🚀 ZTM Build Fest

30 days. One idea. Make something that matters.

We’re kicking off ZTM Build Fest, a 30-day hackathon challenging you to take everything you've learned and use it to build something that makes the world a little better.

Not the whole world. You don't need to build the next Facebook, cure climate change or solve world hunger.

We want you to look at your own life and ask: what could be easier?

Maybe there's something that wastes your time every day. Something that causes unnecessary stress. A problem your friends, family or colleagues keep running into. Something that should be accessible to everyone but isn't.

Find one of those problems and build something to make it better.

The challenge

Over the next 30 days, take an idea from "someone should build this" to "I built this."

Your project should be open source, solve a real problem and be something people can actually use. It can be as ambitious or as simple as you like. A tool that helps thousands of people is great. A tiny app that makes one person's life easier is great too.

The important thing is that you build it and ship it.

And yes, AI is absolutely allowed. In fact, we want you to experiment with it. Using AI to help you write your code is fine, but we're particularly interested in projects that find a genuinely creative way to use AI as part of the solution.

How to contribute

Want to add your project? Submit a pull request (PR) for the maintainers to review and merge.

1. Fork the repository

Click the Fork button at the top right of the ZTM-Build-Fest repo to create your own copy under your GitHub account.

2. Clone your fork

git clone https://github.com/YOUR-USERNAME/ZTM-Build-Fest.git
cd ZTM-Build-Fest

3. Create a new branch

Never work directly on main. Create a branch with a short, descriptive name:

git checkout -b add-my-project-name

4. Create your project folder

Inside the projects/ directory, create a folder for your project. Use lowercase letters and hyphens, and pick a name that reflects what your project does:

mkdir projects/my-project-name

Put all of your project's files inside this folder. Don't edit or add files anywhere else in the repo. Your folder must include:

• A README.md that explains:
  • What problem your project solves
  • How to install and run it
  • How you used AI, if you did
• A LICENSE file (your project must be open source)
• Your source code

Your structure should look like this:

ZTM-Build-Fest/
└── projects/
    └── my-project-name/
        ├── README.md
        ├── LICENSE
        └── ...your code

5. Commit your changes

git add projects/my-project-name
git commit -m "Add my-project-name: short description"

6. Push to your fork

git push origin add-my-project-name

7. Open a pull request

1. Go to your fork on GitHub and click Compare & pull request.
2. Make sure the base repository is zero-to-mastery/ZTM-Build-Fest and the base branch is main.
3. Give your PR a clear title, like "Add my-project-name", and briefly describe your project.
4. Click Create pull request.

8. Respond to feedback

A maintainer will review your PR and may ask for changes. To update your PR, push more commits to the same branch and it will update automatically. Once approved, a maintainer will merge it. 🎉

Tips for a smooth review

• Only add or change files inside your own project folder.
• Make sure your folder name is unique. Check that no one else has used it.
• Test that your setup instructions work from a fresh clone.
• Be kind and patient. Maintainers are volunteers.

Staying in sync

If the main repo changes while your PR is open, sync your fork:

git remote add upstream https://github.com/zero-to-mastery/ZTM-Build-Fest.git
git fetch upstream
git merge upstream/main