We are excited to share the details of our latest Unqork Community Hackathon.
In this asynchronous competition, Creators are asked to build a working application that leverages Unqork’s Integration Gateway and other new features.
Earn bragging rights, points, badges, Unqork swag, and other recognition as you showcase your expertise and sharpen your configuration skills.
In this post
How it works
- Sign-up on the event page: This is how you receive the submission form and also let us know you plan to participate.
- Deadline March 25, 2024
- Build on your own or with your team: Just be sure to submit by the deadline.
- This is an asynchronous hackathon for our Creators all around the world!
- No time minimum or maximum.
- Submit your app: Use the submission form (emailed to you in step 1) to submit the following:
- Short video explanation and demo of the application (~10 minutes)
- Short description of the application
- Details on the usage of Integration Gateway
Recipe-only Participation
Don’t have time to build a full working application, but still want to participate? We’ve added a new option to participate:
Timeline
- April 4: Deadline to sign up
- April 29: Entries due
- May 3: Judging Complete, Finalists Determined
- Mid-May: Showcase Event with Finalists
Judges will select finalists for both the individual and team categories, then we’ll schedule a live showcase for the audience to determine the winners.
Individual and Team Categories
Hackathon entries may be submitted to one of two categories: individual or team.
You may compete individually or partner with others in a teams of 2 or 3. Each Creator should sign up individually to ensure you receive the necessary details and communications.
F.A.Q.
In addition to the details on the event page, below are some anticipated questions you might have. We’ll update this blog with other frequently asked questions as they occur.
Who can participate?
Any Creator in our community: customer, partner, Unqork staff, and even those still considering and exploring Unqork. The only requirement is that you have Creator access to an environment. (If you’re able to log in to the Community Hub, you have the right access.)
Note: While Unqork staff are welcome to participate, we’ll be limiting the competition to non-staff Creators. You can still earn 100 points for participating and showcase your expertise and creativity if you approve us to share your app with the community.
What’s different from previous Unqork Hackathons?
This time, Creators are required to build the application within your company’s staging environment. Previously, we’ve had hackathon participants build their applications in Unqork’s Training Environment; however, Integration Gateway access is not provided for Unqork’s Training Environment.
How do I enable Integration Gateway in my environment?
First, check to see if it may already be enabled. From our Academy course:
If you do not see Integration Gateway as an option, work with your environment administrator(s) to request access. Your administrator(s) will need to agree to the additional Terms & Conditions (a link we provide when you sign up), which will kick-off the processes for Unqork to add it to your environment.
Additionally, you will need to work with your environment administrator(s) to ensure you have the appropriate role-based access permissions to allow for setting up and editing integration services.
How do I use Integration Gateway?
Check out our these learning resources from Unqork:
- Academy Course
- Documentation
- Webinars
- Ask the Expert: Integration Gateway (recording from October 2023)
- Ask the Expert: Integration Gateway On-Prem (live on March 14, 2024, available on the community afterwards)
Additionally, we recommend these Automation Pro Certificate courses from Workato for detailed training on the Workato-specific aspects of Integration Gateway.
Does Unqork offer dedicated support for Hackathon participants?
In addition to the learning resources above and our always-on Community Hub, questions tagged with Integration Gateway are routed to the Unqork Product and Engineering teams for Integration Gateway. This way, they have real time visibility into questions and can help answer them on the community.
If you’re in need of additional support, work with your primary Unqork contact to request options.
How do I sign up?
We’re asking you to sign up via the event page. When you sign up, you’ll receive the link for submitting your application. This helps us know who is planning to submit an application for the Hackathon. It’s helpful in case we need to send you any updates, like if we decide to extend the deadline or if there’s any other guidance we have to give.
Is there a time limit? How much time will it take to participate?
We believe you can and should participate in this Hackathon even if you only spend a few hours on your app. While there is no time limit, there’s also no time minimum. If you only have an hour or two to spare, we recommend the steps in the next question.
So then, why the long timeline? As an asynchronous competition, we’re allowing plenty of time for you to build your application whenever you have some free time to explore. Whether that means working for a few hours in one sitting or for a few minutes here and there across a few weeks.
How do I get started?
The primary focus of these Hackathons is to give you a fun reason to explore new functionality and fine tune your skills as a Creator. Getting started means first familiarizing yourself with these new grid components.
- Sign up via the event page.
- Ensure Integration Gateway is enabled for your staging environment (see above)
- Review the documentation and other learning resources.
- Come up with your application use case. It can be simple; it cam be complex. It can be fun, it can solve a business problem. Whatever use case you can think of to meet the criteria outlined on the event page.
- Outline your general config. Develop a plan; map out how you might build this application. This will save you time and help you manage the time you spend building.
- Start building!
Who will see my application?
Due to the change of building within your company’s staging environment, no one will have direct access to your application. Instead, you will be asked to submit a video demo and overview of your configuration.
Initially, just our judges our judges will review these videos. If you’re chosen as a finalist, you will be asked to demo your application on a live showcase event. In that case, many more will see your application demo on the live event, post-event recording, and post-event marketing materials (if you approve).
Additionally, we hope that not finalist participants will opt-in to sharing your application in posts like this on the Community Hub. This will help other Creators learn from your work by watching the video, asking questions, or maybe even sharing advice.
Can I submit more than one application?
Absolutely! Any submissions received by the deadline will be considered. In fact, I’ll give you 100 points for each application you submit.
I don’t think I’ll win, why should I participate?
This is a fun way to explore functionality you might not yet have a use case for in your day job. Maybe you’re early on in the build of your application, maybe you specialize with data workflow, but don’t get to configure the UI, maybe you’re part of a large team and don’t get to design or make the big decisions on your apps.
With this Hackathon, you get to own every part of building a (small) application, as well as having the freedom to get creative or have fun with your use case!
Okay, but what are the prizes?
Each participant will receive 100 points, as well as the Hackathon Participant badge on their Community profile. Finalists each more points, more badges, and more prizes. More details on the event page.
Do you have any examples I can review?
Absolutely! If you haven’t yet, consider watching the recordings of our first and second Hackathon Showcase events. You’ll see our four finalists demo their applications. Additionally, you can watch previous winners,
Finally, you can find all four of our finalists’ applications, plus a few others, in our Use Case Showcase forum. These posts include their description, as well as links to review both the configuration and the Express preview of the application.
What if I have other questions?
Reply below, send me a message, or email to community@unqork.com
