Join Forces!

AUTHOR BIO

Eugene Vyborov is a serial tech entrepreneur and investor who has led multiple teams through growth, exits, and innovation. He is the founder and CEO of Ability AI, developing autonomous AI agents that automate full-cycle marketing functions — from strategy and content creation to media buying and analytics. Previously, Eugene was a Co-Founder, Board Member, and CTO of YayPay, a B2B SaaS finance automation company that raised ~$18.5M, served 300+ clients, and processed $40B+ on its platform.

You’ve invested in the best AI tools. You’ve hired the consultants. You’ve mapped out the perfect automation workflows.

So why are your AI projects stalling?

The issue probably isn’t your tech stack. It’s the natural, human resistance from the very people you need to make it work.

Let’s be honest — even I look at the pace of AI development and I’m scared sometimes. I can only imagine how it feels for people who aren’t living and breathing this stuff every day. This fear is the root of what I call subconscious sabotage.

It’s not malicious. It’s a survival instinct. When employees feel their roles are threatened, they won’t overtly fight the change — but they won’t champion it either. They’ll find reasons why the old way is better, point out every small flaw in the new system, or simply drag their feet.

And this doesn’t just happen in big companies with large AI budgets. Whether you’re leading a small startup or scaling fast, these dynamics appear the moment you introduce any form of automation or new process — not just AI.

The reality is — you can’t force adoption. You have to lead people through the change.

Here’s how to counter subconscious sabotage and turn resistance into momentum:

• Acknowledge the Fear Directly. Don’t pretend it doesn’t exist. Talk about it openly. When you say, “I know this is unsettling, and it’s okay to feel that way,” you validate their concerns. This builds the trust you need to move forward. Ignoring the fear doesn’t make it go away — it just pushes it underground.

• Show the Path Forward. Don’t just give your team a new tool — give them a new map. Clearly communicate how their roles and responsibilities will evolve. Instead of focusing on what AI will replace, focus on how it will amplify their skills and allow them to focus on higher-value work.

• Frame AI as a Teammate, Not a Replacement. Position your AI systems as tools that handle the tedious 50% of the job nobody wants to do. This frees up your team’s uniquely human skills — creativity, strategy, and critical thinking — for the work that really moves the needle.

You don’t need a full-scale AI transformation to see this in action — even adopting small AI tools can surface the same cultural and leadership challenges. The sooner you learn to navigate them, the faster your company will grow.

The goal isn’t to just implement technology. It’s to build a company where humans and AI work together to achieve more than either could alone.

On November 18th, at 11 am EST, I’ll be diving deeper into this in our upcoming webinar, Why Most Companies Fail to Implement AI — and how to lead through it differently.

Join FREE Webinar!

To your success,
Eugene Vyborov
CEO, Ability.ai

P.S. We’re designing the Ability.ai Business Engine with this human-centric approach at its core — empowering teams, not replacing them.

Join Forces!

AUTHOR BIO

Maria Yarotska is the founder of Hackbox, a company that helps run hackathons for startups and ecosystems. She’s passionate about turning ideas into impact and mentoring first-time founders across Europe.

Foreword

As I’m writing this, my country — Ukraine — is mourning the loss of yet another handful of civilians, including children, killed in a night of rocket and drone attacks.

This is my daily reality as a founder and a professional: to keep going, to carry on with the work that can feel small against the backdrop of war. Survivor’s guilt is a powerful writer’s block.

So, if this finds you in a dark place, please remember — your work still matters. Founders keep the world moving: we solve problems, create jobs, and build things that didn’t exist before. And sometimes, that’s our own form of resistance.

Keep doing the right thing.

About me

I’ve started and co-founded projects across very different worlds — from Banka, a zero-waste shop I opened because my city didn’t have one (and somehow ended up winning hackathons for sustainable innovation), to Hackbox, a platform that helps others host their own hackathons.

So I’ve been on both sides of the table — the participant building from scratch, and the organizer watching hundreds of founders do the same.

That’s why I believe hackathons are not just competitions. They’re education through technical enablement — the fastest, most collaborative way to learn how to build.

What’s a hackathon, really?

The word gets thrown around a lot: ideathon, datathon, buildathon, hackathon. They all boil down to the same idea — learn by building fast.

You gather with people you’ve just met (or sometimes already know), you get a challenge, and over 24–72 hours, you ideate, prototype, pitch, and present.

