Challenge 001: Vibe Coding Product Sprint
Build a real, usable product in 24 hours. Submit a live demo and a short write-up (including the AI tools/workflow you used). Winner earns cash plus two weeks of Product Forge support from 3EF Studio.
Prompt is revealed at kickoff. Timing and reminders are shared with registered participants by email.
What this is
A fast, constrained build sprint for vibe coders who can ship under pressure. You’ll get a clear prompt at kickoff, build a focused MVP in 24 hours, and submit a live, usable product.
Not a hackathon. Not a pitch contest. Shipping wins.
How it works
The flow is intentionally simple so you spend time building, not interpreting rules.
1) Register
Pay the $25 entry fee to join. You’ll receive timing details by email.
Output
You’re in the participant list and will get the prompt at kickoff.
2) Build (24 hours)
Prompt drops at kickoff. Ship a small web product that is usable without explanation.
Output
A working demo with a clear happy path and intentionally cut scope.
3) Submit
Provide a live demo and a short write-up. Include a brief Build Disclosure (tools, workflow, and what was built during the window).
Output
A submission that can be evaluated quickly and fairly.
4) Judging & Results
Projects are scored using the published rubric. Scores and top submissions are shared publicly.
Output
Winner selected + top 5 highlighted with links and brief notes.
Timeline
Registration
- Opens: Wed, Jan 14
- Closes: Fri, Feb 6 @ 11:59pm CST
Build
- Prompt: Sat, Feb 7 @ 9:00am CST
- Window: 24 hours
- Submit by: Sun, Feb 8 @ 9:00am CST
Results
- Judging: Feb 8–10
- Winner: Wed, Feb 11
Exact timing reminders will be sent to registered participants by email.
Build rules & constraints
This is a vibe-coding sprint. We’re optimizing for shipping and honest disclosure — not policing.
Build window
The official build window is 24 hours. Planning is fine beforehand, but active building should happen during the window.
Tools, reuse & AI
Allowed. This is not a from-scratch purity test.
- Reuse your own boilerplate / starter projects
- Use open-source libraries or snippets
- Use AI tools (Copilot, Cursor, ChatGPT, Claude, etc.)
- Use MCPs, orchestrators, agents, or task chains
- Use paid tools or APIs (disclose them)
Build disclosure (required)
Each submission must include a short disclosure so judging has context.
- What (if anything) was pre-existing
- What you built during the 24-hour window
- AI tools/workflow used
- Any paid tools or APIs used
Data & integrations
Keep the demo coherent and usable.
- Mocked / hard-coded data is allowed
- Live APIs are optional (not required)
- If you wire real integrations cleanly, that can earn extra credit
Open source is optional. If you choose to share your repo/prompts/process publicly, we may highlight it in the post-challenge recap for learning purposes.
What you must submit
Keep it simple. The demo matters more than the repo.
- Live demo URL (required)
- 200–400 word write-up (required): who it’s for, what it solves, what you did not build, what you’d do with two more weeks
- Build Disclosure (required): what was pre-existing, what you built in the 24h window, AI tools/workflow used, paid tools/APIs used
- Public repo (optional)
Submissions without a live demo will not be scored.
Prizes
Cash is a bonus. The primary prize is momentum and refinement.
Cash Prize
Winner receives 10–25% of the total entry fees (percentage depends on participation).
Output
A clean, simple payout tied to participation.
Product Forge Support (2 weeks)
Two weeks of structured support from 3EF Studio with 2–3 calls and clear deliverables.
- Positioning document
- Landing page copy
- Launch & distribution plan
- Prioritized backlog
Focused on direction and momentum — not deep engineering.
Judging criteria
Submissions are scored (100 points). Scores will be published.
- Problem clarity & usefulness — 25%
- Execution & polish — 25%
- Simplicity & focus — 15%
- Product potential — 20%
- Vibe coding effectiveness (tools/workflow) — 10%
- Write-up + disclosure quality — 5%
Note: using paid tools is not a penalty. We’re primarily scoring focus and execution within the 24-hour constraint.
Entry details
- $25 entry fee
- Solo builders only (v1)
- Web-based products only
- Prompt revealed at kickoff
- Live demo required
- Build Disclosure required
- Mocked/hardcoded data allowed; real APIs optional
- Open source optional (encouraged)
If minimum participation is not met, entry fees will be fully refunded.