Episode 04-06: What About Hackathons In The Vibe Coding Era?

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Welcome back to Wrenches, Gadgets & Hacks!  This is the sixth and final episode of Series 4, The Great Unknown. We stick with the vibe coding train, but take a quick side quest into hackathons and the early days of vibe coding before AI showed up.

This finale dives into the chaotic, creative, sleep-deprived world of hackathons and how they’ve evolved with AI-powered coding. Carl and John swap stories from past events, compare old-school maker culture with today’s AI-assisted workflows, and break down why hackathons are more inclusive than ever.

Be sure to stick around to the end, and learn about these points👇(just click the Click to Continue Reading and See Show Notes)

Hackathons In The Vibe Coding Era? – Image by ChatGPT

Key Discussion Points:

What a Hackathon Really Is
Carl and John kick things off by breaking down what a hackathon actually means today. Not just coding marathons, but creative hangouts where ideas, teamwork, snacks, and chaos all mix into something memorable.

You Don’t Need To Be a Coder
The hosts stress that hackathons aren’t just for developers. Presenters, industry experts, problem-spotters, storytellers, and even a lawyer with a contract-risk idea all found a place on hackathon teams.

Old-School Maker Culture vs Today’s AI Tools
They look back at the early days filled with Raspberry Pi boards, Arduino stacks, LEGO robots, and hardware hacks. Now, many events lean heavily toward software, rapid prototyping, and AI-assisted workflows.

The Rise of Vibe Coders at Hackathons
A big shift: people openly joining hackathons saying they “don’t code but can vibe code.” AI tools like Cursor, Claude, and Gemini are now treated as actual “team members” during presentations.

Pressure, MVPs, and the Joy of Things Breaking
With tight timelines, hackathons force quick decisions, quick builds, and plenty of mistakes. Carl and John talk about the charm of barely-working MVPs and why failing fast teaches more than planning forever.

Themes Are Optional… Fun Is Mandatory
They revisit their 2019 “Hack and Black” adventure, complete with theme music and zero interest in following the actual theme. The lesson: a good hackathon is more about energy and teamwork than sticking to rules.

AI Supercharging Prototyping and Slide Decks
Modern hackathons now move faster because AI can scaffold code, generate ideas, write summaries, and even help build slide decks. Teams ship more projects than ever because the barriers are lower.

Fresh Eyes Lead to Fresh Ideas
Folks from outside the AEC bubble often show up with unexpected angles that shake up the thinking. Those outsider perspectives spark solutions that seasoned insiders sometimes overlook.

You can listen to the podcast, HERE, the Spotify player at the start of this post, or on your favorite podcast app. If you prefer visual content, be sure to check out the video on YouTube.

Show Notes:

🧠 AI & LLM Tools

  • Cursor
  • Claude
  • Gemini
  • ChatGPT

💻 Coding & Development Tools

🛠 Maker & Hardware Tools

🌐 Other Tools & Platforms

Note: True story. AI helped polish this very summary. When you’re on a vibe, you stay on a vibe. 🤖🎶

You can find all of the WGH links in one place with our 👉 BIO LINK

Also a BIG Thanks to Alex Grohl for our amazing intro and outro music “Indie Hey Song (Lost Fragments)” You can find more great royalty-free music from Alex on Pixabay

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