​❗️This event is now at Max Capacity- no longer accepting applications ❗️

​Build anything with Codex

​What could you build from scratch in a single day that makes the world more useful?

​📅 Monday, October 12, 2026
🕙 9:00 AM–6:00 PM
📍 DotsHub, Istanbul
🎟️ Limited capacity — application required

​Join us at Istanbul Ignited by Slush’D — Day 0: Founders Day for a hands-on hackathon presented with OpenAI.

​In this full-day build session, founders, engineers, designers, product thinkers, operators, and ambitious beginners will use Codex to turn a meaningful problem into a working product.

​Everyone starts from the same place: a blank page.

​You do not need to arrive with an existing startup, project, or finished concept. During the event, you will identify a real problem, shape a useful solution, and use Codex to research, plan, build, debug, improve, and ship it.

​Codex can help you explore a problem, structure your approach, write and review code, troubleshoot issues, build features, and move from prompt to production.

​You choose the problem. Codex helps you build the solution.

​The Challenge

​What could you build from scratch in a single day to make the world more useful?

​Choose a real problem and use Codex to research, plan, build, debug, and ship a useful prototype—an application, AI agent, internal tool, or automated workflow. You can also use fal.ai to create visuals and other creative assets. You don’t need an existing startup, project, or finished idea.

​Every team will have the opportunity to present what they built. The strongest projects will pitch on the main stage, with prizes awarded to the top teams.

​Every Codex participant receives ChatGPT Pro access (5× plan) for the hackathon day to build with Codex. Account access instructions will be shared after check-in.

​Connect to Fal.ai

​Connect fal.ai to your project to generate and edit images, videos, audio and 3D content. Combine creative models with Codex to build richer, more interactive products.

​Each participant receives $50 in fal.ai credits. Credit claim instructions will be shared after check-in.

​Agenda

​08:30–09:00 | Doors Open & Check-in & Breakfast — Arrivals, coffee, bites, check-in and getting settled.

​09:00–09:10 | Welcome + Challenge & Judging Criteria — About the hackathon challenge and how projects will be judged.

​09:10–09:30 | Fireside Chat with Emre Okcular (Applied AI @OpenAI) — Panel about Future of AI & Live Demo of practical tips of how Emre uses Codex

​09:30 | Hacking Begins — Judges and mentors circulate to help teams develop ideas and get past blockers.

​12:30 | Lunch Available — Building Continues — Grab food and take a break when it suits you.

​16:00 | Building Stops & Submissions Lock — Submit your project and final team details by this time.

​16:00–16:15 | Judging Preparation — Teams receive their judging station and presentation order.

​16:15–17:00 | Preliminary Judging — Each team gets a two-minute pitch and demo, followed by one minute of Q&A.

​17:00–17:30 | Top 6 Finals — On Stage — Finalists pitch to the judges and audience.

​17:30–17:45 | Final Judge Deliberation — Judges decide the winners.

​17:45–18:00 | Awards & Closing — Winners announced, prizes presented, and closing remarks.

​How Judging Works

• ​Each team presents to one assigned judge: 2 minutes for the pitch and demo, followed by 1 minute of Q&A. Judges then have 1 minute for scoring and changeover.

• ​There are six judges and six independent stations across four rooms: Feriye Room 1 — stations 1 & 2; Feriye Room 2 — stations 3 & 4; DotsHub Room 3 — station 5; DotsHub Room 4 — station 6. Each judge sees about 7–8 teams and selects one finalist and one reserve.

• ​The six finalists present on stage to all six judges: 3 minutes for the pitch and demo + 1 minute of Q&A per team.

• ​Finals are scored afresh using the same criteria. The judges agree the final ranking together.

• ​Paper score sheets will be provided to judges.

• ​Wait in your track’s main room until your team is called. A volunteer will guide you to the correct building, room and station.

​Judging Criteria

​Five equally weighted criteria — 20% each:

• ​Problem and value — 20%: Does the project solve a meaningful, real-world problem? Is it clear who would use it and why?

• ​Execution and quality — 20%: How much did the team build and ship during the hackathon? Does the demo show a working result?

• ​Use of Codex and tools — 20%: How meaningfully did Codex and supporting tools help turn the idea into a working product?

• ​Potential and impact — 20%: Could this become a useful product, workflow, company or public tool beyond the hackathon?

• ​Pitch quality — 20%: Does the team clearly explain what they built, demonstrate its value and answer questions within the time limit?

​Judges score each criterion 1–5. The total score is the sum multiplied by four, out of 100.

​Prizes

​🥇 1st Place: $5,000 in OpenAI API credits
🥈 2nd Place: $2,500 in OpenAI API credits
🥉 3rd Place: $1,000 in OpenAI API credits

​👕 4th–6th Place: OpenAI merchandise for each team

​Who Is This For?

• ​Founders who want to turn a meaningful problem into a working product

• ​Engineers exploring agentic coding and faster development workflows

• ​Operators who understand broken workflows and want to fix them

• ​Curious, ambitious people who want to ship with AI

​You do not need an existing company, project, or finished idea.

​Bring your laptop, your curiosity, and your willingness to build something that matters. ⚡