A hackathon is the same marathon, only instead of the calf muscles and lungs, the brain and fingers work, and effective product and marketers also have vocal cords. It is obvious that, as in the case of the legs, the resources of the brain are not unlimited, and sooner or later he needs to either give a kick, or put up with an alien physiology and sleep. So what is the most effective strategy for winning a typical 48-hour hackathon?
Sleep by phase
The US Air Force Review Report on the Use of Stimulants to Counter Fatigue lists the minimum amount of "NEP" (very short sleep) for any performance improvement. “Each specific sleep period should be at least 45 minutes, although longer periods (2 hours) are better. If possible, such sleep should occur during standard night time. Alexey Petrenko, who participated in a major banking hackathon, advises using a similar tactic, but in combination with proper nutrition.
“If you approach the issue very professionally, then this is like a recommendation for a session. If you sleep - then 1,5 hours with any multiplier. For example, sleep 1.5, 3, 4.5 hours. You also need to consider how long you fall asleep. If I want to sleep for 1,5 hours, then I set an alarm clock for 1 hour and 50 minutes - because I fall asleep for twenty. The main thing is not to eat slow carbohydrates in the process, to constantly monitor the level of sugar in the blood. Many of my friends who constantly win have their own super-algorithm for a combination of cola, vegetables and occasional fast food consumption.”
Do not sleep!
In the right hands with an open can of redbull, a total sleep deprivation strategy can also be effective. All teams have a limited resource - time, but those who decide to sacrifice sleep on the altar of victory (check the prize fund in advance) have an even more limited resource is concentration. Even the most superficial googling will let you know that concentration is directly related to lack of sleep. Therefore, the strategy looks extremely simple - the team must do everything that is associated with a high concentration of attention in the first place. For convenience, iterations can be distinguished. The first iteration is everything without which the final pitch will not work - code, interface, presentation (at least text). If you feel like your brain's time of peak performance is coming to an end, then you need to focus all your efforts on completing the first iteration. Then, under the cover of night, when the team is connected to the system for supplying energy drinks to the body, you can do the second iteration - the one about beautiful code, neat icons and illustrations in the presentation.
But this does not mean at all that you need to whip energy drinks with wholesale five-liter canisters. Remember that the main stimulating effect in energy drinks is achieved with the help of good old caffeine, and not at all with taurine and vitamins. Three hours after drinking a jar, you will need another one - and after all, all manufacturers write that you should not drink more than two cans of a magical drink. Thus, you have a maximum of 6-7 hours of “boost” at your disposal to complete the second iteration of the project.
All by the rules
Surprisingly, the most “cheating” strategy at the hackathon is the usual healthy sleep. Only the most disciplined teams can bring it to life. Indeed, in order to turn off the laptops right in the middle of the creative process and just go to sleep, remarkable willpower is required. In assessing the gain from this approach, let's go from the opposite. A well-rested team will gain benefits in a number of skills that directly depend on how rested the brain is: reaction time, concentration, memory ability, and even the ability to critically evaluate. Can you imagine how embarrassing it is to lose a hackathon because of a team leader who, after two cans of energy drinks and a meager two hours of sleep in the morning, could not assess the resources and simply forgot that there was no solution to the problem in the presentation? As the IKEA slogan says - “sleep better”.
So after all, what to do in the middle of the night at a hackathon? There is no single answer to this question - it all depends on the complexity of the task, the efficiency and experience of the team, and even on the type of coffee purchased by the organizers of the hackathon. Perhaps you know some more successful strategies? Share in the comments!
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To sleep or not to sleep?
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Sleep is for dweebs
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Sleep with an alarm clock
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Source: habr.com