> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.firstcommit.xyz/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# How Your Project Gets Judged at FirstCommit

> Learn how FirstCommit judges score projects at Beginner's Paradise across four weighted criteria focused on growth, creativity, execution, and communication.

FirstCommit's judging process is built around the idea that a beginner who grows significantly can outscore a complex project with no learning documented. Judges evaluate every submission across four weighted criteria, and your score is the sum of how well you meet each one.

## Judging Criteria

<CardGroup>
  <Card title="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.
  </Card>

  <Card title="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.
  </Card>

  <Card title="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.
  </Card>

  <Card title="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.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Judges

* **Harshil Arora** — Founder of FirstCommit
* **Sudheer Prathap**

Both judges bring experience in technology and mentorship, and they are specifically looking for evidence of effort, curiosity, and growth.

## 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

<Steps>
  <Step title="Document your progress">
    Use commit messages that explain what you tried, what failed, and what you learned. Your GitHub history should tell a story.
  </Step>

  <Step title="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.
  </Step>

  <Step title="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.
  </Step>

  <Step title="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.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  Spend time on your README and demo video. A clear, honest story of building and learning will outperform a flashy app with no explanation.
</Tip>