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Everything you need to build.
Tool quickstarts, prompt deep-dives, submission requirements, and the judging rubric. Pick your tools, pick your prompt, and start building.
Tool Quickstarts
The tools that flatten the build curve. Filter by skill level, then expand any card for a 5-step quickstart and a watch-first tutorial.
Prompt Deep-Dives
Three prompts. Pick one. Build something that ships.
Careers & Future of Work
A tool or product that helps people navigate or improve their careers in the age of AI.
Example angles
- →Personalized career path agents
- →Interview prep that adapts to the role
- →Salary negotiation co-pilots
Equity & Access to AI
A tool that brings the benefits of AI to broader audiences or expands access to opportunity.
Example angles
- →Plain-language access to public benefits
- →Local resource finders for underserved zip codes
- →AI translators for civic and legal documents
Personal Security
A tool that protects individuals — their data, identity, finances, family, or wellbeing.
Example angles
- →Scam detectors for text and voice
- →Privacy audits for non-engineers
- →Estate and emergency-doc walkthroughs
Submission Requirements
Every participant needs all of these. Submissions close Tue, May 12 · 1 AM ET.
Public GitHub repo
Code visible to judges. All API keys hidden.
Working prototype
Hosted anywhere — Vercel, Lovable, your own server.
Demo video
Two minutes or less. Show the working product.
Brief writeup
Problem · who it's for · tools used · what's next.
One of the three prompts
Pick one. Tell us which in your submission.
A path to sustainability
Funding, paying users, or measurable impact.
Judging Rubric
Two rounds. Round 1 is async on May 12. Round 2 is live at MLT20 on May 14.
What gets scored
| Criterion | Weight | What we look for |
|---|---|---|
| Problem & Audience Fit | 30% | Is the problem clear, real, and tied to one of the three prompts? Is there a specific target user who would use this on Monday morning? |
| Total Potential Impact (People & Value) | 25% | What is the potential for monetization, social impact, or human impact — based on the number of users reached and value gained per person? |
| Demo & Storytelling | 25% | Compelling video walkthrough and clear written narrative. Does the demo respect the viewer's time? Does the writeup make the case in one read? |
| Prototype Quality | 10% | Functional, accessible app that delivers on the pitch. Can a judge use it on their own laptop without hand-holding? |
| Sustainability | 10% | Ability to support the app and operations through the business model — funding path, paying users, or measurable impact. Credibility over ambition. |
Full rubric and Round 2 live-pitch weights on the judging rubric page.
Watch First
Quick tutorials for each tool — under 20 minutes each. Watch before build weekend.
Google AI Studio - Full Tutorial 2026: How To Build an App
Mikey No Code
Lovable FULL Tutorial - For COMPLETE Beginners (No Experience Needed)
Tech With Tim
Bolt tutorial for beginners with the Bolt CEO Eric Simons
Greg Isenberg
v0 Tutorial: Beginner to Pro in 15 Minutes (Build ANY UI with AI)
Sean Matthew
How to Plan, Design and Build an App at the Same Time (Full Agent 4 Replit Tutorial)
Code with Ania Kubów
FULL Claude Code Tutorial for Beginners in 2026! (Step-By-Step)
Tech With Tim
Cursor Tutorial for Beginners (AI Code Editor)
Tech With Tim
CODEX FULL COURSE: From Zero to Deployed App (2026)
David Ondrej
Ship an AI Prototype in a Weekend
Hackathon strategy — search YouTube for the best cuts.
Search YouTube ↗