Submission Guidelines

Submission Guidelines

Submission Guide for lablab.ai Hackathons

At lablab.ai, we value the innovation and creativity that participants bring to our hackathons. This guide covers the standard fields of the submission form, with their limits and our recommendations for each.

Each event can change its form: add its own questions, make a field optional, or ask for something extra. The submission form and the event page always take priority over this guide.

1. Basic Information:

  • Submission Title: A clear, descriptive title, 5 to 50 characters.
  • Short Description: A summary of your project in 50 to 255 characters.
  • Long Description: The problem, your solution, who it is for and what makes it stand out, in 600 to 2000 characters.
  • Categories and Technologies Used: Choose the ones that best describe your project, so judges and other participants understand its focus.
  • Participation Mode: On hybrid events, say whether your team took part online or onsite.

2. Cover Image and Presentation:

  • Cover Image: Optional. Upload an image and crop it to 16:9.
  • Video Presentation: MP4 or MOV, up to 300 MB. We recommend keeping it under 5 minutes: introduce the problem, walk through your slides, then show your project working.
  • Slide Presentation: A PDF that summarizes your project.

3. Application Hosting & Code Repository:

  • GitHub Repository: A link to your project's code. Make it public: if judges can't open it, they can't fully review your work, which may lower your score.
  • Demo Application Platform: Where your demo runs, for example Streamlit, Replit or Vercel.
  • Demo Application URL: A link where judges can try your prototype.

4. Pro Tips for a Stellar Submission:

  1. Highlight the Problem & Solution: Start with the core issue your product resolves.
  2. Detail Your Product: Discuss how it functions and the technologies involved.
  3. Showcase User Interaction: A screen recording demonstrating user interaction is impactful.
  4. Discuss Market Scope: Include Total Addressable Market (TAM) and Serviceable Addressable Market (SAM).
  5. Revenue Streams: Highlight potential revenue sources.
  6. Analyze Competitors: Delve into strengths and weaknesses, emphasizing your Unique Selling Proposition.
  7. Talk About Future Prospects: Share scalability and impact potentials.
  8. Brevity is Key: Keep slides succinct; limit to 2-3 sentences each.

5. Judging Criteria:

Many events judge on these four criteria. Events and tracks can set their own criteria and weights instead, so check the event page.

  1. Presentation: How effectively you convey your project.
  2. Business Value: Commercial potential and value proposition.
  3. Application of Technology: The technologies applied and their relevance.
  4. Originality: How unique and innovative your idea is.

6. Submission Checklist:

  • Submission Title
  • Short and Long Descriptions
  • Categories and Technologies Used
  • Video Presentation
  • Slide Presentation
  • GitHub Repository
  • Demo Application Platform and URL
  • Anything else the event's form asks for

Submit before the event's deadline. Your team can keep editing until then.

In summary, make sure to thoroughly review all the guidelines and put your best foot forward. We're excited to witness the innovation you bring to the lablab.ai hackathon. Best of luck!