Last weekend, I had the opportunity to volunteer as an organiser for NUS Hackers Hack&Roll 2026, where over 800+ participants gathered to build, learn, and ship. Vibes were immaculate, plenty of pizzas eaten, amazing fringe games, and some impressive demos showcasing how Agentic AI and AI harnesses are transforming what can be achieved in just one weekend, something barely possible just a few years ago.
Hackathons are super underrated
Hackathon participants usually get to:
- Learn new domains for technical growth
- Build a product and gain entrepreneurship exposure
- Improve soft skills in teamwork or even pitching and presentation
- Contribute to the community in social good hackathons
- Receive internship opportunities from mentors and companies/sponsors
Additionally, there are other perks like making new friends who build cool stuff, enjoying free merchandise, food and even prize money. Even if you don't win, successfully shipping your first project gives you something valuable to share in interviews about what you built and why.
My Hackathon Journey
When I first entered university, I hesitated joining hackathons because it felt intimidating. However, I eventually began signing up for hackathons, sometimes even solo, knowing that just showing up would be beneficial. Eventually, even having the chance to represent NUS Computing in ETH Oxford.
I joined Hack&Roll in Year 1 and 2 as a hacker, in Year 3 and 4 as a volunteer, and the hacking culture and experience has genuinely been one of the best amongst all the hackathons I've participated in/helped organised. (Maybe that's why I keep coming back)
Building the Hackathons In SG Community
In the past, finding and choosing the right hackathon to join can be somewhat tedious. You had to manually find them across different websites, club group chats, Instagram pages and emails etc. So I started a Telegram channel Hackathons In SG about a year ago to centralise hackathon opportunities. A simple idea, and it has now grown to almost 3,000 subscribers. And I'm grateful that it has been helping people to start building at hackathons.
Final Thoughts
As I approach graduation, I hope to continue spreading the culture of hacking/building. If hackathons (or anything in life) seem intimidating, that's often a sign you should do it. Just showing up, even once, builds confidence. And you won't know where it might lead you to :)
If you're interested in hackathons: Hackathons In SG Telegram Channel
Organisers feel free to PM me to share your hackathons/events!
Originally posted on LinkedIn
