Last month, we pressed pause on our usual tasks, packed our laptops, our coffee setup [and a few hoodies], and left the [home] office behind. All so we could dive into a few focused days of learning, and a fresh way of working together.
Why was it so important?
It was a perfect occasion to get 26 of us into the same place, breathe the same air, and spend quality time all together. Not the average workweek.
Remote work is great - no commute, pyjama pants acceptable, snacks never far away, but you are missing those random “oh hey” moments in the kitchen or by your desk that help build a strong culture. And culture is something we care deeply about at Labyrinth Labs.
But frankly? Building a culture in a remote setting can often be a challenge; keep people engaged, build strong bonds, and know each other better than just from Slack threads.
And this was exactly the motivation for organizing the Hackathon this year.
Place of “crime”
My great HR fellow Mária Karaffová [btw. very supportive from day one] found a beautiful venue in the heart of Slovakia, close enough to be convenient, far enough to feel like a reset button.
Changing the location also changed the mindset. Far from our everyday environment and routine, surrounded by inspiring scenery and a relaxed vibe, we had the space to think differently, collaborate more deeply, but first and foremost get to know each other better, which is not always possible in the middle of daily hustle.
And it worked! That awesome energy could be felt from the very beginning.
A rocket-fast start in a new position of Head of People
Co-organizing a Hackathon for 26 people [including me] a month after joining the company was a bit like planning a wedding for a family you hadn't had time to get to know yet.
But that gave me a unique insight into the company. I saw what really connects people, what makes them laugh, and that coffee and everything around it moves their world 😀.
My first impressions
I joined LabLabs just a month before the Hackathon and immediately noticed that people here are really open. No formal masks, proudly wearing company merch, #random channel with GIFs on Slack anytime, and coffee! High-quality coffee, specially prepared, a real ritual.
Last but not least, a dose of humor and internal side jokes that assured me right from the start that this would not be a sterile corporate culture.
And those few days during Hackathon just confirmed it.
At one point during the coffee break, I looked around the room and saw a handful of people making their own filtered coffee. That was the moment when I said to myself: “this is one of the things I would call a cultural trait at LabLabs.”
One of my favorite memories was realizing there was no “us” and “them.” During the day we were split across three meeting rooms, each team deep in their own flow. But in the breaks and during our free time, everyone came together: marketing, sales, HR, ops and engineers; coffee in hand, laughing, swapping ideas, and comparing progress. The tools and focus areas were different, but the spark was exactly the same.
And at that moment, I thought: “This is the kind of culture you can’t fake.”
League of LARA
But let me tell you about one of the highlights of this year’s hackathon: League of LARA jerseys. Why, you ask? I wondered the same thing, and the story behind them is as delightful as the jerseys themselves.
It all started when a couple of our DevOps engineers decided to play League of Legends one evening after work, another great way to foster a remote-first company. One thing led to another, and soon there was a Slack channel called #league-of-lara. The word spread quickly, and more people joined in.
During one company event, the guys couldn’t resist playing a game together in the same room, and a funny thought crossed their minds: “The only thing missing is a League of LARA jersey.” Our marketing manager Laura Emrichová, took a mental note and immediately added it to her merchandise idea bucket.
A few months later, as is our tradition to give out some form of merch whenever we meet as a company, this turned out to be just the thing for our hackathon. Although not all of us play League of Legends, all of us are League of LARA, since LARA is our cloud-native platform built from scratch and our core product. So if you see one of us with a League of LARA shirt on a bike, playing basketball, or at an event, now you know the story behind it.
Things We’re Keeping
- Fresh perspectives. We left with new ideas we wouldn’t have thought possible in our day-to-day.
- Boosted team energy. Shared focus and challenges created strong team-bonds.
- A renewed reminder. Stepping away from routine often sparks the most creative breakthroughs.
- But the real win? I believe that we understand each other a little better again.
Looking Forward
What’s next? Some ideas are already evolving into sneak peeks for upcoming releases. Others might find their place in the near future. We know we’re just getting started.
Huge thanks to everyone who showed up with curiosity, open mind, and good energy. Special shout-out to the venue support, those who kept the coffee flowing, and everyone who made the vibe as powerful as the code.
So... Was It Worth It?
Absolutely.
Getting away from routine helped us see problems and possibilities with fresh eyes. We came back not just with better ideas, but with a better understanding of how we work best when we’re given room to breathe.
And most importantly, it was another significant milestone in building our unique #nobullshit culture.
That mix of trust, creative energy, and concrete outcomes doesn't get left behind at the venue. It flows back into the team's daily rhythm, fueling a culture where openness and responsibility aren't just values on paper, but lived experiences.
Because culture doesn’t live in a handbook.
It happens unnoticed, in all those little things which make the difference: the warm smile over a first morning coffee, the quiet nod across the room when you think about the same thing or the way people jump in to help without being asked.
And yes, we’re already thinking about the next one ☺️.
