The gay hackathon. One day. Build something by dinner. Demo it or sleep with the fishes.
Signing up takes two minutes. Date and venue coming soon.
The Manifesto
For years the gays have quietly run tech. We built your design systems. We fixed your Kubernetes at 2am. We named your startup. Nobody said thank you. We did it anyway.
Tech Mafia is where we stop being quiet about it. It's a one-day hackathon for gay, queer, and trans builders: engineers, designers, founders, researchers, and anyone who has ever force-pushed to main and felt nothing.
Show up alone. Leave with a crew, a demo, and a room full of people who owe you a favor. That's how families work.
Initiation
Enter your details and the family will assign your name and rank. All rulings are final and screenshot-ready.
The Racket
There are no tracks and no required theme. If you can demo it by the end of the day, it counts. If you're stuck for ideas, The Don has some suggestions:
Pick something boring you do every week and make a bot do it.
Every app we use to find each other is broken. Build a better way to meet, make friends, or find events.
Privacy, anti-harassment, or safety tools for queer people online.
A game, an art piece, a bad idea executed perfectly. There's a prize for this.
Omertà
There aren't many, and they're all real.
crew_size: 1 to 4 people # solo is fine. teams form at kickoff. code: build_it_at_the_event: true # ideas and sketches beforehand are fine libraries_and_templates: allowed ai_tools: allowed # it's 2026. just say what you used. enforcement: honor system # The Don trusts you. don't make it weird. demo: length: 3 minutes format: show it working, on your laptop slides: optional, not encouraged what_you_build: is yours # The Don takes no cut. weird for a mafia, we know. conduct: harassment: you're out outing_anyone: you're out photos: ask first snitching: encouraged. if anything's off, tell The Don.
The Job
Times are approximate and subject to the whims of The Don.
10:00 doors_open # coffee, name tags, size each other up 10:30 the_sit_down # The Don welcomes you. 30-second idea pitches. crews form. 11:00 hacking_begins # git init 13:00 lunch # eat at your laptop or don't, we're not your mother 18:00 pencils_down # whatever you've got is what you've got 18:15 family_dinner # + demos. 3 minutes each. 20:00 the_verdict # The Don announces the winners 20:30 drinks # optional, highly encouraged
| The Don provides | Wifi, power strips, lunch, dinner, coffee, and snacks |
|---|---|
| You bring | Laptop, charger, headphones and any hardware you want to hack on |
| Food | Vegetarian and vegan options included Put any allergies on your application |
The Tribunal
The Don judges, with a couple of guest judges. Each demo is scored on three things:
The Cut
The best project of the day. Prize TBA, plus The Don's eternal respect.
Every attendee votes at the end, by show of hands. Prize TBA.
For the project that had no business working and somehow did. Prize TBA.
Getting in
Sign up. It takes two minutes: your name, your email, and what you might want to build. You don't need an idea yet.
Bring friends. Send them this page. Coming as a crew? Put each other's names on the form.
Get the word. The Don emails everyone who signed up with the date and venue.
Show up. Bring a laptop and an appetite.
Questions
It's a gay hackathon. Gay, queer, bi, and trans builders come first. Allies are welcome if a member brings them. If your opening line is "I'm straight, but…", read the room.
Yes. Neither has half the room. A hackathon is just a day of building something with people and showing it off at the end.
That's good. Most hackathon demos fall flat because nobody on the crew could design or tell a story. Designers, PMs, writers, and artists are very welcome.
The Don will announce the date and venue soon. Everyone who signed up hears first.
No. Come solo. At kickoff, people pitch ideas in 30 seconds and crews form on the spot.
Yes. Just mention what you used during your demo.
You do, completely. It's the least mafia thing about us.
No. We checked. They said they'd think about it.
Every family needs friends in high places. Food, venue, and prizes are what helps most. Talk to The Don.
Sign up now. Send this page to the gay in your life who keeps saying they'll build "that idea."