Congrats to the World’s Largest Hackathon Writing Challenge Winners!

Today’s the day! We are thrilled to announce the winners of the World’s Largest Hackathon Writing Challenge.

From first-time builders discovering their potential to experienced developers pushing creative boundaries, each story offered unique insights into the building process, the lessons learned, and the human side of what it means to create something from nothing.

Thank you all to everyone who shared their journeys with us.

Congratulations To…

After the Hack Winner

@laurel_beyers captures the transformative power of building something meaningful during a period of transition. Her journey from creative sabbatical to launching two projects demonstrates how hackathons can reignite not just technical confidence, but creative purpose itself.

After the Hack: Reigniting My Creative Confidence

Laurel Beyers ・ Jul 9

#devchallenge
#wlhchallenge
#career
#entrepreneurship

We love how Laurel shows that the most powerful projects often emerge when you build for yourself first, then discover others need it too.

Beyond the Code Winner

@yanleong1027‘s transformation from “I don’t know a single line of code” to shipping a full-stack AI-powered app is nothing short of inspiring.

Non coder building my first AI-powered web app at the world’s largest hackathon

Yan Leong ・ Jul 4

#devchallenge
#wlhchallenge
#community
#networking

From integrating OpenAI voice dictation to implementing Stripe payments, Yan’s journey shows how curiosity and determination can lead to remarkable results.

Building with Bolt Winner

@jakedibattista perfectly captures the hackathon spirit of solving personal frustrations through building.

Learn2Play: A New Way to Run Game Night

Jake Dibattista ・ Jul 11

#devchallenge
#wlhchallenge
#bolt
#ai

Read on to see how they brought RAG models, video agents, and marketplace functionality together into one cohesive experience.

Outstanding Submissions

These seven additional submissions stood out for their creativity, insight, and compelling storytelling:

I assembled the “Avengers” for a hackathon… and we didn’t even ship

Vee Khuu ・ Jul 14

#devchallenge
#wlhchallenge
#community
#bolt

One person, one project, one month: Building Svitlogics from Kyiv

Eugene Kozlovsky ・ Jul 12

#devchallenge
#wlhchallenge
#bolt
#ai

Thank You, Bolt.new, for Reminding Me to Be Proud of Myself

Nazlican Kurt ・ Jul 3

#devchallenge
#wlhchallenge
#community
#networking

I Bombed an Exam Because I Couldn’t Get Help, so I Built an App That Helps Everyone Else: HUSTL ⚡📲[Live Demo Inside]

Kaushal Thota ・ Jul 29

#devchallenge
#wlhchallenge
#career
#startup

From AI-theist to Bolt-Lievers: The Story Behind hegrid.site

Budi Gunawan ・ Jul 4

#devchallenge
#wlhchallenge
#bolt
#ai

Shard Protocol: A Preemptive Logic Layer That Transforms Uncertainty Into Time-Saving, Cost-Efficient AI

Marcos Rezende ・ Jul 21

#wlhchallenge
#ai
#bolt
#devchallenge

3D game created with AI

Mykola Korzh ・ Jul 31

#wlhchallenge
#devchallenge
#ai
#bolt

Prizes

Our three prompt winners will receive:

• $100 gift card to the Bolt Shop
• A custom WLH mug
• Exclusive winner badge

Outstanding submission winners will receive:

• A custom WLH mug
• Completion badge

All participants with valid submissions will receive completion badges on their DEV profiles.

What’s next?

We’re always cooking up new ways for the community to showcase their skills and creativity. Keep an eye on our #devchallenge tag:

We hope you enjoyed reflecting on your hackathon journey ❤️

Interested in being a volunteer judge for future challenges? Learn more here!