Compete on product strategy. Present to judges.

No; in fact, the competition is designed for beginners to gain direct product experience. Our competition attracts students from all backgrounds, including business, engineering, design, and liberal arts. What matters is your ability to think strategically about products and communicate a compelling solution.

The focus is mainly on product strategy: understanding users, defining solutions, prioritizing features, and making defensible tradeoffs. A polished prototype helps, but what judges really care about is your thinking.

For each round, you have 24 hours from when the prompt drops to submit. Most teams spend 8-12 hours actively working. You can structure your time however works for your team.

NYU students attend the first round in person, but finals are virtual. For non-NYU students, coordinate with your school's product club or reach out to us directly.

Strong submissions demonstrate deep user understanding, strategic prioritization under constraints, clear success metrics, and realistic execution thinking. Judges look for teams that can defend their decisions and communicate a compelling product vision.

Reach out to us at pmc@nyu.edu! We can work with you or your school's club to potentially get a team registered for the national round.