At FINN, we believe innovation doesn’t come from perfect plans. It comes from doing. Our hackathons give us the space to move fast, test bold ideas, challenge the status quo, and learn quickly.

Of course, they are also fun (yes, there is pizza), but above all, they are structured experiments in speed, ownership, and creativity. Whether it’s exploring emerging technologies, improving internal workflows, or rethinking customer experiences, hackathons drive real momentum across FINN and lead to tangible outcomes for our teams and customers.

Why hackathons are core to our innovation culture

Hackathons at FINN are not side projects. They are strategic investments into our future. They help us surface new business opportunities, validate or invalidate assumptions early, build momentum around emerging technologies, break down departmental silos, and foster a real culture of innovation. In a market that changes fast, the ability to quickly ideate, test, and iterate is a huge competitive advantage.

In our day-to-day work, collaboration usually happens within departments. Hackathons change that. Fleet specialists brainstorm with engineers, marketing experts ideate with data analysts, and customer-facing teams inject real-world pain points into product thinking.

This type of collaboration leads to unexpected “aha” moments, a deeper appreciation for each other’s expertise, and stronger internal networks that last long after the hackathon ends. Participants often say that after a hackathon, they feel more confident reaching across departments to solve challenges. It is a cultural shift that makes FINN more agile, resilient, and creative.

How hackathons work at FINN

Our hackathons are one-day events, designed to maximize focus, momentum, and creativity. It is a sprint, not a marathon, packed into six to eight hours of intense ideation, prototyping, and building.

Team formation is done manually. We carefully build teams to ensure a strong mix of technical talent, like engineers, data scientists, and product managers, with non-technical experts from customer service, marketing, operations, and business intelligence. This cross-pollination ensures that solutions are not only technically impressive but also deeply relevant to real-world needs. Choosing a theme is equally intentional. Sometimes, themes come directly from pressing business problems, such as optimizing fleet processes or streamlining ticket handling. Other times, we use hackathons to explore new technologies, like agentic AI or sustainable innovation tools.

The day itself follows a structure that balances focus and flexibility:

  • A kickoff session sets the tone, explaining the problem space, goals, and logistics.
  • Teams dive deep into their ideas, build prototypes, and iterate rapidly.
  • Coaches and subject matter experts are available throughout the day to help unblock challenges.
  • A final demo session in the afternoon gives every team a chance to showcase what they’ve built.

Winners are determined through a public vote and everyone at FINN can cast a ballot, whether they participated in the hackathon or not. This keeps the event open, democratic, and inclusive, with excitement and friendly competition driving even more engagement.

What we’ve explored (and built)

Over time, our hackathons have led to exciting experiments, real products, and a few important lessons learned.

One standout example is JobAuto, our employee mobility benefit. JobAuto already existed when we entered the hackathon. The goal was to enrich the product quickly and solve related challenges through focused, cross-functional collaboration. During the hackathon, teams developed no-code prototypes to enhance existing features and tackle operational pain points. Several ideas from the hackathon were later professionalized, strengthening JobAuto’s value proposition and accelerating its growth.

In our most recent hackathon, we explored the potential of agentic AI. Teams built lightweight prototypes like AI agents that summarize customer feedback, pre-fill support tickets, and assist with fleet planning logistics. These projects sparked several automation initiatives that are now shaping our 2025 tech roadmap.

Departments have also started running their focused hackathons. Operations teams solve internal tooling challenges, fleet management explores logistics innovations, and customer support teams improve processes to speed up resolution times. These smaller hackathons often lead to fast, high-impact solutions that can be implemented within weeks.

What makes a good hackathon?

Through trial and error, we’ve discovered what turns hackathon energy into real, lasting outcomes. Clear problem scoping beats endless brainstorming. Teams need enough freedom to think creatively but also enough focus to avoid drifting off track.

A simple agenda with enough time for deep work and recharge breaks keeps momentum high. It is important to emphasize that progress matters more than polish. A rough but functional prototype is far more valuable than a perfect-looking presentation that has not been tested.

Support matters too. Throughout the day, engineers, product managers, and data specialists are on standby to help unblock teams quickly.

And yes, good food keeps the energy up. Ordering enough pizza is practically a hackathon best practice at FINN.

Behind the scenes: how we keep the momentum going

The work does not stop when the demos end.

After hackathon day, winning projects and other promising ideas are reviewed by the product and leadership teams. We assess feasibility, alignment with business goals, and potential impact. If an idea checks out, resources are allocated to refine it further. In many cases, prototypes evolve into new features, internal tools, or even major product lines. Hackathon outcomes frequently influence team OKRs for upcoming quarters. In some cases, what started as a hackathon idea goes on to reshape broader strategic initiatives.

Lessons learned (even when it doesn’t go as planned)

Hackathons teach us more than just technical skills. They also build resilience, creativity under pressure, and the ability to iterate quickly based on real feedback.

We have faced technical roadblocks, data access issues, and the occasional “it worked in the demo but not in production” moment. These challenges are not failures. They are learning opportunities that help us improve how we run future hackathons.

One of the most important lessons we’ve learned is that not every hackathon idea should (or will) go into production. Sometimes the technology isn’t mature enough. Other times, customer feedback signals that there’s not enough demand. Occasionally, the effort to professionalize an idea outweighs the potential business impact.

Even when ideas don’t turn into full projects, the hackathon still delivers value. Every prototype teaches us something: about our customers, our technical gaps, or new opportunities we hadn’t previously considered. Hackathons are low-risk environments for high-risk experiments and that’s a superpower in a world where innovation speed matters more than ever.

Each round makes us faster, smarter, and more aligned as a company. Hackathons keep us honest about where we are and ambitious about where we can go.

Keep Hacking 🚀

At FINN, hackathons are not about building perfect products overnight. They are about building a culture that moves fast, collaborates deeply, and learns relentlessly. They help us stay ahead in a world where speed, creativity, and adaptability win. They help us build better tools, better products, and stronger teams.

In short, hackathons are one of the clearest expressions of what we believe at FINN. Innovation does not come from playing it safe. It comes from showing up, rolling up your sleeves, and getting to work.

This article was written by Henriette Brune.