Hackathons—where people from different backgrounds come together to work on a project for a few intense, caffeine-fueled days—are already well-established practices in some corners of the business world. They’re hallowed traditions in Silicon Valley, and even old-economy companies like GM and GE use them. Hackathons have become popular in research and education, too. This year, MIT hosted several, including "Hacking Arts," "Hacking Rehabilitation," and even the second-annual breast pump hackathon, "Make the Breast Pump Not Suck!"