You might:

• Build your MVP

• Meet your future co-founders

• Get feedback from mentors

• Win prize money

• Or simply spend the weekend surrounded by people whose brains feel on fire

It’s a crash course in execution and resilience.

Some hackathons only accept new ideas, banning existing startups. Personally, I think that’s short-sighted. Founders who are already committed to their ideas tend to contribute more meaningfully and are far more likely to stick around — especially if they find the right technical co-founder or partner during the event.

The paradigm shift: from Red Bull to Lovable

Two years ago, hackathons looked like this:
A room full of engineers surviving on pizza and energy drinks, working through the night. Technical mentors were the rockstars. Every now and then, someone would ship something brilliant or catch a bug that could’ve cost millions.

The goodie bag? A t-shirt, a granola bar, and maybe socks.

Today, it’s different.
A mom of two shows up with a real problem, zero coding skills, and an open mind. Two hours later, she’s using AI tools to build a market-ready prototype with a solid business model and GTM strategy.

Goodie bag? A UV water filter, a book, maybe a jetpack.

This isn’t a joke — it’s a paradigm shift that is changing my own value proposition for Hackbox.

Hackathon sponsorships are moving from developer tools to AI platforms. The business layer — storytelling, market validation, use case design — is almost as strong as the technical one.

Is AI stealing everyone’s job again? Not quite. Because the future belongs to mixed teams. Let a Rust developer spend an afternoon building with a pharmacist or a teacher — someone who deeply understands a real-world problem — and watch what happens.

That’s where the real magic is.

Why every first-time founder should do a hackathon

Hackathons compress what usually takes months of meetings and hesitation into a single, high-energy weekend.

If you’re already building:
Use a hackathon to test a new feature, find a teammate, or pressure-test your MVP.

If you’re thinking about building:
It’s the best way to start. You don’t need a co-founder or a big idea — just curiosity and willingness to learn by doing.

Hackathons aren’t ballrooms with keynote speeches; they’re workshops with soldering irons, code editors, and sticky notes. You’ll leave with something real — and more importantly, with the confidence to keep building.

How to find (and win) your first hackathon

There’s one for everyone. My team is helping organize an IRL hackathon in Lisbon in January – come by and say hi if you’re around: https://luma.com/yxrbeoyd

A good place to start online would be with the platforms like:

• NASA Space Apps Challenge — one of the world’s largest and most accessible hackathons

• Devpost — perfect for global online sprints

• Dorahacks.io and TAIKAI.io — active Web3 and AI communities

And once you’re in, here’s my advice:

• Read the judging criteria like scripture. Every winning project starts there.

• Prioritize your storytelling. Don’t just show what you built — tell the story of why it matters.

• Stay curious. The best teams are open to feedback and iterate fast.

Closing: The founder’s playground

As founders, we already know how to work under pressure, with limited resources, trying to collaborate with people we’ve just met. Hackathons feel exactly like that — even profit at the end is optional (however, unlike in business, there are very clear guidelines on how to win).

So why step out of your comfort zone again — and on a weekend, of all times? The answer is simple: innovation thrives in proximity. To get that Eureka moment, you have to show up, get your socks wet, and see what happens when ideas start to collide.

Happy hacking!

Become a Guest Author

AUTHOR BIO

Elham P. Mohammadi is a journalist and editor with more than 15 years of experience in print and digital media, covering politics, business, and technology. She is currently the managing editor of Portugal Startup News.

Many business leaders think media coverage requires a big reputation, a large budget, and the help of a PR agency, but my 15 years in journalism show the right skills can open more doors.

For years as an editor, I’ve covered the stories of many entrepreneurs not because their startups were well established and qualified for earned media or because they had newsworthy information to share, but simply because they won my respect with their media skills.

From the way they communicated to their website copy, the information they provided, and their follow-ups, they showed professionalism that made them stand out.

So if you’re leading a business and looking for media visibility, know that investing in your media skills can take you far – especially in the early stages of your business. Sometimes, a single media mention is enough to catch the attention of a customer, partner, collaborator, or investor.

The good news is that these skills are fairly easy to develop once you understand what media publications value and expect.

From my experience as a journalist and editor with several publications, including my own, I’d divide them into two categories: hard, such as having a strong media kit, and soft, such as the way you communicate.

Even though these practices may seem like common sense, many businesses – both small and large – overlook them, and this can cost valuable opportunities. Let’s take a closer look to identify what might be missing from your communication plan.

