A Field Guide for Leading, Winning and Ideating

How much do you know hackathons? Whether a potential organiser, a future participant, or just wondering what else you need to break out of the conventional, this book is for you. Hackathons Unboxed will take you behind the scenes, to unpack the seeming magic that gives birth to groundbreaking ideas in just three short days. There are in fact a series of repeatable steps — a well-researched methodology that anybody can follow. But we don't just hack in the vacuum. More than repeating principles such as human-centered design and experimentation, this book addresses the real-world constraints, the unforeseen that may pop up — and how to tackle them. Above all, it will show you the link back to your business needs. All this is done to get your hackathon feeling more like a thriller with a happy ending, instead of three lost days. So dive right in, and let's start hacking!

Alvin Chia is the Innovation Program Lead of DBS Bank, and a seasoned hacker. His tenure in DBS saw him conducting more than fifty hackathons and workshops across the region solving business challenges such as digitization and new product development. Prior to DBS, Alvin consulted for the largest independent innovation consulting company, serving top-tier clients such as InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG), GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Unilever. Outside of work, Alvin lectures actively as an Adjunct Faculty and writes for the business and leadership verticals of The Huffington Post.