Running hackathons: startup&scaleup edition
Hackathons can unlock creative potential in tech teams by encouraging wild, non-routine projects outside normal work. Organizing them in-person, away from the office, with proper infrastructure and team formation processes enhances focus and collaboration. While most projects may not last, the energy and learning generated can have lasting impact on startups and scaleups.
- ▪Hackathons should be separate from regular work to foster creativity and avoid being just extra productivity.
- ▪In-person events in unique locations with reliable power, WiFi, and ventilation are critical for success.
- ▪Team formation uses a post-it voting system to ensure balanced teams of 2–4 members working on shared interests.
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Running hackathons: startup&scaleup edition 6 min read by Michael Matloka — 30 Apr 2026 blog Hackathons are a type of drug - once an addict, always an addict. I’m co-organizing an after-hours one here in Warsaw (May 6 2026 – Luma 👋), and deeply believe every tech org deserves a good hackathon too. This is my internal hackathon playbook for every startup/scaleup - principles out of having done 15 of these over the last few years: 1. Fuck productivity Rule number one - talented, cracked people have insane amounts of creativity lying dormant under everyday work most of the time. The whole value of a hackathon is in the wildcard energy, divorced from actual work. Hackathon ideas must not be work that’s planned anyway. The point is to get out of the Matrix.
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