December 12, 2017 'Tis the Season: A Look Back at 2017 Topics & Trends with Topcoder

2017 has been an amazing year at Topcoder. We worked on projects with some of the world’s largest companies, helped startups reach new heights, and grew our own community to over 1.2 million members — with talented people in nearly every country in the world. And now that the season of giving is upon us, I present this gift to you: Topcoder’s top ten blog posts of 2017! Grab a mug of warm apple cider (rum optional), sit by the fire, and get ready to click.

#1: Debunked: the top 8 myths about crowdsourcing

Are crowdfunding and crowdsourcing the same thing? Is crowdsourcing expensive? Does it only involve talent from low-cost regions? This year, Topcoder’s CEO Mike Morris put the eight most common misconceptions to rest.

#2: A 9-year-old girl invented a wearable to fight childhood obesity

Andie Nugent, an incredible nine-year-old, won the 1st place Topcoder Disruptive Technology Award at the Young Inventors NH Regional Invention Convention last summer with “The Kazi,” a wearable designed to fight childhood obesity.

#3: Accelerating science with crowdsourcing: how Topcoder sped up GWAS analysis

You’ll have to read more about our GWAS analysis success, but in short: a single study that used to take an entire afternoon was reduced to a half-time commercial — thanks to crowdsourcing.

#4: What is a full stack designer? How do I become one?

Today’s designers are no longer bound to narrowly defined roles. Find out what it means to be a full stack designer and what the path to success looks like.

#5: How is crowdsourcing more secure than traditional means of software development?

Businesses don’t have to sacrifice innovation for security. See how Topcoder keeps customers safe through IP and screening software, expert code reviews, regulations, and more.

#6: Blockchain for beginners: what you need to know

Go beyond the buzzword and get all the beginner blockchain info you need. You’ll learn what it is, how it works, what it has to do with bitcoin, and how it could affect your industry.

#7: Hits and misses from Gartner’s 2018 top technology trends

Our Chief Technologist went to the Gartner Symposium at “The Happiest Place On Earth” this fall and all he got was… these must-read insights into 2018’s biggest tech trends.

#8: Konica Minolta + Topcoder to develop cancer recognition technology

This year, Topcoder partnered with Japanese technology company Konica Minolta to do something truly life-changing: develop highly specific, efficient cancer recognition technology.

#9: Land O’Lakes talks crowdsourcing and design success with Topcoder

We recently spoke with Allen Niere, Digital Development Manager for Land O’Lakes, about Topcoder’s design and development work for Land O’Lakes’s smaller brands, such as Calva, Purina, Nutra Blend, and PMI Nutrition.

#10: What is cognitive? How to leverage today’s top technologies

“Cognitive” isn’t a new term, but many of its use cases are. See how cognitive technologies are transforming whole industries — from healthcare to ecommerce and retail and beyond.

Goodbye, 2017, and hello, 2018! Start your New Year’s resolution early: kick off your next big project today.