What is this?
Welcome to the AI Build Sprint — a 5-week competition where the point is to get embarrassed, put yourself ONLINE, and realize we're all figuring this out in realtime.
The rules are simple on purpose: build → publish → score → repeat.
Winners will be based solely on total points. In the event of a tie, a vibe-coded random spinner will determine the winner (recorded on video). Please don't make Eric vibe code your victory. Win in an unquestionable way.
🏆 How to Win
At the end of the competition, the winner is simply: Whoever has the most points.
No judges. No vibes. Just points.
Medals will be provided to the top three winners.
📅 Competition Schedule
Each week follows this rhythm:
| Day | Event |
|---|---|
| Monday 8:00 AM CT | Theme drops |
| Mon 8:00 AM → Sun 11:59 PM | Build window |
| Sunday 11:59 PM CT | Submission deadline |
| Monday 12:00 PM CT | Scoreboard update |
| Monday 12:05 PM CT | Slacker board + coffee debts declared |
🧭 Week-by-Week Archive
The rules page stays focused on the competition mechanics, but the live archive now preserves the theme prompts in order so builders can start with the right weekly context before reading the submissions.
| Week | Theme Prompt | Build Window |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Data Visualization & Interactions | Feb 9–15, 2026 |
| Week 2 | Tools for AI Tools | Feb 16–22, 2026 |
| Week 3 | Interactive Tutorials | Feb 23–Mar 1, 2026 |
| Week 4 | Soundwave — Transmission of Identity Through Sound | Mar 2–5, 2026 |
📊 Scoring System
Base Points (Per Published Piece)
(≥ 5 minutes)
Note: You can publish on multiple channels and earn points on each. Points multiply by what you ship. Ship 2 apps and post 2 LinkedIn posts? That's 20 points!
Multipliers
Code Release Multipliers
(nullified)
Bonus Points
- +10 points — Reference any competitor's post, video, app, or code
- +10 points — Build clearly operates inside the week's theme
⚠️ Slacker Board & Accountability
- You owe everyone in the group a coffee
- You get added to the Slacker Board for that week
No drama. Just accountability. Maybe a lot of name calling.
📋 Repo Requirements
- Public repo — Private repos do not qualify (score 0)
- README.md at root with: what it is, how to run it, link to live app
- Screenshot required — At least one screenshot of the app in action
🎬 YouTube Requirements
- Your channel has your FIRST or LAST name in the channel name
- Minimum length: 5 minutes
- Picture-in-picture required for full video — camera visible entire time
- If PiP drops out for more than single digit % of video → 0 points
🚀 What Counts as "Hosted"
A build earns the 2× multiplier when: public GitHub repo meets all requirements AND app is hosted online with publicly accessible URL.
Ready to Compete?
This is a reps competition: ship in public, learn fast, and build momentum.
Follow on Substack📤 How to Submit
Every time you publish something, send it to Eric (link(s)). He'll coordinate scoring and make sure everyone is seeing each other's work.
If it's not shared, it won't be scored.