Garage48 Hackathon Management
Digital Transformation for Garage48. Modernizing the 48-hour Hackathon Experience.
Cesar Zeppini
Founder & Designer
Garage48 is the powerhouse of Baltic hackathons. For 10 years, I mentored design at their events, witnessing a recurring struggle: elite innovation being managed by manual, fragmented processes.
The Problem: "The Manual Tax"
Despite the high-tech nature of the events, the operations were analog:
Physical Bottlenecks: Team formation relied on paper posters and Post-its.
Data Fragmentation: Registrations lived in siloed tools; historical participant data was virtually inaccessible.
Organized Chaos: Organizers spent hours manually broadcasting reminders (pitching times, checkpoints) across multiple, disconnected channels.
Communication Noise: Organizers juggled multiple platforms, leading to participant confusion and "reminder fatigue."
Data Loss: Valuable insights and event milestones evaporated the moment the 48 hours ended.
The Solution: A Unified Operating System
I designed and "vibe-coded" a custom, full-stack platform using Figma and Supabase. This wasn't just a UI facelift; it was a total re-engineering of the hackathon lifecycle.
Single Source of Truth: Integrated registration tools to unify years of participant data into a single database.
Hardened Security: Implemented a relational database with full Row Level Security (RLS) to ensure participant data privacy across multiple events.
Automated Choreography: Built-in triggers for repetitive tasks—pitching slots, checkpoints, and deadlines—freeing organizers to focus on high-value mentoring.
Operational Autopilot: Automated all repetitive event triggers—from pitching schedules to checkpoint notifications—removing the "annoying reminder" burden from the staff.
Integrated Comms: A centralized hub where participants receive uniform information, eliminating the need for external, fragmented tools.
Scalable Architecture: A fully custom tool designed to grow alongside Garage48’s expanding business model across the Baltics.
The Impact: "Innovation that Scales"
Operational Efficiency: Hundreds of manual hours saved per event through automation.
Legacy Value: Post-event data is now preserved, allowing for historical analysis and targeted re-engagement of alumni.
Improved UX: A seamless, digital-first experience for participants that mirrors the innovation they are there to create.
The shift was immediate. From Day 1, participants engaged with a digital-first interface that matched the energy of the hackathon. By automating the "boring stuff," the organizers were freed to focus on high-level strategy and mentoring.
"The tool transformed the event from a series of manual tasks into a streamlined, professional ecosystem that is ready to scale globally."
