You Don’t Need Months to Build AI Agents. You Need Two Days and the Right Format.

Companies are searching for faster ways to build AI agents that employees will actually use. A hands-on AI hackathon format gives teams the training and tools to create working solutions in just two days.

If you're like many decision-makers, you're sitting on a stack of AI tools that aren’t delivering impact. Your teams have licenses to powerful platforms, but they’re not creating real outcomes. Why? Because they haven’t had the chance to get hands-on.

That’s where AI agents come in. And yes, your team can start creating them in just two days.

The best way to do it? A hackathon.

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What Are AI Agents and Why Should You Care?

AI agents are not just buzzwords. They’re work multipliers. Think of them as digital teammates that:

  • Automate repetitive workflows
  • Act as smart assistants
  • Handle end-to-end tasks with minimal oversight

Whether built with tools like OpenAI's GPT, UiPath, or internal enterprise models, AI agents can transform how your teams operate—but only if people understand how to build and use them.

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Why Traditional AI Enablement Fails to Drive AI Agent Adoption

Slide decks, demos, and recorded trainings can only take you so far. If you want your team to build and use AI agents confidently, they need:

  • Training that's relevant to their actual work
  • Time and space to experiment without fear
  • Real results they can see and learn from

This is why traditional training or "learn-it-yourself" rollouts often fall flat. People need structure and room to experiment, where it's okay to test, fail, and try again.

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Why So Many AI Agents Fail Before They Start

One of the most common reasons AI agents fail to deliver value is that they are designed in isolation, often by one person at the top. When the idea for an AI solution doesn’t come from the people closest to the work, it lacks usability, context, and support. Gartner recently published an article explaining why misalignment is expected to cause many AI agents to fail.

Your marketing team doesn’t need the same AI agent as your finance or operations team. But if the idea comes only from leadership, without shared thinking or collaboration, the result is often a generic tool that no one ends up using.

A successful AI agent should solve a real problem for the people who use it daily. That’s why it’s critical to involve the whole team early in the ideation process.

This is where a hackathon excels: it invites voices from every level of the organization to co-create AI agents that actually solve problems and are immediately relevant.

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Build AI Agents in 2 Days with a Hackathon

Hackathons are the fastest, most effective way to get teams actually building with AI.

In just two days, you can:

  • Train your workforce on the AI tools you already have
  • Help them identify real problems they want to solve
  • Guide them to prototype custom AI agents for their use cases

Because it's a fun, low-risk environment, you’ll also see:

  • Better adoption rates
  • More collaboration across teams
  • Internal champions stepping up to lead future work

Whether you host it virtually or in person, the outcome is the same: faster learning, quicker wins, and real momentum.

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Real Example: The n8n AI Hackathon

In May 2025, we partnered with n8n to run their first-ever hackathon focused on AI automation. Over the course of two days, cross-functional teams from startups and enterprise clients collaborated in San Francisco to build real solutions using n8n’s open-source automation platform. One standout project? A customer support agent that triaged tickets and generated response drafts automatically.

By the end of the event, more than 60% of participants had working prototypes tailored to their team’s workflows. Internal champions emerged, and several companies committed to scaling their agents post-event. You can explore the full recap here: n8n AI Workflow Hackathon 

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Why a Hackathon Works Better Than Consultants or Tool Demos

If your current strategy is to:

  • Hire consultants to build something for your teams
  • Add AI tools to Slack or Teams and hope they get used

...you’ll likely be disappointed.

Instead, let your team learn by building.

With the right setup, a hackathon gives people:

  • Ownership over what they create
  • A clear understanding of how AI agents work
  • The confidence to keep using them after the event

At BeMyApp and Hackathon.com, we’ve helped companies run 2-day hackathons that turn passive users into active builders.

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AI Agent Hackathon FAQs: Format, ROI, Adoption & More

What kinds of problems are best solved by internal AI agents?

The best AI agents don’t try to solve everything at once. They start small, with tasks that waste time every day. That could be summarizing notes, drafting responses, or organizing data. These small wins lead to big results.

Why do so many AI agent initiatives fail before they even start?

Because they’re created without input from the people who need them. When someone five levels up defines the tool, it usually misses the mark. The best ideas come from the people who feel the pain point every day.

How does a hackathon shift a team’s mindset around AI?

It changes everything. Day one, people show up unsure. By day two, they're building something that works. Seeing AI in action removes fear and replaces it with curiosity.

What surprised people the most when they built their first AI agent?

Most people are surprised by how quickly they get something working—and how creative their ideas are. Even those without a technical background walk away with something functional.

Who gets the most excited in a hackathon—engineers, marketers, or ops teams?

Honestly, it's often marketers and ops teams. They see firsthand how AI can support content, automation, and reporting. Engineers are important enablers, but non-technical users have the biggest lightbulb moments.

What kinds of AI agents do teams come up with when no one tells them what to build?

Some favorites: a tool to prep sales teams with client notes, a bot to categorize expenses, or an assistant that flags filler words in meetings. The freedom leads to better solutions.

What’s the adoption rate of AI tools after a hackathon versus traditional training?

We typically see 30 to 50 percent of participants continue using or improving their agents after a hackathon. Traditional formats often lead to less than 10 percent engagement. (McKinsey)

How long does it take to go from prototype to production after a 2-day hackathon?

Most teams can go live in 2 to 6 weeks, depending on internal review processes. The biggest hurdle isn't the build—it's approvals.

What’s the ROI of running an AI hackathon internally?

It varies, but here’s what we’ve seen: companies save hours each week per user, reduce consulting costs, and get more value from tools they already own. One client turned a $25,000 hackathon into six figures in time savings.

What does a company look like after 6 months of internal AI agent adoption?

You’ll start to see more builds, more collaboration, and fewer requests to IT. Teams feel empowered to automate what matters to them, and internal communities begin to form.

Can a hackathon become part of a broader AI transformation strategy?

Absolutely. The first event sparks interest. If you repeat the format and celebrate results, it becomes part of your culture.

How can leadership support the AI agent momentum after a hackathon ends?

Recognize people who built something useful. Give them time or budget to keep going. And host another round. The leaders who support from the side—not from the top—see the biggest change.

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Ready to Get Started?

Let your team build AI agents and create lasting change in your organization.

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You don’t have to wait months to see results. Give your teams two days and see what they can do.

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Additional Resources