Free Lesson
How I Won First Places in the YC and OpenAI Hackathons?
30 min
Oct 17, 2025 7:00 PM
Virtual (Zoom)
In this video
What you'll learn
Strong idea = useful + unexpected solution
To win a world class hackathon, you need good ideas that came from real problems. Pre-hackathon preparation is crucial
Small teams outperform large ones
Don't waste time on communication or coding conflicts. Ideal structor is one coder, one generalist, and one support.
Demo-frist development approach
Avoid slides. Focus on live demo. Design for "wow effect" and clear user experience. Present impact clearly.
More practical tips
AI tool integration. How to manage expectations and randomness. And more!
Why this topic matters
Winning a top hackathon is a powerful way to gain visibility and kickstart your ideas. Riley has done this time and again, and her projects are thriving: Shoya.ai, Oreo.dev, and Overeasy.dev. It’s not often you get someone with this kind of experience to share so openly. Don’t miss this insight-packed session!
You'll learn from

Riley Shu
YC/OpenAI Hackathon Winner | PM @ Fortnite
