3 months ago

Captain’s check-in ⚓️ Shipyard: Creator Contest

Ahoy! 👋

Is that a mirage, or is it a container ship filled with tips on how to win Shipyard?

We hope your submission for Shipyard: Creator Contest is progressing nicely. As we sail past the halfway point, we wanted to drop by with some insider info from the influencers, a new prize announcement, and a little mid-hackathon checklist for you.

Shipyard LIVE: tips for winning

In case you missed it, the Shipyard crew chatted with some of our partnered creators, Eitan Bernath (@eitan), Simon (@BetterCreating), and Gabby (@packslight) who shared insights on their audience and briefs. Plus, Shipyard guest judges Bria Sullivan (CTO & Founder of HoneyB Games) and Ben Ganz (Founder of UltimateAI) revealed what they’re looking for in the winning MVPs.

Watch the livestream replay here, or check out this blog with all the questions (and answers) we tackled.

Bonus prize draw for all participants

As if the chance to collab with an influencer, make your app a reality, and win $20k isn’t enough… we’re also giving an extra boost of motivation to help you over the finish line:

All Shipyard: Creator Contest submissions will be entered into a bonus prize draw: five participants will win $5k + some stylish RevenueCat swag.

All submissions that meet the submission requirements laid out on Devpost will be entered into this bonus prize draw automatically. What have you got to lose?

New partrner perk in the Shipping container

We’ve just welcomed Appfigures aboard Shipyard. Claim one month of access to their platform so you can dive into app analytics and market insights as you polish your submission. All you need to do is complete the form here to redeem the offer.

Your Shipyard checklist

Finally, to wrap up, here’s a quick checklist for the final stretch of Shipyard:

Watch the Shipyard Q&A for insider tips from the influencers and judges
Meet fellow hackers and ask for advice in the Shipyard Discord community
Share your progress on socials with #Shipyard2026
Start studying up on how to win Shipyard
Don’t forget to install the RevenueCat SDK
Double check how to submit your app
Remember to eat, drink, and sleep!

Okay, okay, we know four-week hackathons don’t exactly leave lots of leisure time, but it’s still important to take regular breaks, get some fresh air, and remember to hydrate (coffee and energy drinks don’t count). 🧃

You’re doing great. We’ll see you at the finish line!
— The Shipyard crew