Lightspeed Hackathon — Official Rules

Teams

• Team size: 2–6 people recommended (solo is allowed but not advised).
• You can join a team during Friday team formation or bring a pre-formed team.
• If you are the “founder” of the team, you must create it here. If you are joining a team you must also officially join it at the same link.
• Teams must be finalized by 9:00AM on Saturday.
• Teams may build anything they want, but if you want a shot at the sponsor prize then make sure to build something that aligns with the Challenge Sponsor prompt.

What You Can Build

1. Goal: Launch a working prototype/MVP by Sunday.
2. You may use any programming languages, frameworks, APIs, or libraries.
3. No work specific to your project should begin before Friday (planning, learning, and boilerplate setup are fine).
4. You may use pre-existing code that is in support of your project (your own or open source) if:
5. It is clearly disclosed in your submission, and
6. You have rights to use it (proper licenses, no proprietary leaks)
7. It is not a central component of your project (see item 3).

AI & Cline Usage

• Every participant receives $50 in Cline credits.
• You also have access to Claude credits, fill out this form.

Customer Validation

• If you talk to users, obtain consent and do not collect sensitive personal data unnecessarily.

Judging & Awards

• Overall Prizes (eligible to all teams):

1. 🏆 Judges’ Pick: $2,500
2. 🏆 Audience Favorite: $2,500

• Challenge Awards:

1. Each Challenge Sponsor selects one winning team for 6 months of mentorship (1 meeting/month). Some sponsors may also offer additional prizes (cash/credits) stated in their prompt (e.g., Listening Post $1,000 + platform credits).

• Judging Criteria (weighted roughly evenly):

1. Functionality: Does it work?
2. Customer Validation: Did you talk to users and learn?
3. Design & UX: Is it usable and clear?
4. Feasibility: Could this ship or go to market?
5. Team Execution: Momentum and scope achieved in 48 hours.
6. Presentation: Can the audience understand how you’ve addressed the above 5 points? (IMPORTANT – you don’t get points for a slick presentation but no demonstrable execution or traction!)

• Ties: Judges will deliberate and determine a winner together.
• Audience Favorite: Determined via live voting (one vote per attendee). Most votes wins.
• Awards: Money rewards will be given to the “founder” of the team (as indicated on the AI Tinkerers team page), and it is their responsibility to distribute it to the team. The organizers and sponsors of this hackathon have no responsibility in ensuring that awards are fairly distributed.

Submissions

• Deadline: Sunday 1:00 PM (no late submissions).
• Submissions should be registered on the AI Tinkerers hackathon page (and it’s a really good idea to take a peek at it now!) You are strongly encouraged to submit a short video of your project (no more than 4 minutes).
• Depending upon the number of submissions we get, we will likely have a preliminary round of judging based upon the material submitted.
• If your team is selected for the finals, then at least one team member must present live on Sunday at 2:30 PM. You will have a maximum of 5 minutes to share and 4 minutes of questions.

Code of Conduct

• Be kind, inclusive, and professional. Harassment or discrimination = removal.
• Respect the venue, mentors, judges, and fellow teams.
• Follow all safety instructions from organizers and venue staff.

Intellectual Property

• You individually own whatever your team builds during the hackathon.
• If you work on a Challenge Sponsor prompt, you still own your code and project. Any additional terms (e.g., special credits/prizes) will be disclosed in the sponsor brief and are opt-in by choosing that challenge.
• Do not use third-party proprietary data or confidential information without permission.

Fair Play

• No sabotage, plagiarism, or presenting someone else’s work as your own.
• External help is fine for advice/mentorship; not for outsourcing the build.
• If a dispute arises, organizers may request proof of work. Organizer decisions are final.

Tools, Data & Hardware

• Bring your own laptop, chargers, and tools.
• You may use public datasets, licensed assets, or your own hardware.
• If using paid APIs/services (beyond included credits), teams are responsible for costs.

Schedule & Presence

Friday

Time	Event
5:00 PM	Check-in
5:30 PM	Kickoff / Challenges
6:15 PM	Team Formation
8:00 PM	Hacking Starts

Saturday

Time	Event
All Day	Build + Mentorship + Workshops
7:00 PM	Midpoint Check-ins

Sunday

Time	Event
1:00 PM	Submissions Due
2:00 PM	Gather at Venue (It’s not the Lighthouse!)
2:30 PM	Semifinalist Demos (5–7 Teams: 5 min demo, 4 min Q\&A, 1 min swap)
4:00 PM	Winners Announced
5:00 PM	Wrap Up

Note: You can stay at the venue overnight if you’d like, but it’s not expected, and most won’t! Just make sure to meet the deadlines mentioned above.

Mentors & Sponsors

• Mentors are available Saturday/Sunday. Be respectful of time.
• Sponsors may offer optional APIs, credits, and office hours.

Photos, Video & Publicity

• The event will be photographed/recorded. By attending, you consent to being included in reasonable promo content. (Tell us if you need accommodation.)

Organizer Rights

• We may update rules to ensure fairness and safety.
• We may disqualify teams for violation of rules or the code of conduct.
• If something isn’t covered here, organizers will make a good-faith final call.