Hack Club, a teen supporting non-profit, was suddenly told by Slack/Salesforce that their workspace would be deactivated unless they paid $50k this week and $200k/year going forward—despite a signed $5k/year contract. This meant years of teen friendships, projects, and history would vanish. The internet outcry (including a viral HN post) forced a reversal: the Slack CEO apologized and gave Hack Club 5 years of Enterprise+.

I was inside Hack Club when this happened. This is my diary of the week, what it felt like, what we almost lost, and why I’m still uneasy even with the “happy ending.”