PROOF OF USEFULNESS

The Proof of Usefulness Hackathon by HackerNoon is built around one simple idea: real utility instead of just vibe-coded beauty, technical sophistication, or pitchdeck projections. We evaluate projects based on actual human, technical, and financial adoption to answer the most important questions. Is it useful? Do people use it? Individual developers and budding startups are welcome to participate, with access to free tools that help you build and promote something meaningful. Any technology is welcome, but bigger prizes are reserved for AI and ML projects that use sponsor technologies.

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Software Credits

Rolling Submissions: January 5th - June 5th, 2026

Winners Announced Monthly | Final Awards: June - July 2026

Sponsored by

Bright Data

Storyblok

Neo4j

Algolia

The Problem vs The Solution

We're drowning in style over substance, while real people need real tools.

VS

The AI Vibe Decay Problem

Style over substance everywhere

Beautiful apps with no users

Pitch decks for products that don't exist

Vaporware funded because of alma mater clout and TikTok charisma

MVPs that launch, then vanish

Meanwhile, real people need real tools.

The Solution

Measure what actually matters

The world needs tools, not another pitch deck.

Usefulness is how ideas grow.

Usage is the new valuation

No one remembers what was promised. Everyone remembers what worked.

Proof of Usefulness rewards real impact.

Free Credits to Build Something Useful

Our sponsors are offering free credits to help you build. Claim yours and start creating with enterprise-grade tools.

$250

In Free Credits

Bright Data is a leading web data infrastructure platform empowering teams to access ethical, scalable, real-world data for AI, analytics, and automation. It is the leading platform for real-time web access, powering agentic AI and LLM's. As a participant, you qualify for $250 worth of Bright Data software.

$250 in free Bright Data credits
Build with real-world web data at scale
Accelerate development without upfront cost
Credits apply instantly upon signup with the hackathon link

$540

45-days Growth+ Plan Access

Storyblok is an API-first headless CMS that gives developers flexible content structure and creative teams visual editing, all in one scalable platform. Build a beautiful, functional project with StoryBlock using this free inventory.

45 days of free Growth+ access
Unlock advanced CMS features worth $524 at no cost for hackathon builds
Developer-friendly, API-first headless CMS
Visual editing with component-based modeling

AuraDB

Free For All

Neo4j is the industry-leading graph database platform that enables developers to turn connected data into knowledge, powering intelligent apps and analytics. All participants are invited to build a project using Neo4j, and use AuraDB.

Free access to Neo4j AuraDB Build tier
Get started with graph database power for your project at zero cost
Native relationship modeling
Scalable graph intelligence

Build Tier

Free For All

Algolia is an API-first search and discovery platform that helps developers build fast, relevant, and scalable search experiences. Build a project using Algolia's Build tier.

Includes 10K search requests/month, 1M records, 10K AI recommendation requests, and 10K crawls
Try advanced AI search features
Use built-in ecommerce and third-party integrations plus a Generative Experience Guide to accelerate development

$750

Worth of HackerNoon Inventory

HackerNoon is a global tech publishing and community platform where builders share stories, launch ideas, and connect with millions of readers and developers. This is your opportunity to showcase your startup to a global audience.

HackerNoon Publishing Credit
Evergreen Tech Company News Page
Global distribution and exposure

David Smooke

David Smooke

Founder & CEO, HackerNoon

Proof of Usefulness is about cutting through the noise and measuring what actually matters: does your project solve real problems for real people? It's time we reward utility over hype.

The Proof of Usefulness Algorithm

The validation system that measures what matters: real utility instead of vibe coded beauty, technical sophistication, or pitchdeck projections. HackerNoon's Proof of Usefulness evaluates human, financial and technical adoption and value creation. Is it good? Do people use it? A technical approach to answering these simple questions.

Bitcoin's proof-of-work requires miners to solve cryptographic puzzles, consuming massive energy to validate transactions. Our proof-of-usefulness requires projects to solve real problems for actual users.

