Judging at Devpost Hackathons: What You Need to Know

Hackathon organizers and the Devpost Team often receive questions about judging opportunities, but we typically do not have an opportunity to accept external judges for hackathons. Here’s what you need to know.

Nearly all hackathons Managed by Devpost already have their judging panels established. Organizers typically recruit judges internally, through their professional networks, or via established partnerships. 

While we understand the desire to contribute to the hackathon community, we encourage you to consider participating in the hackathon itself if you're eligible! Hackathons offer fantastic opportunities to learn new technologies, build your portfolio, and connect with other developers. In fact, many participants organically become mentors during the event by answering questions and demonstrating their projects. This organic mentorship is a valuable contribution to the hackathon community that can sometimes even lead to winning a Most Valuable Participant Prize, if available.

Though some student hackathons may solicit judging applications, please note that hackathons that are Managed by Devpost do not. Note: Be wary of any organization that asks you to pay a fee to participate as a judge. Please exercise caution and thoroughly research any hackathon before agreeing to participate as a judge.

We love seeing how engaged our community is and truly appreciate the enthusiasm for hackathon judging. However, due to the way our hackathons are structured, we are generally unable to connect individuals with judging opportunities for hackathons Managed by Devpost. 

We encourage you to stay involved, keep innovating, and explore other ways to contribute to the hackathon community!