Welcome to the first product management hackathon hosted by Ascend Concordia and the Software Engineering and Computer Science Society (SCS). We’re excited to bring together engineering and business students for a unique opportunity to collaborate and create products that solve real problems.
Product management is about solving real problems and creating value for users. It connects technology and business to turn ideas into products people actually want.
This hackathon challenges you to think like both a product manager and a builder. You’ll improve a minimal budgeting app prototype and create a product that stands out in the market and meets real user needs.
Engineering students will explore how product management guides technical decisions and how those decisions connect to user value and business goals. Business students will get hands-on experience with the product development process, learning how ideas move from problem discovery to design and implementation.
Your focus should be on understanding user needs, shaping features that matter, and making design choices that create lasting value. The goal is to develop a product that users adopt and continue using while balancing technical feasibility and business impact.
Requirements
The prototype provided to you uses pure HTML, CSS, and JavaScript all in one ‘index.html’ file. This is done so it can be as barebones as possible and run on any device without needing any dependencies.
For your app, you can continue with the provided ‘index.html’ file or rebuild your own using any framework you want, whether it’s React, Vue, Flutter, .NET, Qt, etc. Make sure to include a ‘readme’ file with build instructions so the judges can build and run the app.
Develop a business case for your version of the app.
An important part of product management is effectively monetizing your product. For your version of the app, you should
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Identify the target audience
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Have a unique value proposition*
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Have a clear monetization strategy
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Have a go-to-market plan*
Ways to monetize your app include (but are not limited to):
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Direct sales
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In-app purchases
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Subscriptions
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Licensing
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Ads
Be creative and integrate it seamlessly into the app.
Focus on the customers!
As a product manager, one of your roles is to listen to customer feedback and address it. You will be provided with a list of reviews about the app. It is recommended that you take them into account while building your version of this app.
Pitch your product.
You have 5-to-7 minutes to pitch your product to a panel of judges. You will talk about what you changed in the app, why the changes were made, the size of your market, your monetization strategy, etc. There will be a 3-minute Q&A after your pitch.
Tips for Success-
Don’t just add features. Focus on solving a real user pain point and creating value.
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Back up your ideas with user feedback or small bits of research.
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Make sure the user experience feels smooth and intuitive from start to finish.
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When pitching, tell a clear story: explain the problem, show your solution, and highlight the impact it creates.
Prizes
INTERVIEW FOR EDUQLASSE
Interview for Eduqlasse
30-MINUTE MENTORSHIP SESSION WITH A JUDGE
30-MINUTE MENTORSHIP SESSION WITH A JUDGE
AI WORKSHOP TICKET
Value of $39 per ticket.
$25 AMAZON GIFTCARD
$25 AMAZON GIFTCARD
$25 YEN CUISINE JAPONAISE GIFTCARD
$25 YEN CUISINE JAPONAISE GIFTCARD
$17 WENDY'S VOUCHER MEAL
$17 WENDY'S VOUCHER MEAL TRIO
Devpost Achievements
Submitting to this hackathon could earn you:
Judges
Michel Abdel Nour
Morgan Stanley
Catherine Koutsaris
Matrox Video
An K. T. Nguyen
Manulife
Marie Ty
EY
Michael Zhao
MicroConnect
Judging Criteria
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Business Pitch Requirement
Each team must deliver a 5–7 minute presentation followed by Q&A. Presentations should be clear, visual, and persuasive. -
Your working prototype/demo
Any frameworks, languages, or libraries are allowed. You may use open-source packages, APIs, or external datasets. Watch the licenses and give attribution where required. The code repository must be created after 6 pm Friday, March 13th.
Questions? Email the hackathon manager
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