From strangers to startups in 72 Hours

One of the most powerful aspects of the event is how quickly teams learn to collaborate.

As mentor James Davison put it:

“They came up with a solvable problem in a very small amount of time while learning new tools and new languages. They’re building real-life skills that can be reused in actual business.”

At the start, teams are full of ideas but still figuring out how to work together.

By the second day, things begin to click.

“What stood out most was how independently they were operating. I was mostly sense-checking and asking questions rather than directing. They were owning the decisions and backing themselves.”

Adam Barwell

That ownership is exactly what builds confidence.

One of the most important skills for mentors at a hackathon is restraint.

Mentors sense-check ideas. They ask questions. They help unblock challenges. But the ownership stays with the team.

That balance allows teams to move faster and learn more deeply.

Mentoring in fast-moving environments like hackathons can be challenging.

So we’ve created a series of Mentor Pocket Toolkits to help mentors guide teams through the most common moments in collaborative projects.

Because the best mentors don’t just give answers. They help teams find their own.

One of the most memorable moments of the event came when teams truly began to function as a unit.

As Neil reflected:

“Seeing the team start to come together and work as a unit on day two was the standout moment. As trust grew, they became more than the sum of their parts.”

For mentor Rob Wilkes, the experience was equally inspiring:

“It’s amazing what a group of strangers can create in just a couple of days. The energy of everyone working towards a shared goal is completely inspiring.”

For judge Simone Brickham, one moment captured the impact of HackEd perfectly.

A presenter hit a blocker during their pitch.

Instead of abandoning the presentation, they stepped back, gathered themselves, and came back to deliver it successfully.

Simone reflected:

“They were absolutely beaming afterwards. You could see how proud they were that they persevered.”

That transformation — from uncertainty to confidence — is the real outcome of events like this.

Events like HackEd show what is possible when people are given the space to learn by doing. The ideas may start small.

But the confidence, collaboration skills, and curiosity participants build will last far longer than the event itself.

And that’s exactly the kind of future we want to help create.