Vibecon- Overnight Vibecoding Hackathon by Emergent X Anthropic X AWS
To apply to this event -> LINK
This isn’t your regular hackathon.
Over one weekend, 250 hand-picked professionals will come together at Y Combinator SF Office to bring their boldest ideas to life. The catch?
Most of them have never written a line of code — and that’s the point.
You might be a product manager, vibe coder, developer, a marketer, a designer, or someone who’s spent 10+ years building a career in business, sales, or finance. Now you’re ready to chase an idea that’s been sitting in your head for years.
For 48 hours, you’ll:
Work in teams or go solo to build a working product from scratch.
Get guidance from mentors at Amazon, Anthropic, and Emergent (S24).
Push yourself to think bigger, move faster, and ship something real.
Present to a jury that will choose the Top 3 teams.
And for those winners? A career-defining prize:
Direct interview for an upcoming YC batch
And obviously there will be cash prizes totalling $10k for the top 3
Agenda:
🗓️ Saturday, Nov 8
9:00 AM – 9:30 AM — Registrations & Check-in
9:30 AM – 10:30 AM — Registrations & Breakfast – Time to wear some Swag!
Join the community, welcome each other, and get ready for a thrilling 48 hours.
10:30 AM – 10:45 AM — Vibecon Kickoff
10:45 AM – 11:15 AM — Fireside Chat with Nicolas (Y Combinator) & Mukund (Emergent)
11:15 AM – 11:25 AM — Welcome Note by AWS
11:25 AM – 11:45 AM — Welcome Note by Anthropic
11:45 AM – 12:30 PM — Lunch
12:30 PM – 4:30 PM — Build Block #1
4:30 PM – 5:00 PM — Snack & Coffee Break
6:00 PM – 7:00 PM — Dinner
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM — Build Block #2
9:00 PM – 7:30 AM (next morning) — Optional Overnight Build Block #3
🗓️ Sunday, Nov 9
7:30 AM – 9:00 AM — Breakfast
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM — Final Build Block: Fine-tune & perfect your product before pitching to the pod leads
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM — Lunch
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM — Demo with Pod Leads (2 min demo + 1 min Q&A)
3:00 PM – 3:30 PM — Surprise Chat
3:30 PM – 4:00 PM — Snacks Break & Top 10 Announcement
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM — Demo Preparation for Top 10 (Deck + Product)
5:00 PM – 6:00 PM — Demo Evening w/ Judges – 3 min Demo + 2 min Q&A
6:00 PM – 6:30 PM — Winners Announcement & Group Photos (Official Wrap-Up)What’s at Stake
🏆 Top 3 teams get
The winner gets a direct YC interview for an upcoming batch
The runner up gets a YC office hours
Cash prizes totalling $10k for the top 3
Who Should Apply
You have an ambitious idea that you want to pursue and bring to life without writing all the code yourself
You have 2+ years of experience in roles like product, engineering, marketing, sales, design, or finance.
You’re ambitious, restless, and ready to spend 48 hours chasing your biggest idea.
Why Join
Work inside YC HQ alongside 200+ equally driven people.
A prize that actually changes your future.
How to Apply
Fill out the application: LINK
Tell us who you are and why you want in.
Approved participants will receive a confirmation and details to prepare.
Participation is free but selective. Only 200 spots.
FAQs
Do I need to know coding to participate?
No. Vibecon doesn't mandate any coding knowledge.
What kind of people are you looking for?
Experienced professionals (2+ years) from roles like product, engineering, management, marketing, design, finance, operations, and sales. People with ambition and ideas who are ready to build, even if they’ve never written code.
Can I apply as a team?
Everyone should submit their own individual application. If you’re applying with others, make sure to note that you’re part of a team in the open response section - Add their FULL NAME and EMAIL for our reference. Solo applicants are also encouraged to apply — there will be opportunities to meet others and form teams at the kickoff.
How many people will be selected?
250 participants. Selection is based on applications, not first-come-first-serve.
What does the application process look like?
You’ll apply via Luma with a short form that asks about your background, why you want to join, and what you’d like to build. If you’re approved, you’ll get a confirmation email with all details.
Is participation free?
Yes, there is no fee. The event is free but selective. We do not cover personal costs associated for traveling to the hackathon.
What’s the structure of the hackathon?
Day 1: Kickoff, team formation, and building.
Day 2: More building, local demo rounds to shortlist, and Top 10 stage demos.
From those, the Top 3 teams are chosen.
What are the judging criteria?
Ideas will be evaluated on originality, value to users, execution quality, feasibility, market potential, and storytelling.
What do winners get?
Depending on the confirmed theme:
Exclusive 1:1 time with senior leaders from AWS, Anthropic, and Emergent.
Will the event be streamed?
No. If accepted, you must participate in person.
Do I need to stay overnight?
It’s optional. You can keep building late into the night if you want to, or rest and continue the next morning. There's a strict no re-entry from midnight until 7 AM the next day.
What support will I get while building?
Mentors from Emergent, Amazon, and Anthropic will be on-site to help teams troubleshoot, refine their ideas, and make progress.
What if I don’t get selected?
We have reached capacity for the event. If spots open closer to the event, we’ll reach out.
What do I need to bring?
Your laptop, charger, and anything you need to stay productive for 48 hours. We do not provide items to keep you comfortable and warm overnight stay. Food and refreshments will be provided.
Where is the event happening?
At the Y Combinator office, 560 20th street, in San Francisco, CA.
Are you a minor (Under 18 years old)?
No children under the age of 15 are allowed to attend these events
Attendees aged 15-17 require a parent waiver to be signed prior to the event. Please ask your YC contact for this ([email protected])
When will winners get their prizes?
1:1 meetings will be scheduled in the week following the hackathon.
YC GP will reachout to the winners to coordinate a date and time to meet in the future.