. >> hey hackathon does not mean breaking into something.hingans to put together out of existing pieces , so like something new a marathon building session that lasted from 24-48 hours. bad.r: not all hacking is these are engine years that our building projects and doing it as part of a tournament. tell us where these events began. >> anyplace with a large area like an auditorium or conference hall, wi-fi and bathrooms, fair game. oliver: and a supply of doritos and red bull. about how it has become a replacement for full-time jobs. tell us how who is going to hackathons, how they are making money. people, -- i would not say it is super widespread, for there are people who have made a full-time living, supplementing contract work. typically what will happen is they will go online or hear from friends that a hackathon is occurring, and based on how close it is to them, whether they have to pay for airfare or not, they will get together a team and bring their sleeping bags, usually not their toothbrushes, laptops, sensors, phones, power cords,

and the technology section, you look at hackathons.an: there is also a way to make enough money to only work on the circuit. look, we looked at people using these marathon coding sessions to test a product or take it to the next level. think about things they are not thinking of. and offer rewards, sometimes cash, swag. we find people whose entire apartment is littered with tvs, printers, shoes, anything you can think of from participating in these hackathon sessions. oliver: the idea was popularized in the social network. it's a very real thing. oliver: these guys are top of line and could work for major companies, but choose not to. megan: one thing i think that is great about this story, is that it is almost this cycle, this rite of passage, when you are young and don't have a lot of obligations, you probably feel free to go off and have an all-night hackathon and come back to your gross apartment. what just are thinking of longer-term goals, i am not sure hackathons are all that appealing. oliver: maybe not the most sustainable. in

a hackathon means to put something together out of something new.8 hours. >> not all hacking is bad. are engineers that are building projects and they are doing it as part of a tournament. tell us when these -- where these events begin. >> anyplace with a large area, an auditorium, any type of conference hall, anyplace with fast wi-fi and bathrooms are fair game. >> a steady supply of doritos and red bulls. this has officially become sort of a replacement for full-time jobs. tell us about the crux of the story. how are these guys making money? >> for some people, i would say that it is super widespread, there have been a dozen or more people that have an able to hack together a full-time living out of this. supplementing their startup dreams or contract work. typically, what will happen is they will go online or tell some friends that a hackathon is occurring. toed on how close it is them, whether they pay for airfare or not, they will get together with a team and bring sleeping bags and usually not their toothbrushes but dell laptops and their phon

academic hackathon's.t is sponsored through something called major league happening. -- hacking. i think there were 170 of them scheduled for 2017. universities all around the u.s. and even in the world. 170 of them in north america alone. there are more. that is the academic type. typically, those are more for bragging rights and also to look appealing to recruiters. like tech companies facebook, google, google, microsoft and the like all go to these hackathon's to keep their eyes on the up and rising talent. that is one type. there is another type where large prices are at stake. salesforce famously through one with a $1 million first prize. his thatntinued because they didn't get what they wanted. other ones have continued. hasbro. let's see, what else, procter and gamble through one. -- threw one. oliver: also in the technology section, taser wants to change what it is known for. >> taser has been around for 20 years. everyone knows it for the stun gun. e me. teasas exactly. a have been trying to come

hackathon is like a marathon building session. they last from 24-48 hours. >> that's a key distinction. not all hacking is bad. these are basically engineers building projects. they are doing it as part of sort of a tournament. tell us where these began. >> anyplace with a large area like an auditorium, any type of conference hall, and he plays with screaming fast wi-fi and bathrooms are fair game. oliver: and a steady supply of doritos and red bull. what's really cool if you are talking about how it has essentially become a replacement for full-time jobs. tell us about the crux of the story here who is going to these , hackathon, how they are making money whether or not it is a , replacement to a career. reporter: that's true. for some people i wouldn't say , it is super widespread, but there have been a dozen or more people who have been able to hack together a full-time living out of this. supplementing their start of dreams or contract works. typically what will happen is they will go online or they will hear from friends a hackathon is occurring. based

so hackathon is like a marathon building session, which lasts from 24 to 48 hours.ver: so not all hacking is bad. there is white hat and black hat . these are engineers build and projects a doing it as a sort of tournament here till is where these events began. >> any place with a large area, like an auditorium or any type anyplaceence hall, with screaming fast wi-fi and bathrooms are fair game. oliver: and a steady supply of doritos and red bull. you are talking about how it has essentially become sort of a replacement for full-time jobs. tell us the crux of the story, which is who is going to these hackathons and how they are making money. >> that is true. would not saye, i it is super widespread, but there have been a dozen or more people that have been able to full-time living out of this, supplementing the start of dreams or supplementing contract work. typically what will happen is they will go online or they will hear from friends that a hackathon is occurring, and based on how close it is to them, whether they have to pay for airfare or not, they will get to

hackathon hustlers making a living from coding contest. on thefe is really like border between the united states and mexico. oliver: all that ahead on "bloomberg businessweek." ♪ carol: we are with the editor in chief megan murphy. so many stories, double issue. you look at hackathon's. s. way tothere is also a make enough money to only work on the circuit. people using these marathon coding sessions to test a product or take it to the next level. they are rewards, sometimes cash, swag. we find people whose entire apartment is littered with tvs, printers, shoes, anything you can think of from participating in these sessions. oliver: the idea was popular popularized in the social network. carol: it sounds like a big frat party. oliver: these guys are top of line and could work for major companies, but choose not to. ,egan: it is almost this cycle this rite of passage, when you are young and don't have a lot of obligations, you probably feel free to have an all-night hackathon and come back to your gross apartment. maybe not the most sustain

you look at hackathon's. s.

and the technology section, you look at hackathons.a way to make enough money to only work on the circuit.

carol: hackathon hustlers making a living from coding contests.ly like on the border between the united states and mexico. oliver: all that ahead on "bloomberg businessweek." ♪ carol: we are with "bloomberg businessweek" editor-in-chief megan murphy. so many stories, double-issue.