CAT // Hackathon OS

The fear is not just choosing wrong. It is entering at all—and having nothing real to show for it.

Turn “maybe I should enter” into a real first move.

Most hackathon projects do not fail because people cannot build. They stall before the first commit: too many ideas, too little time, and no clear reason to believe the effort will become something. CAT turns that hesitation into one credible bet—and a path to prove it before the clock runs out.

Find a reason to enter

Codex handoff

Make the first commit feel inevitable.

Give CAT the rough idea and the time you have. It narrows the work to a buildable wedge, then makes the next move explicit for you and Codex.

What CAT creates

A first move—not a giant plan.

One input → one useful visible result. Keep the state local and make the result easy to demo in under a minute.

Inspect first
  • app/page.tsx — the one user journey
  • app/globals.css — make the result unmistakable
  • README.md — explain the problem, loop, and proof command
Prove it withnpm run verify && npm run build
CAT does not pretend to write your whole project. It gives you a clear, inspectable starting point.

Opportunity radar

Make the first day count.

Selected build

Target

CAT Hackathon OS

The clearest immediate bet: a focused developer tool with a real Codex story, an achievable slice, and judge-ready evidence.

From “should I enter?” to a defensible bet

  1. 1Cut through the tab pile and rank opportunities against actual capabilities.
  2. 2Choose the smallest workflow worth betting the weekend on.
  3. 3Turn the choice into a deadline-aware sprint and asset checklist.
  4. 4Ship something a judge can see: site, repo, video, README, and Devpost.

72-hour sprint

Once you choose, the clock becomes a guide.

0–4h
Lock the product slice

Scoring model · dashboard shell · proof path

4–18h
Make the core loop tangible

Interactive radar · sprint plan · asset readiness

18–36h
Polish for a judge

Hosted site · README · screenshots · Devpost story

36–60h
Record and verify

Two-minute demo · reproducible proof command

60–72h
Sweep the submission

Public links · no-placeholder scan · final handoff

Submission readiness

Every promise becomes something people can see.

plannedLive demo

A hosted dashboard that a judge can open without setup.

plannedPublic repository

Focused source, proof scripts, and the Codex collaboration story.

plannedDemo video

A concise walkthrough of radar → plan → judge pack.

readyREADME

Explains the product, proof command, and new Build Week work.

readyProof command

npm run verify regenerates the scoring and judge assets.

human gateFinal submission

Devpost publish remains a deliberate human approval gate.

Judge receipt

Tell a story that can survive a click.

A good hackathon story is not a claim about what might exist. It is proof that an uncertain first step became a visible decision, working project, and human-approved submission.

Why this

A data-driven fit score turns a fuzzy idea into a choice the team can explain and own.

What is real

A deadline-aware sprint, readiness states, and clear boundaries keep the story grounded in what exists.

Proof commandnpm run verify

Regenerates the scored opportunities and judge readiness artifacts.