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SHIP SOMETHING REAL — NOW
FIRST HOUR PLANMVP IN 1 HOUR
- →Ship the smallest, most basic version of your final product within the first hour.
- →Building Slack? Have a web app that lets you create a channel and post a message within 1–2 hours.
- →Skip login, branding, and scale — make the core feature work.
CODE TEMPLATES
- →Boilerplate code will get you to traction faster.
- →If you're using AI or template engines, let them handle the non-innovative work like auth flows.
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DEMO-FIRST MINDSET
HOW TO BUILD AN MVP✕ NOT LIKE THIS
✕Polishing every screen, crafting bespoke auth, or stressing scale before anything works.
✕Packing weeks of roadmap into a single weekend sprint.
✓ LIKE THIS
✓A clickable demo that proves the single core workflow end-to-end.
✓A simple story you can show judges in under two minutes.
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OPERATE LIKE AN ELITE HACKER
BUILD PHILOSOPHYSPEED OVER ALL
Prioritize speed to production when setting up your environment and choosing your stack. Now isn't the moment to learn Docker from scratch. If you're brand new, pick an easy, hacky stack — AppScript with Google Sheets counts.
FOCUS
Make the problem narrow and the solution technically simple. Ship something small, specific, and demo-ready.
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MOMENTUM PLAYBOOK
HACKING A HACKATHON01START FAST, DECIDE FASTERPick an idea in 15 minutes — don't overthink it. The sooner you decide, the more time you have to build.
02BUILD A DEMO-FIRST MVPPrioritize something you can show, not just describe. Skip perfect architecture — make it work first.
03SHIP SMALL, SHIP OFTENGet a working version ASAP, even if it's ugly. Frequent commits and small wins keep momentum high.
04AUTOMATE THE BORING STUFFUse APIs, AI tools, and no-code where you can. Don't reinvent the wheel — move fast.
05DIVIDE & CONQUERIf someone is stuck, move on or swap tasks. Time is the enemy — don't stall.
06SLEEP OPTIONAL, ATTITUDE MANDATORYDrink coffee, hydrate, and keep the vibes high. Momentum beats burnout.
07THE BEST HACK IS A WORKING HACKIt doesn't need to be revolutionary. If it works and looks impressive, you're winning.
08HAVE FUN & BREAK THINGS RESPONSIBLYHackathons are chaos. Embrace it, build something cool, make new friends, and enjoy the ride.
▚ THE WINNING FORMULA
WORKING DEMO + GREAT STORY + HIGH ENERGY TEAM
Nail the core flow, show it with confidence, and keep the vibes high. That's HackKentucky gold.