Freshmen and Sophomores Turn Ideas into Products from Scratch: TechTrain Supports Ritsumeikan University Students' 'BrandingHackathon'

TechTrain (TechBowl Inc., headquartered in Chuo City, Tokyo, CEO: Masao Ozawa, hereinafter 'TechTrain'), which provides an IT career service for students, supported and sponsored 'BrandingHackathon,' a hackathon for beginner students co-hosted by the Ritsumeikan University student clubs 'RiST' and 'RiPPro'.

About BrandingHackathon

BrandingHackathon is a student-led event organized entirely by students from the Ritsumeikan University clubs 'RiST' and 'RiPPro,' from planning to execution. Primarily targeting first- and second-year university students, it was designed to provide inexperienced developers with a serious opportunity to engage deeply with product development.

This event differs significantly from traditional hackathons that only assess whether 'the product works.' At BrandingHackathon, evaluation begins with the question 'Why are we building this?' and encompasses five practical perspectives: persona definition, design and specification planning, team role distribution, user communication via social media and promotional videos, and the ongoing commitment to improvement after completion—covering the entire workflow of real-world product development.

This judging framework, which evaluates the full spectrum of thinking and action around product creation—including problem-solving clarity, communication ability, teamwork, and future vision—enables first- and second-year students to approach making things from a near-professional standpoint.

Support Provided by TechTrain

TechTrain engaged with BrandingHackathon in three key ways:

- Consultation and accompaniment from the planning stage

Upon receiving requests from students who wanted to host a hackathon, TechTrain collaborated from the initial design phase to ensure a better experience for participants. From defining 'What kind of experience should participants have?' onward, TechTrain supported the student-led event to maintain its original purpose while taking shape.

- Provision of the TechTrain Award to encourage future development

To give meaning to participants' efforts, TechTrain offered a special award designed to motivate further development beyond the event.

- Feedback from TechTrain's CPO/COO Shimamoto

On the day of the event, TechTrain's CPO/COO, Mr. Shimamoto, participated as a mentor. A professional involved in real-world decision-making provided practical, field-based feedback to each team's ideas.

Student Feedback

Participants shared numerous positive reactions, such as 'It was so much fun to challenge development' and 'I want to continue developing in the future.' Some also noted, 'We had disagreements on role distribution and it took time to align as a team, so I felt the unique challenges of team-based development—but we managed to complete it.' Beyond technical skills, the experience of collaborating as a team, exchanging opinions, and completing a shared product delivered clear value to all participants.

Comment from TechTrain CPO/COO Shimamoto

'The fact that all teams were able to conceive their products starting from challenges in their own daily lives truly embodies the essence of a hackathon and left a very positive impression.

I encourage everyone to reflect on how their understanding of problems has evolved before and after this development experience. Recognizing this change is, in my view, proof of the growth achieved through this event.

Completing a product from idea to presentation as a first-year university student is a highly commendable achievement. I hope participants will proactively engage in post-release processes such as launching to real users and obtaining professional feedback through TechTrain mentors.'

Comments from the Organizing Committee

An interview with RiST student members—who planned and operated BrandingHackathon and also serve as TechTrain Ambassadors—is available on TechTrain's note platform. We invite you to read about their motivations behind the event and insights gained through collaboration with TechTrain.

Note: 'A Hackathon That Starts with "Why Are We Building This?" — maomao, Ritsumeikan University Student and Event Organizer, Shares How to Create a Branding Hackathon'

TechTrain will continue to actively collaborate with university organizations and student communities to expand opportunities for students to turn their ideas into reality and bring them to society. We will continue supporting student-led initiatives like this BrandingHackathon and contribute to nurturing the next generation of talent.

■ About TechTrain

TechTrain

An IT career service for students. While learning essential skills for the IT and AI era, students can consult with active engineers and professionals in IT and AI fields to discover their strengths and career paths. Through practical IT skill development, career counseling, one-on-one mentoring, and corporate scouting, we support students not only in job hunting but also in building their future careers. This service empowers students aiming to become engineers, as well as those who wish to leverage technology in their future work, to take their first step toward success in society.

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