Instead of hash rates and mining difficulty, we measure user adoption, revenue sustainability, technical stability, and genuine utility. Projects are scored from -100 to +1000 based on empirical evidence, with seven distinct tiers:

751-1000:	Unicorn Utility - Product has undeniable utility and massive adoption.
601-750:	Category Standard - Product is a default choice and trusted across its category.
451-600:	Industry Mainstay - Product is a definitive solution to a market problem.
301-450:	Certified Problem Solver - Product is self-sustaining and provide long-term operational stability
101-300:	Gaining Momentum - Product is officially moving from "neat idea" to "serious contender"
000-100:	You're In Business - You've hit "Deploy" and the world didn't crash.
-100-000:	Lab Mode - Product is almost ready for the big reveal

The algorithm cross-validates responses against publicly available data, ensuring projects can't simply claim utility without demonstrating it.

calculateUsefulness()

function calculateUsefulness(project) {

let baseScore = 0;

let qualityMultipliers = [];

// Evidence depth analysis

const responseQuality = analyzeResponseDepth(project.responses);

const quantitativeEvidence = extractMetrics(project.responses);

const crossValidation = validateAgainstPublicData(project.url);

// Core utility scoring

for (const criterion of UTILITY_CRITERIA) {

const rawScore = evaluateCriterion(criterion, project);

const qualityFactor = responseQuality[criterion.name];

const validationFactor = crossValidation[criterion.name];

const adjustedScore = rawScore * qualityFactor * validationFactor;

baseScore += criterion.weight * adjustedScore;

}

return Math.clamp(baseScore, -100, 1000);

}

Core Algorithm

PoU_score = Σ_i=1ⁿ (w_i × C_i × Q_i) x U_m

The Proof of Usefulness score aggregates weighted criterion scores, adjusted by response quality factors and cross-validation results, with a usefulness multiplier to account for the potential market impact of the product.

w_i

Weight Factor

Statistical weight based on correlation analysis of 500+ successful projects

C_i

Criterion Score

Normalized score from response analysis and evidence validation

Q_i

Quality Factor

Response quality multiplier based on depth and specificity

U_m

Usefulness Multiplier

Market impact adjustment based on verified usage patterns and adoption signals

Weight Distribution

Criterion	Weight	Correlation	Justification
Real-World Utility	25%	r = 0.847	Problem-solution fit and practical actionability
Evidence of Traction	25%	r = 0.792	User adoption, media coverage, and verifiable signals
Audience Reach & Impact	20%	r = 0.734	Size and real-world influence
Technical Innovation	15%	r = 0.681	Novelty and quality of implementation
Market Timing & Relevance	10%	r = 0.667	Competitive positioning and timeliness
Functional Completeness	5%	r = 0.643	Clarity, evidence, and thoughtfulness

Proof of Usefulness Validation Criteria

Six comprehensive criteria determine utility, each requiring evidence that demonstrates genuine value creation and sustainable operation.

Real-World Utility

Does this solve a genuine problem? Is the solution practical and actionable? Score 0–100 based on problem-solution fit.

Weight: 25%

Evidence of Traction

Evaluate user adoption, media coverage, testimonials. Score 0–100 based on verifiable traction signals.

Weight: 25%

Audience Reach & Impact

Verify claimed reach and growth trajectory. Score 0–100 based on size and real-world influence.

Weight: 20%

Technical Innovation

Assess novelty and quality of technical implementation. Score 0–100 based on innovation and sophistication.

Weight: 15%

Market Timing & Relevance

Assess competitive positioning and timeliness. Score 0–100 based on market relevance.

Weight: 10%

Functional Completeness

Evaluate clarity, supporting evidence, and thoughtfulness. Score 0–100 based on submission quality.

Weight: 5%

See How Major Brands Score

From tech giants to startups, see real Proof of Usefulness scores based on actual utility metrics

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