Hackathon — The Blind Build
The Blind Build — Concept
The Blind Build is a hackathon format for two people who know each other well, where each secretly builds something for the other person without any communication, relying entirely on how well they understand each other's needs. Rules enforce zero peeking or questions during a 3-4 hour window, with the reveal at the end serving as both a gift exchange and a test of mutual knowledge.
The Blind Build — Schedule
The Blind Build hackdate follows a structured five-hour schedule where two people share an opening drink, then separate into silent solo building sessions with no communication for 3.5 hours, followed by a demo-day-style reveal of what they made. Each person builds something real with the other in mind, and both projects get shipped and logged after the presentations and a celebratory dinner.
The Blind Build — Ideas for Each Other
Martina and Kyle each propose four small tools they could build for the other—ranging from a PM metrics dashboard and Linear digest to a Claude Code UI and Substack draft helper—as part of a "Blind Build" exchange. A meta-rule suggests logging every project as a card in a Hackdate log stack, aiming for 24 shipped things and a narrative arc over 12 sessions.
The Hackdate Log
The Hackdate Log is a structured journal tracking paired build sessions between Martina and Kyle, using a standardized entry format that records the session format, what each person built and for whom, their reveal reactions, and whether both projects shipped. Hackdate #1 is planned but not yet completed, designated as "The Blind Build" format with all fields still pending.
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