Our Judging Philosophy
Build > Talk We prioritize working prototypes over pitches. Show us what you built in 24 hours.
AGI-First Mindset Projects that leverage cutting-edge AI/AGI technology and envision the future of Turing City score higher.
Startup Potential With top VCs judging, we look for projects that could become real businesses with venture-scale impact.
Judging Criteria
1. Innovation & Originality (25%)
Description: How novel, creative, and groundbreaking is the solution?
Key Questions:
- Does this project push the boundaries of what's possible with AI/AGI?
- Is the approach unique or does it reimagine existing solutions?
- Does it demonstrate creative application of cutting-edge technology?
- Would this make judges think "I've never seen this before"?
Scoring Guide:
- 5 - Groundbreaking: Revolutionary approach that redefines possibilities
- 4 - Highly Innovative: Fresh perspective with significant novelty
- 3 - Moderately Innovative: New twist on existing concepts
- 2 - Incremental: Minor improvements to known solutions
- 1 - Derivative: Clone or minimal differentiation
2. Technical Execution (25%)
Description: How well-built, functional, and technically impressive is the hack?
Key Questions:
- Is the project fully functional with core features working?
- How sophisticated is the technical implementation?
- Does it demonstrate strong engineering and code quality?
- How difficult was the technical problem solved?
- Does it work reliably during the demo?
Scoring Guide:
- 5 - Exceptional: Flawless execution, production-ready, technically masterful
- 4 - Strong: Fully functional with impressive technical depth
- 3 - Good: Core features work with solid implementation
- 2 - Basic: Minimal functionality, rough implementation
- 1 - Poor: Broken features, doesn't work as intended
3. Impact & Scalability (25%)
Description: What is the potential real-world impact and business viability?
Key Questions:
- Does this solve a significant real-world problem?
- How many people could benefit from this solution?
- Is there clear market potential or startup viability?
- Can this scale beyond the hackathon?
- Does it align with the AGI/Turing City vision of transformative technology?
Scoring Guide:
- 5 - Transformative: Massive potential impact, clear path to millions of users
- 4 - High Impact: Strong value proposition, significant addressable market
- 3 - Moderate Impact: Solves real problems for a defined audience
- 2 - Limited Impact: Niche use case or unclear value
- 1 - Minimal Impact: No clear beneficiaries or application
4. Design & User Experience (15%)
Description: How intuitive, polished, and user-friendly is the product?
Key Questions:
- Is the interface intuitive and easy to navigate?
- Does the design feel polished and professional?
- Is the user experience smooth and enjoyable?
- Does it demonstrate attention to UX details?
- Is it accessible to diverse users?
Scoring Guide:
- 5 - Exceptional: Stunning design, seamless UX, feels like a finished product
- 4 - Polished: Professional design with thoughtful UX decisions
- 3 - Functional: Clean interface, works well but not remarkable
- 2 - Basic: Rough UI, usability issues present
- 1 - Poor: Confusing interface, difficult to use
5. Presentation & Demo (10%)
Description: How effectively is the project communicated and demonstrated?
Key Questions:
- Is the problem and solution clearly articulated?
- Does the demo showcase the key features effectively?
- Can the team answer technical questions confidently?
- Is the pitch compelling and well-structured?
- Does the presentation inspire excitement?
Scoring Guide:
- 5 - Outstanding: Captivating demo, crystal clear communication, inspiring
- 4 - Strong: Professional presentation, engaging and clear
- 3 - Good: Adequate communication, functional demo
- 2 - Weak: Unclear messaging, demo issues
- 1 - Poor: Confusing presentation, failed demo
What We DON'T Judge On:
- How perfect or clean your code is
- Whether your idea is 100% original (iterations are welcome)
- How polished your pitch deck is
- Prior experience or credentials
- Team size (solo hackers welcome!)
- How much sleep you got
Total Score Calculation
- Innovation & Originality: 25% × (1-5 score)
- Technical Execution: 25% × (1-5 score)
- Impact & Scalability: 25% × (1-5 score)
- Design & User Experience: 15% × (1-5 score)
- Presentation & Demo: 10% × (1-5 score)
Maximum Possible Score: 5.00