Welcome to Macondo!
Macondo is where you build something real, ship it, and get rewarded for it. You pick a path (hardware or software), build over the next few months, and earn gold, parts funding, and a shot at flying to a hackathon in South America. This page points you to the right starting place.
You'll be flying with other teens to South America for an all-expenses-paid hackathon from August 14-16. You have a few months to learn something new and build something real.
What do I actually get?
Here is what's in it for you, depending on what you build:
- For hardware projects, we'll cover your parts' costs, up to $1000 USD per project depending on its level.
- For software projects, you earn gold for every hour of shipped work, which you can spend on prizes in our shop.
Either way, we provide starter guides and even send you free merch and stickers.
Take a deep breath. We're here with you! If you're ever stuck, search it up. Seriously. Whatever question you have, someone has probably asked it before. If that doesn't answer it, ask in #macondo or #macondo-help on the Hack Club Slack.
1. Need inspiration?
Not sure what to make yet? That's normal. Start with a guide, or browse these for ideas.
- Check out our guides for step-by-step starter builds.
Software ideas:
- GitHub Trending to see what people are building right now.
- DevPost for hackathon projects and creative app ideas.
- Product Hunt for app and tool ideas you could put your own spin on.
- Awesome lists for curated collections in every programming topic imaginable.
Hardware ideas:
- Adafruit has incredible guides and advice for electronics projects of all skill levels.
- Hackaday has amazing projects, including some by Hack Clubbers.
- Instructables has a ton of different stuff to be inspired by.
- Printables has 3D models you can take inspiration from. Don't just copy-paste though!
2. What do you want to build?
Pick a path below. Each one has its own setup guide that walks you through installing the tools you need to start building. You don't have to decide forever, you can build both, but start with one.
3. Ship it!
Once you've built something, it's time to ship it. Shipping means submitting your project for review so you can earn gold and prizes. Check the shipping requirements to make sure your project is ready.
4. Free stuff to help you build
You don't have to pay for any of this. Hack Club has your back with free resources:
- Free AI credits for building your own agents and AI tools. Not for use with pre-built coding agents.
- Free hosting with Nest, a Linux VPS you can deploy anything on.
- Free domains for your project. Open a pull request on the DNS repo to claim a
.dino.icusubdomain. - Free CDN for hosting images, videos, and other assets with a fast global link.
Check the Free AI & Hosting page for details.
5. Need more help?
Stuck is normal, and you're never stuck alone. Here's where to go:
- Ask in the #macondo channel on Slack. People there have built all kinds of stuff.
- Check out hwdocs.hackclub.dev for hardware-specific documentation written by Hack Clubbers.
The best rule is: search it up. Whatever you're stuck on, someone has probably asked about it before.
Don't just copy a tutorial. Make the project yours. That is what reviewers look for and that is what makes it fun to build.
Explore more
The full walkthrough. Pick software or hardware, follow five steps, earn gold for the hours you put in.
What makes a project worth shipping, with real examples and the one rule about copying.
Pick a step-by-step starter build, follow it end to end, then ship your own twist on it.
Shipping makes your project public and submits it for review. Once a reviewer approves it, you earn gold. Here is the whole flow.
How you earn gold, why streaks make every ship pay more, and what the lifetime fruit count means.
Stuck? Search first, ask in Slack, then open a support ticket. Here is exactly where to go for each kind of problem.