There are just 11 days left in our current hackathon with New Relic! As I've mentioned before, New Relic has generously DOUBLED their cash prize package for winners and runners-up. That means three grand prize winners get $5,000 and 10 runners-up get $500 USD 😱 — by far the biggest hackathon cash prize DEV members have ever received!

Because Hack the Planet is slightly different in structure than anything we've done before, I wanted to address some frequently asked questions about this hackathon...

Q: "What can I build for Hack the Planet?"

A: Your options are basically endless, but they do depend on the category you select. Here's a breakdown...

Science and Observation: Build a web application that uses New Relic to observe science phenomena in the world around you. This app will either call open-source endpoints supplying climate change-related data OR you can create errors/issues within your app and show screenshots of the New Relic dashboards observing those errors or alerts.

New Year, New Resources: Same as the above, except instead of building a NEW application, you'll be implementing New Relic into an existing application you've built to add a climate-change monitoring element.

Out of This World: Build any kind of web application you want using New Relic! No climate change aspect required! The only caveat here is that you'll be asked a short essay question about observability and climate change in your submission template

Q: "Where do I submit my project?"

A: Unlike our previous hackathons where contestants were asked to submit their projects on DEV, you'll be submitting your final project on The Relicans for Hack the Planet! This community is built on Forem and moderated by the New Relic team. It's a welcoming space for software developers to ask questions/connect directly with the New Relic team.

Q: "How do I submit my project?"

A: Again, create an account on The Relicansas a first step (and be sure to enjoy all the discussions the community has to offer!). From there, you'll want to use their submission template and answer all the questions you see there. Note: If you're submitting your application under the "Out of This World" category, please answer the short essay question at the end of the template. For the other two categories, this field is optional.

Be sure to submit your project by midnight (PT) on 2/28. Full contest rules here.

Q: "I have another question. Where can I ask it?"

A: Head over to this help thread on The Relicans to ask your Hack the Planet/New Relic questions directly to their moderators and the New Relic team.

If you just want to share updates and thoughts on your project or motivate others, check out their community discussion thread

Good luck, everyone! I'm so excited to see what you build for this contest 🎉