Hack the Hub: Automaton

Two weeks in December rebuilding the Hub’s digital backbone. Work-for-stay for builders: IT first, but plenty to do for non-techies too.

13.–26.12.
work-for-stay (~4h/day, bed + food free)
30 spots, rolling acceptance
apply by 6.12.

Apply

Two weeks in December, a warm house in the countryside one hour from Vienna, and a bunch of people who love to build things. Before the 2027 season starts, we’re rebuilding the Hub’s digital backbone together, and we’d love you to be part of it.

The idea is simple: we automate the boring parts of running a commons, so our team can pour its energy into what matters: community, events and building the Valley. You get to work on real things that people will actually use, and spend December with good people, good food and (if winter plays along) snow outside the window.

What we’ll build together

Tech: website and event pages, booking and ticketing, bookkeeping, a shared database as one source of truth, a fresh wifi network, and an agentic setup that takes admin off our hands (accounting, ticketing, occupancy plan, social media, newsletter).
Knowledge: a Hub & Valley wiki with an info agent. Someone has to teach it: explain the house, the rooms, the interior and how things work here.
The house: a shelf for the board games next to the bar, small fixes, painting walls.
Flows and comms: how bookings, accounting and comms should actually flow, social media campaigns, partnerships for Valley 2027, and our input for CCC.

Who we’re looking for

Coders first: software devs, AI/ML, UI/UX, network people, anyone who can build and wire things together. But you don’t need to code to be part of this. If you’re good with your hands, with words or with processes, there’s a place for you.

What you get

Work-for-stay: about 4 hours a day, and your bed and food are free.
Stay at least 7 days and that includes bed and food over the solstice weekend (19.–21.12.), with a gong night on the longest night (event ticket separate).
Christmas cookies, a warm house, shared celebrations.
After the hack, some of us head straight on to CCC, the Chaos Communication Congress in Hamburg (27.–30.12.), where we’re part of the Intersect habitat. Hack here, carry on there. Then back to the Hub for A Gathering at the Edge of Time, our New Year’s gathering, 30.12.–3.1.

How to join

30 spots, accepted on a rolling basis, so apply early. Tell us a bit about yourself and what you’d like to build or bring.

Apply by 6 December