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// challenge brief · hack a ton 2026

Open Track

No sponsor brief, no constraints. Build the AI agent you actually want to build, and show it working.

// Proposed by
Ambasada
// Industry
Open / wildcard
// Difficulty
🟢 Beginner-friendly

// the problem

Not every great build fits a sponsor's brief. Maybe you've been sitting on an idea for months. Maybe you'll spot something on Friday night that nobody put on the board. The Open Track exists so the best idea in the room never loses just because it lacked a category.

// your mission

Build any AI agent you want. No sponsor, no predefined problem: pick something real, scope it to 48 hours, and make it work. The only rule is that it has to be an agent that actually does something, demoed live.

// how it works

  1. 1Pitch: decide what you're building and who it's for. Write the one-line problem it solves.
  2. 2Scope: cut it to a single workflow you can finish and demo in 48 hours.
  3. 3Build: make the agent do the job end to end, with a human checkpoint before anything irreversible.
  4. 4Show: demo it live on real input. The clearer the value, the stronger the pitch.

// what we provide

  • The floor, the mentors, and the demo stage. The idea and the data are yours to bring.

// suggested approach

  • Inference: for model access, we suggest [LLMok](https://llmok.app). Use code AMBASADA26 for 50% off.
  • Pick a problem you understand. Conviction beats novelty.
  • Make the agent do the work, not just talk about it. Wire the real tools it needs.
  • Keep a human in the loop for anything irreversible: send, pay, delete, publish.
  • Floor version: one workflow, one happy path, working on real input. Add scope from there.

// how you'll be judged

  • Is it a real problem worth solving?
  • Does the demo actually work, end to end, on real input?
  • Is it genuinely agentic, more than a chatbot?
  • Craft and clarity of the live demo.
  • Ambition measured against what you actually shipped.

// stretch goals

  • Put it in front of a real user before Demo Day and fold in what you learn.
  • A clear path to keep building it after Sunday.

// deliverables

  • Git repo: code + README + run instructions.
  • Demo: your agent, live, on real input.
  • 5-minute pitch: architecture, decisions, trade-offs.