Topcoder: Difference between revisions

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'''Topcoder''' (formerly TopCoder) is a [[crowdsourcing]] company with an [[Commons-based peer production|open global community]] of designers, [[Software development|developers]], [[Data science|data scientists]], and [[Competitive programming|competitive programmers]]. Topcoder pays community members for their work on the projects and sells community services to corporate, mid-size, and small-business clients.<ref>{{Cite journal|vauthorsname=Lakhani KR, Garvin DA, Lonstein E|date=January 2010|title=TopCoder (A)": Developing Software through Crowdsourcing|url=https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=38356|journal=Harvard Business School Case|pages=610–032}}<0"/ref><ref name="HuffPost-founding">{{cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/peter-diamandis/topcoders-5-steps-to-buil_b_2916499.html|title=TopCoder's 5 Steps to Building a Global Workforce Community|last1=Diamandis|first1=Peter|date=March 20, 2013|website=The Huffington Post|accessdate=15 April 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnwinsor/2019/02/20/dont-retrain-your-team-instead-tap-the-expertise-of-gig-workers-on-demand/#13344ecd8960|title=Don't Retrain Your Team - Instead, Tap The Expertise Of Git Workers On Demand|last=Winsor|first=John|date=February 20, 2019|website=Forbes|access-date=February 21, 2019}}</ref> Topcoder also organizes the annual [[Topcoder Open]] tournament and a series of smaller regional events.

==History==

Topcoder was founded in 2001 by Jack Hughes, Chairmanchairman and Founder of the Tallan company.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|vauthors=Lakhani KR, Garvin DA, Lonstein E|date=January 2010|title=TopCoder (A): Developing Software through Crowdsourcing|url=https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=38356|journal=Harvard Business School Case|pages=610–032}}</ref><ref name="HuffPost-founding" /> The name was formerly spelt as "TopCoder" until 2013. Topcoder ran regular competitive programming challenges, known as Single Round Matches or "SRMs," where each SRM was a timed 1.5-hour algorithm competition and contestants would compete against each other to solve the same set of problems. The contestants were students from different secondary schools or universities. Cash prizes ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 per match were secured from corporate sponsors and awarded to tournament winners to generate interest from the student community.<ref name=":0" />

As the community of designers, developers, data scientists, and competitive programmers involved in Topcoder grew, the company started to offer software development services to 3rd party clients, contracting individual community members to work on specific tasks. Most of the revenue, though, still came from consulting services provided to clients by Topcoder employees.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.sramanamitra.com/2018/01/02/genesis-to-acquisition-mike-morris-ceo-of-topcoder-part-1/|title=Genesis to Acquisition: Mike Morris, CEO of Topcoder|last=Mitra|first=Sramana|date=January 2, 2018|website=One Million by One Million Blog|access-date=March 30, 2018}}</ref> From 2006 onwards, Topcoder held design competitions, thus offering design services to their clients.<ref name=":0" /> In 2006 Topcoder also started to organize Marathon Matches (MM) – one week long algorithmic contests.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web|url=https://www.topcoder.com/blog/marathon-match-how-it-all-began/|title=Marathon Matches: How They All Began|date=April 10, 2018|website=Topcoder Blog|access-date=April 12, 2018}}</ref><ref group="note" name=":0">The first Marathon Match at Topcoder took place from May 10 to May 17, 2006: https://community.topcoder.com/tc?module=MatchDetails&rd=10015</ref>