"I think it's best to start by building something for yourself or your family. While it does take effort to write code, if you publish it open-source for everyone with the same challenge, humanity as a whole can benefit. The upfront cost is fixed, but the marginal cost is zero. I encourage you to take on the challenge with open source."

"I've participated in many hackathons, solving problems within a 5cm radius of my own life, but at the Tokyo Open Data Hackathon, I challenged myself with issues on a 20km radius. Taking on challenges at a scale I wouldn't face in daily life was incredibly stimulating, and I gained new perspectives and learning."

"From the onboarding at the First Stage all the way to Demo Day, the organizers' generous support was what allowed me to make it to the finish line. As a non-engineer with no technical background, being able to give shape to my ideas was a huge confidence boost. This is an opportunity where you can experience the potential of open data firsthand — I encourage many people to take on the challenge."

"I usually work on UI design and AWS development, but this was my first time participating in a hackathon. Reaching the finalist stage on my first attempt was genuinely gratifying. The experience of confronting social issues and shaping them into a service in a short period gave me a sense of fulfillment different from everyday development."

"The hackathon itself is two days, but from the finalist selection to the final judging, it's a long-term project spanning about half a year. With a well-developed support system in place, it's one of the best venues to run a proof of concept as a side project. If you're on the fence about participating, why not try it once as a summer memory?"

"As a parent of a child with a disability, I shaped the challenges I felt into something tangible at the hackathon. We faced the wall of pivoting from our initial concept, but we overcame it through repeated team discussions. The experience of engaging with open data from the perspective of someone directly affected is a lasting asset."

"Participating greatly expanded my opportunities to connect with people. In particular, the title of 'Grand Prize Winner' had a bigger impact than I imagined, and it became an opportunity for many people to take an interest. We are currently moving forward with monetization and pilots toward commercializing the service, and the ongoing support — including sounding board sessions — is very encouraging."

"We have previously worked on developing services aimed at solving challenges for ourselves and close friends, but this time we were able to tackle themes that we rarely have the opportunity to encounter. Determining what to realize as an MVP was a struggle, but through mentoring we refined our ideas and gained a great deal of learning."