Welcome! This template gives you everything judges expect in a submission, already organized. You just fill in the blanks.
Quick Start (5 minutes):
- Click the green "Use this template" button (top right) → "Create a new repository" — or fork/clone this repo.
- Make your repository public so judges can see it.
- Replace the placeholder text in this README with your project info.
- Put your code in the repo and fill in the 4 guides below as you go.
- Submit your repo link on Devpost before the deadline. Done! ✅
starter-hackathon-project/
├── README.md ← your project's front page (this file — fill it in!)
├── devpost/ ← 🏆 how to submit on Devpost + write-up template
├── prototype/ ← ⚙️ how to document setup so judges can run your code
├── presentation/ ← 🎤 8-slide pitch structure + speaking guide
└── demo-video/ ← 🎬 2-minute video script + recording playbook
Your submission needs 5 things — each one has a full guide:
| # | Component | Guide | What's inside |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Project code + README | You are here 📍 | Fill-in template below |
| 2 | Devpost write-up | devpost/README.md | Step-by-step submission + copy-paste write-up template |
| 3 | Working prototype | prototype/README.md | Setup docs, .env safety, judge-proof fallbacks |
| 4 | Presentation | presentation/README.md | 8-slide structure, timing, Q&A prep, demo insurance |
| 5 | Demo video (2–3 min) | demo-video/README.md | Timestamped script, recording & upload checklist |
💡 Tip: A simple, working, well-explained project beats a complex, broken one. Clarity over complexity — always.
How to use this template: every section below has a 🧠 why judges care, a ✍️ how to write it (with sentence starters you can steal), and a real example. Delete the helper text once you've written yours — what's left IS your project README.
🧠 Why judges care: it's the first thing they read. A name + one vivid line can make them want to scroll down.
✍️ How to write it: name it like a product, not a homework assignment. Then add one line: [Product] helps [who] do [what] by [how].
| 😴 Plain | 🔥 Better |
|---|---|
| "Hackathon Project — a flashcard app" | "Cramless — turn 80 pages of lecture notes into a study deck before your coffee gets cold ☕" |
🛠 Stuck on a name? Try https://namelix.com (AI name generator) or smash two words together (Snap+Chat, Insta+Gram...).
🧠 Why judges care: they fund/reward problems they BELIEVE. A story makes your problem real; a generic statement makes it forgettable.
✍️ How to write it: start with a moment, not a market. Sentence starters:
- "It started when one of us…"
- "We asked 10 friends and 8 of them said…"
- "The night before finals, we realized…"
Example: "It started when Maria spent 3 hours making flashcards the night before her bio final — and fell asleep before she could study them. We asked around: every single classmate had done the same thing. Studying tools shouldn't take longer than studying."
🛠 Need a stat to back it up? Search https://statista.com or Google Scholar — one number is plenty.
🧠 Why judges care: if they can't repeat what your app does in one sentence, you lose them.
✍️ How to write it: describe the user's journey in 3 beats — they bring X → your app does Y → they walk away with Z. No tech words allowed yet (no "API", no "model", no "database").
Example: "Drop in your messy lecture notes. Cramless reads them, finds what's actually testable, and hands you back a ready-to-study flashcard deck — in under 10 seconds."
✨ Bonus: add a screenshot or GIF right here. A picture of the product working is worth 500 words of description (record one fast with https://gifcap.dev).
🧠 Why judges care: this is where technical judges check you actually built something. Specifics = credibility.
✍️ How to write it: don't just list logos — say one sentence about WHAT each piece does for you.
- Frontend: React — "the deck editor and review screen"
- Backend: Node.js + Express — "handles uploads and talks to the AI"
- AI / APIs: OpenAI API — "extracts key concepts from raw notes"
- Database: Firestore — "saves decks per user"
- Design / Team tools: Figma, GitHub Projects
✨ Bonus points: a tiny architecture diagram (draw it free at https://excalidraw.com) showing how the pieces talk to each other.
🧠 Why judges care: this is the most HUMAN section. Struggle + fix = a team that can actually ship.
✍️ How to write it: use the formula "We hit X → we tried Y → we landed on Z." Never write "we faced many challenges" — name ONE real one.
Example: "Our AI kept turning definitions into riddles 🙃. We rewrote the prompt 14 times, then added a validation pass that rejects any card without a clear answer. Card quality went from 'meme material' to 'actually useful.'"
🧠 Why judges care: confidence is contagious. This is your highlight reel — own it.
✍️ How to write it: numbers and firsts. "First time any of us deployed an app", "works end-to-end in 9 seconds", "survived 25 test uploads without crashing".
Example: "In 12 hours, four people who met at check-in shipped a working AI product — deployed, demoed, and already used by 6 classmates sitting near us."
🧠 Why judges care: hackathons are learning events — judges literally score growth at student events.
✍️ How to write it: one technical lesson + one team lesson beats five vague ones.
Example: "Technical: prompt engineering is 10% writing and 90% testing. Team: assigning one 'integration owner' in hour two saved us from merge hell at 3 AM."
🧠 Why judges care: it shows the idea has a life after tonight — that's what "potential" scores mean.
✍️ How to write it: 3 steps max, increasing ambition. Next week → next semester → the dream.
Example:
- Next week: shareable deck links
- Next semester: pilot with FIU study groups
- The dream: the default study tool for every intro course in Florida
🧠 Why judges care: they want to know who did what — and so do future recruiters reading your repo.
✍️ How to write it: name, role, one thing they owned, link. Make each person findable!
Example:
| Name | Role | Owned | Find them |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maria P. | Frontend | Deck editor UI | GitHub · LinkedIn |
| Dev K. | Backend / AI | Prompt pipeline | GitHub · LinkedIn |
Check everything off before the deadline:
- Repository is public
- Main README filled in (this file)
- Code pushed and runs (or prototype is well-demonstrated)
- devpost/README.md completed and copied to Devpost
- prototype/README.md has working setup steps
- Slides ready (presentation/README.md)
- Demo video recorded & uploaded (demo-video/README.md)
- All links work in incognito mode (test them!)
- Submitted on Devpost before the deadline
Writing & READMEs
- README Generator — https://readme.so/
- GitHub README Guide — https://docs.github.com/en/repositories/managing-your-repositorys-settings-and-features/customizing-your-repository/about-readmes
- Awesome README examples — https://github.com/matiassingers/awesome-readme
Visuals
- Excalidraw (architecture diagrams) — https://excalidraw.com
- GifCap (record a product GIF in-browser) — https://gifcap.dev
- Shields.io (README badges) — https://shields.io
Pitch & Submission
- Google Slides — https://docs.google.com/presentation/
- Canva Pitch Templates — https://www.canva.com/presentations/templates/pitch-deck/
- Devpost — https://devpost.com/
Free builder tools
- Google Cloud Free Tier — https://cloud.google.com/free
- Vercel (free hosting) — https://vercel.com
- MLH Hacker Resources — https://hackp.ac/resources
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