Hack Better Than Me (HBTM)

Guidelines Event Name: hack better than me (hbtm) — IABTM x IIIT Pune Theme: Agentic AI for Human Potential Format: Two-Round Competition — Online Qualifier followed by In-Person 24-Hour Hackathon Final Round Date: 1–2 August 2026 Venue: IIIT Pune Campus, Pune, Maharashtra Eligibility Open to all undergraduate and postgraduate students currently enrolled in any recognised college or university across India. Participants must register through the Unstop platform. No minimum GPA or prior AI/ML experience required. A strong interest in agentic AI and problem-solving is sufficient. Teams must have at least one member with basic proficiency in programming and system design. All participants must carry a valid college ID card for verification during the final round. Participants from non-technical backgrounds (design, management, humanities) are welcome as long as the team collectively covers both technical and user-centric aspects. Team Size Minimum 2 members and maximum 4 members per team. Teams must be exactly 2 or 4 members. Solo participation is not allowed. 3-member teams are also not permitted. One member must be designated as the Team Leader at the time of registration. Inter-College Teams Students from different colleges may participate. Inter-Specialization Teams Allowed and strongly encouraged. Teams may consist of participants from different academic specializations — engineering, design, management, sciences, arts, or any other discipline. Registration Requirements To complete your registration, every team must fulfil all three of the following steps: Step 1 — Register on Unstop Fill in the registration form on Unstop with your full details. The Problem Statement email will be sent to the Team Leader. Step 2 — Create an IABTM Account Every team member must create an account on the IABTM platform at: iambetterthanme.com Note down your IABTM username. All team members must share their IABTM usernames in the registration form. Step 3 — Upload an Intro Video on LinkedIn Each team must upload a short introduction video on LinkedIn, tag all three pages below, and share the LinkedIn post URL in the registration form. Pages to tag: IABTM — https://www.linkedin.com/company/iabtm-i-am-better-than-me/m/company/iabtm-i-am-better-than-me IIIT Pune — https://www.linkedin.com/school/iiitpune/ Your video must cover: A introduction of yourself and your team. Clearly mention who the Team Leader is. Projects or achievements you have accomplished so far. Why you want to participate in hack better than me (HBTM). Share the LinkedIn post URL in the registration form after uploading. Round Details Round 1 — Online Qualifier Registrations close on 11th July 2026. After registrations close, the Problem Statement will be sent via email to the Team Leader. Teams will have 2–3 days to work on the problem and submit their solution. Submission format: A PowerPoint presentation (mandatory) and an optional 2–3 minute video walkthrough. Full submission instructions will be shared in the same email as the Problem Statement. Shortlisting for Round 2 will be based on innovation, feasibility, clarity of vision, and alignment with the theme. Round 2 — In-Person 24-Hour Hackathon Shortlisted teams must appear physically at IIIT Pune on 1–2 August 2026. Teams will work on building a working prototype during a continuous 24-hour development sprint. Food and all necessary arrangements will be provided by the organisers. Final evaluation will be based on project demonstrations and presentations to the judging panel. Problem Statements Number of Problem Statements: 1 The Problem Statement will be shared with all registered teams via email after registrations close on 16th July 2026. The email will be sent to the Team Leader. Teams will have 2–3 days to submit their solution after receiving the Problem Statement. Duration of the Competition Round 1: 2–3 days online submission window after the PS email is sent. Round 2: 24 hours of continuous development at IIIT Pune, conducted over two days (1–2 August 2026). Submission Requirements Round 1 PowerPoint presentation covering: problem understanding, proposed architecture, technology stack, user journey, personalisation logic, feasibility, and expected outcomes. IABTM usernames of all team members must be included in the submission. Optional: A 2–3 minute video walkthrough of the proposed solution. Round 2 (Offline at IIIT PUNE) Working prototype or live demo. 3–5 minute demo presentation to the judging panel. Explanation of system architecture and agent design decisions. Sample user journey showcasing personalisation logic. Code repository (GitHub or similar). Evaluation Criteria Round 1 — Online Qualifier Clarity of Problem Understanding – 20% Innovation in Proposed Solution – 25% Technical Feasibility – 20% Presentation and Communication – 20% Alignment with Theme – 15% Round 2 — On-Campus Final at IIIT PUNE Innovation and Creativity – 25% Technical Execution and Completeness – 25% User Experience and Design – 20% Scalability and Growth Potential – 15% Alignment with Challenge Objective and Theme – 15% Registration Registrations will be conducted through Unstop. The registration form will collect: team details, IABTM usernames of all members, designation of Team Leader, email addresses of all members, and the LinkedIn post URL of the intro video. Prizes The prize pool includes cash prizes for the top 3 finalists: 1st Place: Cash Prize 2nd Place: Cash Prize 3rd Place: Cash Prize Goodies for all participants and finalists: Stickers Keychains Tote Bags Additional Opportunities Outstanding projects may be considered for future platform integration. Internship and collaboration opportunities may be offered to exceptional teams. Rules Participants must register in teams of 2 or 4 members only. Solo entries and 3-member teams are not permitted. One team member must be designated as the Team Leader at the time of registration. All teams must submit their project before the deadline communicated in the Problem Statement email. Teams must present their solution during the final judging session at IIIT Pune. Participants must adhere to the event's Code of Conduct throughout the hackathon. All finalists must review and sign the Hackathon Participant Agreement before the event begins. Projects submitted during the hackathon must be original work created by the participating team. Participants agree that project repositories and intellectual property developed during the hackathon may be shared with the organisers as specified in the Participant Agreement. Organisers reserve the right to use submitted work for evaluation, further development, demonstration, or integration purposes. Any violation of event rules, misconduct, plagiarism, unfair practices, or failure to comply with organiser instructions may result in disqualification. The decision of the judges and organisers shall be final and binding in all matters related to the competition. Organisers reserve the right to modify event schedules, rules, judging criteria, or participation requirements if necessary.