Scaling DevTools Running hackathons, with Carter Rabasa from Langflow
Aug 29, 2025
Carter Rabasa, Head of DevRel at Langflow, is a hackathon aficionado dedicated to empowering developers. He discusses how hackathons spark creativity and foster innovation, allowing developers to escape routine work. Carter shares insights on creating meaningful connections through community engagement and emphasizes the importance of feedback in developing tools. He also reflects on the pivotal moments in hackathon history, strategies for successful events, and the significance of adapting to cultural nuances in developer relations.
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APIs Fueled Modern Hackathons
- Modern hackathons exploded alongside cloud APIs because they let developers rapidly build with composable services.
- These events unlocked creative play by removing heavy tooling and letting engineers combine “Lego” APIs quickly.
Serve Developers First
- Do run hackathons to serve developers, not purely for marketing; center the event on helping people be successful.
- Prioritize empathy and service in DevRel decisions rather than only awareness metrics.
Hackathons Are A Product Feedback Accelerator
- Hackathons produce an intense product-feedback loop because engineers build for hours and reveal real friction points.
- Being on-site lets you see issues in docs, signup, and onboarding that remote tests miss.