Introduction

Welcome to UHackathon. This page collects suggested tools, project inspiration, support channels, and useful links to help you build during the event. Whether this is your first hackathon or your fiftieth, dig through what's here and reach out on Discord if you need anything we haven't covered.

Tools and Technologies

Use whatever stack you're comfortable with. There are no restrictions on languages, frameworks, or platforms, as long as your code is written during the event and your repo is public. Some common starting points are listed below.

Languages and Frameworks

  • Web: React, Vue, Svelte, Next.js, Astro
  • Backend: Node.js, Python (FastAPI, Flask), Go, Rust
  • Mobile: React Native, Flutter, Swift, Kotlin
  • Desktop: Electron, Tauri

Hosting and Deployment

  • Vercel, Netlify, Cloudflare Pages for web
  • Railway, Fly.io, Render for backend
  • Supabase, Firebase, Neon for databases

AI APIs

  • Anthropic Claude API
  • OpenAI API
  • Hugging Face

Design and Assets

  • Figma for design and mockups
  • Excalidraw for diagrams
  • Unsplash, Heroicons, and Lucide for free assets

Hardware

  • Arduino, Raspberry Pi, or ESP32 if you're building something physical

Version Control

  • GitHub or GitLab. Your repo must be public.
Inspiration

Stuck on what to build? Here are some directions to spark ideas. These are starting points, not requirements.

Production Track Ideas (Dev Tools)

  • A CLI that automates a tedious developer workflow
  • A VS Code or browser extension that solves a small but persistent annoyance
  • A debugging or visualization tool for a language, framework, or protocol
  • A code review or documentation helper
  • A local development environment manager
  • A tool that makes onboarding to a new codebase faster

Experimental Track Ideas (No Theme)

  • A game you'd actually want to play
  • An art project, generative or otherwise
  • Something that uses an unusual input device or sensor
  • A tool that solves a problem you personally have
  • A pointless but technically interesting demo
  • Something that makes you laugh

The best hackathon projects often come from scratching your own itch. What annoys you? What would you want to use?

Contact Us and Support Channels

The fastest way to get help is the Discord server. Mentors and organizers are active there throughout the event.

During the event

  • Discord help channels for technical questions
  • Discord voice channels for live mentor support; mentors will drop in
  • In-person mentors at the venue
  • Tag organizers on Discord for event logistics

Before or after the event

  • Reach out on the Discord server.
Additional Resource Links