Judging Criteria
Learning & Growth: 30%
This is the most important category. Judges want to see how much you learned during the hackathon. Did you pick up a new framework? Debug a problem you had never seen before? Overcome a challenge that previously felt impossible? Document your journey and show your growth.
Creativity & Impact: 25%
How original is your idea? Does it solve a real problem? A creative, impactful idea that is achievable within the hackathon window scores far higher than a generic clone.
Technical Execution: 25%
How well does your project work? Is it stable, functional, and reasonably polished? Technical execution is important, but it is weighted equally with creativity and less than learning and growth.
Presentation & Communication: 20%
Can you explain your project clearly? A strong demo video, a well-written README, and a thoughtful walkthrough of your process help judges understand what you built and why it matters.
Judges
- Harshil Arora — Founder of FirstCommit
- Sudheer Prathap
Key Message
Technical complexity alone does not guarantee a win. A beginner who documented their struggles, explained their decisions, and showed clear improvement can beat a technically advanced project with no reflection. The scoring system is intentionally designed to reward your learning journey.How to Maximize Your Score
1
Document your progress
Use commit messages that explain what you tried, what failed, and what you learned. Your GitHub history should tell a story.
2
Explain your thinking
In your README and demo, walk through the decisions you made. Why did you choose React over Vue? Why did you switch database strategies? Judges love context.
3
Show what you learned
Be explicit about what was new to you. Did you learn Git for the first time? Deploy a backend? Use an API you had never touched before? Say so.
4
Make a clear demo
Record a 3 to 5 minute video that shows your project in action, explains how it works, and covers the challenges you faced and how you solved them.