Guides
How to build a hackathon team and not regret it by Saturday morning
Which roles are actually needed, where to look for teammates, and how to spot the red flags that someone will let you down.
Projects at a hackathon win or fall apart because of the team more often than because of the idea. You can come up with a brilliant thing and fail to build it because three backend developers are arguing about architecture, and there is no one to show the result. Building a hackathon team is not about finding the strongest individuals, but about covering different roles.
Which roles are actually needed
A working hackathon team consists of three to four people who do not duplicate each other's roles.
- The one who makes it work. Backend, logic, integrations.
- The one who makes it look good. Frontend and an interface you're not ashamed to show.
- The one who makes it understood. Pitch, presentation, product story.
- Optionally, someone with domain knowledge if the task is about a specific field.
In the era of vibecoding, the team composition shifts slightly. Five people writing code by hand are no longer needed: Cursor and Claude handle the routine. The person who knows how to clearly prompt the AI, and the one who then integrates the generated pieces into a working whole and fixes what the model messed up, becomes more valuable. And the role of "explaining the project" only becomes more important: the jury sees dozens of AI wrappers and highlights those who clearly explain what they built.
Where to look for teammates
The best time to look for a team is before the start, not during the first hour at the venue when the clock is already ticking.
- On the event's team search board, where people post about themselves in advance.
- In the event chat. Usually, people are already looking for each other there.
- Among acquaintances from past hackathons and from studies.
- At the venue during the first hour, if it didn't work out in advance. Don't hesitate to approach people.
It is the first point that saves your start. On the hackathon page in Stavleak, there is a team search board: participants without a team post themselves and their skills, and you send a request to join the one you like. Everything is visible in advance, so you arrive at the start with an already assembled team, rather than wasting your most valuable first hours on this. You can see where this works in the list of hackathons.
Red flags
A couple of signs that show it will be difficult to work with a person, even before the start:
- Wants "perfect architecture" right away and argues about technologies instead of focusing on the result.
- Not ready to show anything until "it's ready." By morning, nothing will be ready.
- Pulls the blanket over themselves and doesn't listen to others.
- Disappears and stops responding even during the messaging stage.
It is better to go as a team of three with people who listen to each other, than as a team of five with one genius who suppresses everyone.
If you are alone
Coming alone is normal and even useful. You are not tied to a weak team and can choose whom to join after evaluating people in person. Mark on the team search board that you are solo, list your skills, and they will reach out to you themselves. The rest is just a matter of technique.