the study of innovation shows that everything hinges on the hard work of taking a promising idea and making it work — technically, legally, financially, culturally, ecologically. Constraints are great enablers of innovation.

But there’s a downside to the hackathon hype, and our research on designing workplace projects for innovation and learning reveals why. Innovation is usually a lurching journey of discovery and problem solving. Innovation is an iterative, often slow-moving process that requires patience and discipline. Hackathons, with their feverish pace, lack of parameters and winner-take-all culture, discourage this process. We could find few examples of hackathons that have directly led to market success.

what if projects were designed to combine a hacking mindset with rigorous examination of the data and experience they glean? This would reward smart failures that reveal new insights and equip leaders with the information needed to rescale, pivot or axe their projects.