Hard media skills

Hard media skills are often the easiest to develop. To build them, put yourself in the shoes of a journalist who has never heard of you or your company. Imagine they want to report on your work – how can you make it as easy, fast, and efficient as possible for them to access the information they need?

Remember: research is part of a journalist’s or editor’s job, but they’re usually working on several stories at once. If information about you isn’t easy to find, your story is less likely to be prioritized – or it may end up less thorough than it could be if you had provided more details.

Here’s what I recommend business leaders and their teams learn to develop, share on their platforms, and update regularly. And to be clear, this isn’t about generic copy or random templates – it’s about building the right skills and insights to organize and present information in the best way possible.

Start with your website, since that’s often the first place a journalist will look. A few things can make their job easier:

Clear company bio

Founder stories have value, but they shouldn’t replace a simple company bio. Without one, journalists may be left trying to decode your mission and vision. A short, straightforward paragraph – ideally on your homepage – should explain what you do without being overly creative or technical. It also helps to keep your website layout clean so readers can easily navigate and quickly find key sections, including your products and services.

Media kit

More than 90% of the startups I’ve reported on did not have a press kit available on their website. Having one makes you look professional, helps avoid copyright issues, and saves everyone time. Journalists are often on a tight deadline and may use whatever low-quality image they can find if a proper one isn’t available. A good media kit should include your company bio, high-resolution logos, professional team and product photos, brand guidelines, and up-to-date contact details. There are plenty of online tools that can help you create one quickly and easily.

Contact options

On your website, offer both an email address and a contact form. Journalists may need to send attachments like photos or documents, which some forms don’t allow. If possible, provide a dedicated media email so you can respond faster. While this may not be realistic for smaller companies, when it is, it makes communication much smoother.

English version

If you’re serious about gaining global recognition and expanding internationally, and your website’s main language is not English, a language switcher is essential. While it’s true that everyone has access to Google Translate these days, relying on automatic translation may cause your company to leave a poor impression and can lead to inaccuracies in the coverage – especially if your field of work is technical.

Other notes

Make sure your brand name is written the same way throughout your website. Using different versions – like all caps in one place and mixed case in another – can confuse journalists and take away from a professional impression.

Your LinkedIn and other social platforms deserve attention too. Journalists often check them to learn more about your company’s background, so make sure your profiles are up to date. Posting regularly also helps, as it provides context and timely updates for the media.

And when it’s time to reach out directly, use a company email instead of a personal one, and include a professional signature – ideally with your photo. This small detail adds credibility and makes your communication look more trustworthy. It’s even more effective when the email comes directly from the CEO. I myself always prioritize such outreaches.

Soft media skills

In my opinion, soft skills are often even more important than hard skills. Journalists know you may not have all the answers or the perfect press kit, but if they see that you’re cooperative, respectful, and doing your best, they’re far more likely to help fill in gaps and make the story work.

Of course, there are too many soft skills to cover in one article, but here are some of the most important ones:

• Write professional emails – Keep them short, clear, and well-structured. Avoid casual tones or text-message style writing.

• Make respectful requests – Ask, don’t demand. Journalists value independence, so always phrase requests politely.

• Introduce yourself properly – Say who you are, your role, and the company’s name in the first lines.

• Share complete information – Always include a press kit with background material, photos, bios, and logos. The less chasing the journalist has to do, the better.

• Follow up respectfully – If you don’t hear back, a single polite follow-up after a few days is fine. Don’t spam or pressure.

• Respect timelines – Journalists often work on deadlines. Reply within a reasonable time, provide the information they ask for in full, and don’t push them to change their schedule.

• Understand the difference between paid and earned media – Don’t confuse advertising with editorial. Don’t request to see the draft, and don’t try to control when the article is published.

• Show gratitude – A simple thank-you after the article is published, ideally with a public shoutout, goes a long way.

• Share the coverage – Once the piece is published, share it on your company’s and personal accounts. Tag the journalist and the publication – it strengthens relationships and makes the publication more likely to cover you again in the future.

You can learn it all and do it all

While there’s always merit in hiring professional help and outsourcing, I’d like to assure you that you can develop all the hard and soft skills mentioned here yourself. It’s important to invest in them because they’re not just media skills – they’re leadership skills that benefit other aspects of your business as well.

So I encourage you to use the many resources available online for this purpose, and as your company grows, you can choose to outsource communications to a PR firm if you wish.

After all, building a business is more about who you become in the process than what you create. As a wise man once said, “you’re the main product of your business.” So build YOU.