Hackathon 2025: A Year-End Wrap-Up from the #WeAreNotWaiting Community

As December rolls in and the year wraps up, it feels like the perfect time to reflect on Hackathon 2025 — a milestone event for the global #WeAreNotWaiting and DIY diabetes technology community.

Both the virtual and in-person hackathon sessions were nothing short of incredible. The build-up was a whirlwind, and it’s taken me a little time to get my thoughts written down about everything that unfolded.

This year’s in-person event in Vancouver was a real standout. So many landmark achievements happened within days:

  • new insulin pumps paired and communicating,
  • new sensitivity models explored,
  • and more cross-collaboration between teams.

The sheer speed at which this community works continues to astonish me — especially knowing everyone here juggles family life, jobs, chronic conditions, and everything else life throws our way.

The People Behind #WeAreNotWaiting

When I stepped into the #WeAreNotWaiting movement back in 2017, I knew instantly that this community was special. Hackathon 2025 only reinforced that.

A big part of this year’s success comes down to the people who make things happen.

A shout-out to Amy Tenderich

As soon as Theresa Hastings (Hackathon co-organiser and all-around awesome human) and I discussed a virtual event with Amy Tenderich, she said YES without a moment’s hesitation.

She understood the vision immediately and helped us work with sponsors and the broader community to bring the event to life. Amy — thank you for your constant support, your belief in this community, and everything you do for the Nightscout, APS, and DIY diabetes ecosystems.

Thank you to our speakers

The speakers at the virtual event delivered incredible insights. Your time and expertise give us the fuel to keep imagining the next generation of DIY closed-loop development, algorithm research, and open-source diabetes innovation.

And thank you to the builders

Seeing developers travel from all over the world — or log in at all hours — purely for the sake of improving tools for people with diabetes… that’s why I love this community.

To everyone who wrote code, opened a PR, contributed docs, answered questions, or helped reduce the support load across our many social spaces: thank you. You keep the heart of this movement beating.

What’s Next for #WeAreNotWaiting in 2026?

We’re planning another Hack / WeAreNotWaiting event for November 2026.
It may look or operate slightly differently — early feedback has been incredibly useful — but it will stay true to the theme: collaboration, innovation, and empowerment through open technology.

If you attended either the virtual or in-person sessions, we would love your feedback.
If you registered, you’ll have my contact info — please send through any thoughts or ideas for how we can keep improving.

A Message to Developers and Community Organisers

You are the backbone of this movement.
You enable the tools that thousands of people with diabetes rely on every day. The code you push, the ideas you refine, and the experiments you share often ripple outward into real-world systems and products across the globe.

As the year winds down, I want to offer a reminder:

Please look after yourselves.

Burnout is very real — both developer burnout and diabetes burnout — and for many of us who live in both worlds, the impact can be compounded.

If you’re reaching that point:

  • talk to someone you trust,
  • reach out to a friend,
  • speak to a community member,
  • or contact me if you need a sounding board.

You don’t need to go solo

DIY doesn’t mean doing it alone. Taking time to rest and reset — walking, stepping back from screens, or giving your mind a break — can make an enormous difference.

Wrapping Up

As we head into the Christmas season, I hope you all find time to rest, recharge, and reconnect with the people who matter to you.

Here in New Zealand, summer has arrived, bringing warm weather and a burst of sunshine after a very wet winter. It’s a good reminder of renewal — something I think we all need after such a big year.

Thanks again to everyone who contributed to Hackathon 2025.
I can’t wait to see what we create together in 2026.

Seasons Greetings

Tim

NZ Pohutukawa