day-to-day. It makes you a better technologist and keeps you up to date on what’s out there. Plus, it opens your eyes for new things.
I’m so happy to have been a judge at what is such an important event on so many levels, it truly makes you think about solutions in different ways, and it helps you push the limits and boundaries!
About Ahmad:
Ahmad Najjar works as a Power Platform Architect at Avanade Norway and has over 17 years’ experience working in the industry. He is a Microsoft MVP.
