About The Competition
Have an idea you’d like to develop? Like, literally, ANY idea. Put your coding skills to the test and join the 59DaysOfCode Competition. 59DOC is a community-based nonprofit that exists to build, equip, and promote Fresno’s technology industry. Teams can win up to $10,000 for their projects.
1. Build Your Team
Got an idea? Great, let’s build your team!
2. Clock Starts
Got your team? Great, time to kick it off!
3. Hustle Mode
Time to build your idea and get down to the nitty gritty!
4. The Expo
This is it! Time for the main event!
1. Sign Up and Build Your Team
Whether you’re a seasoned developer, or just have a great idea, you can participate in the 59DaysOfCode Competition. The first step is to sign up and build your team! All you need to get started is an idea (Literally. Any. Idea.)
2. Clock Starts
Now that you’ve signed up with your team, it’s time to get the ball rolling! On the day the clock starts, we will send you the information for your private GitHub repository so you can get to work.
3. Hustle Mode
It’s time to get working on building your idea. You have 59 days to develop your project! Over the course of the 59 days, we’ll host several optional workshops to support teams that cover projects like pitching, fundraising, and marketing. When we hit the pencils down date, the clock stops on your work.
4. The Expo
At the end of the 59 Days, you’ve almost made it! The expo is right around the corner! You’ll have a short break to prepare, and then it’s time for the final two days of the competition.
Day One: Judging
You’ll pitch your idea to our panel of judges. Whether or not you move on in the competition, you’ll receive real feedback from real people! (We kinda think that’s the best part.)
Day Two: Expo
It’s your time to shine. The 59DaysOfCode Expo is open to the public and every team will have the chance to demo their idea. Finalists will get to share their ideas on the main stage.
Register for The Competition
To get started, complete the competition application below. You may submit multiple projects in multiple categories. Keep copies of your registration for your records. 59DaysOfCode assumes no responsibility for lost, misdirected, illegible or late entries or for failed computer transmissions or technical failures.
Registration has now closed.
FAQs
We charge a small fee (typically between $50 and $75) for each team registration. We want teams to have some financial investment in this endeavor, but we also do not want money to be a barrier. If you need partial or full assistance with the fee, please reach out to us directly.
You are required to use the code repository we ask you to use. Required. It’s private and provided by 59DaysOfCode to you for free. Any commits made after 11:59 pm on the pencils down date will not be considered when your project is judged.
If you win in your category, what you have in your repo at the deadline is checked against what you show the judges. This is important.
No! We recognize that our access to your code could make some of you nervous. Rest assured, your code and your idea will remain yours for the purposes of this competition and beyond.
59DaysOfCode has no interest in stealing or otherwise sabotaging your development. Our mission is to grow the technology industry. All we do is provide a platform for you to do your thing.
To help you visualize what the judges will be looking for more broadly, we’ve highlighted some points they’ll be keeping in mind below:
- Tech
- DOES IT WORK? Both code and/or hardware (if you have a project with hardware)
- Quality (cleanliness, architecture)
- Hardware design (if you have a project with hardware)
- Can you describe what you did and why?
- Design
- UI/UX
- Logo
- Cohesiveness & consistency across platforms
- Aesthetically pleasing
- Business/Marketing
- Market Appeal
- Scalability
- Presentation/Pitch Business Model
- Impact
- Usefulness
- Ease of adoption
- Dedication of team
Soon after the pencils down date, the judges will have access to your code. Make sure everything you have finished is committed to the 59DOC repository or it will not be judged! The judges will spend the days between pencils down and the Expo reviewing your code for quantity, quality, cleanliness, creativity, etc. All the things that make code good.
Each project gets 15 minutes of dedicated time for the first round pitch. You will be allotted 10 minutes for the pitch and up to 5 minutes of Q&A.
While formal presentations are not required during your time with the judges, we encourage competitors to put together a pitch deck. Your 15 minutes does include time for Q&A, so plan accordingly. If you end up using the full 15 minutes for your pitch, we will not accommodate additional time for Q&A.
No! We encourage competitors who win one of the cash prizes to put the prize towards taking their winning idea to the next level. Past winners have used the money to take care of the legal and professional fees that come with launching a new business, to bolster ad spend and marketing, and to bring on other people to help professionalize what they built during the 59 day competition.