Ideathon and Code-a-thon: What’s the difference?

It all started with the marathon. The idea of people running a really long distance as fast as they can, in a competition where the winner needs both speed and perseverance, was inspiring to programmers. Despite the light bulb moments, programming or even coding, is more about regular practice rather than one freak discovery. Hackathons or code-a-thons honour this spirit, where participants write a piece code within a given time and demonstrate that it’s working.  

But what is an ideathon?  
Ideathon is an intensive brainstorming event where individuals or teams from different backgrounds, skills and interests converge to identify a problem, the most viable solution, and the best opportunities of putting that solution to implementation. Ideathons, like code-a-thons, are time-bound, spanning a few hours to a couple of days. 

Ideathon vs. Code-a-thon 
As the name suggests, an ideathon does not include coding. But it leads towards coding, since the solution offered is usually very precise. As a result, many code-a-thons include a seed-stage ideathon in the initial rounds to kick off a coding spree.  On the other hand, code-a-thons often open up new ideas in the minds of participants. While they don’t have time to work on it then, they can always pitch it at an ideathon, and many do.  

Another major difference is that code-a-thons require a certain level of coding proficiency. But an ideathon winner may not even be a coder. Sometimes the idea of a wonderful sports app may come from a coach, or a business man may think of a great trading app. While they won’t be able to code these, an ideathon would help them get the idea across in as much detail as possible, so that a coder can bring the app to life. Most ideathon participants also have good business and logical thinking skills.  

How are ideathons and code-a-thons helping employers?    
Organizations are using both ideathons and code-a-thons as innovation hiring tools, as well as platforms to promote organisational growth. These events open a fair space for leaning, collaborating, pitching and implementing. Apart from company events, employers keep an eye on school / college level event winners, and try to pick up future employees.