What it is
HackAotearoa is a free co-working day for startup founders, indie hackers, designers and makers building their own thing. Every second Friday: one full day, working alongside other people doing the same. No program, no curriculum, no pitching.
On any given Friday there's someone launching a website, someone wiring up an AI agent, someone chasing first customers, someone rewriting a pitch. Different projects, same fight.
- Momentum. A full day carved out to ship, next to people doing the same.
- Getting unstuck. Someone in the room has hit your problem before: pricing, landing pages, that 2pm bug.
- People who get it. Building your own thing is lonely. This is the fix.
Over 300 builders through the door since March.
The day
No agenda to sit through. You show up, say what you're building, and build it. That's the whole shape of the day.
- 9:00
- Doors open. Coffee, grab a desk, settle in.
- 9:30
- Intros. Who you are, what you're building, what you want to get done today.
- All day
- Build. Heads down on your own thing, alongside everyone doing the same — ask for help when you're stuck.
- 12:00
- Lunch. Together, if you want.
- 3:00
- Demos. Five minutes each, optional. Progress, not polish.
- 4:00
- Wrap up. Or keep working if you're in the zone.
Where
- Auckland
- Kaiba, K Road. Exact address sent when you register. Every second Friday. Next: Friday, 13th of November →
- Wellington
- Telos, Taranaki Street. Run by What Founders Want, our national distribution partner. Every second Friday. Next: Friday, 13th of November →
- Queenstown
- Kia Ora Digital, Frankton. Run by the Startup Queenstown Lakes team. Starts 10 a.m. Next: Friday, 13th of November →
- Wānaka
- LOGIC1, Ardmore Street. Also run by the Startup Queenstown Lakes team. Starts 10 a.m. Next: Friday, 6th of November →
- Your city
- Four cities so far. You tell us the next one →
Questions
- Is this a hackathon?
- No. No shared challenge, no teams, no prize, nothing to prepare. Bring whatever you're already building, or just an idea and a laptop.
- Is this an incubator or accelerator?
- Also no. No equity, no program, no application, no demo day. An incubator takes a slice of your company. This takes a Friday.
- Do I need a startup?
- No. Founders, indie hackers, freelancers, side-project builders. If you're building your own thing, you're in.
- I'm not a developer. Is this for me?
- Yes. Designers, marketers, product people and writers are regulars. "Building" means making anything real: a landing page, a pitch, a first customer conversation.
- Will I be in photos?
- We take photos for socials. Tell the host if you'd rather not be in them.
- What's the catch?
- There isn't one. It's free, the venue is sponsored, and nobody is selling you anything.
Blog
All posts →About
HackAotearoa started in Auckland in March 2026. Wellington followed, run by What Founders Want, then Queenstown and Wānaka.
Want it in your city? Vote for the next city, put your hand up to run or co-host, or offer a venue — or email james@hackaotearoa.nz.
Coming to the next one?
RSVP to the next event