Launching the AI Mastery Hackathon 2025: Turbocharged Tools and Tips for Building Your Next AI Project

TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS:

• Exciting launch of the AI Mastery Hackathon 2025, featuring turbo packs with $900+ in credits from top partners.

• Deep dive into AI tools like Bolt.new for rapid landing page creation and Modal Labs for GPU-powered model training.

• Practical advice on generating AI product ideas, prompting strategies, and navigating hackathon challenges.

• Insights on Tech and Schools' mission to empower education through AI, including how purchases support public school students.

INTRODUCTION: Welcome to the AI Biz Hour, where hosts Andy Wergedal (@andywergedal) and John Allen (@AiJohnAllen) dive into the latest in AI business innovation. In this episode, John kicks off the AI Mastery Hackathon 2025 with Ross from Tech and Schools, despite some X Space glitches. The discussion highlights powerful tools, partner credits, and actionable strategies for building AI projects, making it a must-read for aspiring builders looking to turn ideas into reality. Whether you missed the live session or need a quick reference, this newsletter packs the key takeaways to get you started.

MAIN INSIGHTS: Hackathon Launch and Structure The episode centered on the launch of the AI Mastery Hackathon 2025, a week-long event with daily challenges starting with building a landing page using Bolt.new. Ross explained the process of getting "turbo packs" with credits from partners like Modal Labs, DigitalOcean, Azure, and Vercel. With 140 participants and 60 on the waiting list, the hackathon emphasizes completing challenges to qualify for judging, focusing on innovation and completion rather than perfection. Notable quote from Ross: "The idea is, you know, we hope that you guys are motivated to build now that you have the actual paid version of the tools." Practical application or takeaway: Sign up for turbo packs via Slack DMs and focus on Challenge 1: Create a landing page that describes your AI product's features, even if the app isn't built yet—use Bolt to iterate quickly.

Powerful AI Tools and Partners

Ross from Tech In Schools Initiative detailed the hackathon partners and their use cases, highlighting Modal Labs for running GPUs in the cloud (e.g., training models on B200 GPUs used by companies like OpenAI) and Bolt.new for prompt-based landing page creation with 10 million tokens free. Participants get $530 in Modal credits, enabling tasks like custom model training or facial recognition without high costs. Notable quote from John: "10 million tokens... it's a lot. And you're getting to use Claude, that's top of the line." Practical application or takeaway: Use Modal for heavy computing (e.g., run open-source models serverless) and Bolt for building Stripe-integrated pages in minutes—perfect for prototyping AI apps cost-effectively.

Generating Ideas and Building Strategies

Discussions included brainstorming AI product ideas using LLMs (e.g., "Give me the top 20 ideas for a simple AI product") and prompting tips for Bolt, like starting vague and using "Enhance Prompt." Kassandra shared her project idea for an avatar-based Oracle app with lip sync, and Ross advised researching open-source tools like RunwareAI for feasibility within the week. Notable quote from Ross: "Think big when you have the right tools... you're gonna have these new tools that you can rethink what you're doing." Practical application or takeaway: If stuck on ideas, query an LLM for pain points in your industry, then build a landing page with Bolt to describe features—focus on solving real problems for a cohort you know.

Community and Educational Impact

Ross emphasized Tech and Schools' mission to transform education, noting that purchases of tools like My AI Tutor fund AI access for public school kids. John praised the community's cross-pollination and encouraged following Ross for ongoing opportunities. Notable quote from John: "You've changed my life, and I think you've changed so many people's lives, and all the kids that you help." Practical application or takeaway: Support educational AI by purchasing tools—it's a win-win for business innovation and social good.

FEATURED TOOL/TECHNOLOGY: Bolt.new stands out as a prompt-based tool for building landing pages and apps. Describe your idea, and it generates a fully functional page with Stripe integration and AI features like chatbots in seconds. Ideal for hackathon Challenge 1, it offers 10 million tokens for free via turbo packs, making it accessible for non-coders to prototype AI products quickly.

EXPERT CORNER: Ross from Tech and Schools provided expert guidance on hackathon logistics, tool usage, and thinking big with AI. He highlighted Modal Labs' ease for running enterprise-level GPUs and encouraged persistence in claiming credits. Kassandra offered insights on complex projects like avatar creation, with Ross advising on open-source lip sync and RunwareAI for image-to-video, emphasizing research and iteration.

• Use LLMs to generate 20 simple AI product ideas if you're stuck—focus on hair-on-fire problems in your industry.

• For Bolt prompting, start with basic descriptions and use "Enhance Prompt" for better results.

• Claim turbo packs via Slack DMs; check for $530 in Modal credits at the top of your account.

• Reimagine existing landing pages for the hackathon—add calls to action and features even if not built yet.

• Follow Ross for future events; purchases like My AI Tutor support public education.

JanCarlos and the Decision Clarity Framework

A major highlight of the show was the introduction of JanCarlos (@jancarlosbtc), who will be sponsoring the AI Biz Hour for the next four weeks. He introduced his powerful Decision Clarity Framework, a system designed to help individuals and businesses use AI to navigate complexity and make better, faster decisions.

JanCarlos shared that the framework was born from his personal journey with autism. Faced with challenges in communication and overwhelming sensory input from a young age, he was forced to develop meticulous systems to understand the world and make clear decisions. This personal experience became the foundation for a professional framework that anyone can use.

The Four Pillars of the Framework:

JanCarlos's system is broken down into four key stages, which he will cover in weekly "micro-sessions" leading up to a full workshop:

1. Problem Clarity (Week 1) July 8th: Moving beyond surface-level issues to define the root cause of a problem. If you ask AI the wrong questions, it will only amplify your confusion.

2. Resource Clarity (Week 2) July 15th: Taking stock of the assets, skills, and tools you have at your disposal to solve the defined problem.

3. Pathway Clarity (Week 3) July 22: Analyzing your options to determine the most efficient path forward and setting clear priorities.

4. Decision Clarity (The Final Workshop) July 29th: Integrating the first three pillars to make a confident, well-informed, and decisive choice.QUICK HITS:

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

• Modal Labs: https://modal.com (examples in docs for model training)

• Bolt.new: https://bolt.new (for landing page building)

• Tech and Schools: Follow @ross (for hackathon updates and AI tutor info)

• My AI Tutor: Available through Tech and Schools (supports public school kids)

• Slack for Hackathon: Join via invite for turbo pack DMs

COMING UP: Join the AI Biz Hour on LinkedIn this Wednesday at 9 AM for a session on AI basics for business teams—covering LLMs, prompting, and content engineering. Also, tune in for daily hackathon updates and tomorrow's live session at 12 PM ET.

CONNECT WITH AI BIZ HOUR:

Website: aibizhour.com 

Andy Wergedal: @andywergedal 

John Allen: @AiJohnAllen

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CALL TO ACTION: Jump into the AI Mastery Hackathon 2025 if spots open—check Slack for details. Subscribe to the newsletter at aibizhour.com for daily insights, and join us live tomorrow at 12 PM ET to stay ahead in AI business. Share your hackathon projects on X and tag us!

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Join us for tomorrow's live session at 12 PM ET!