Read the official rules before choosing the idea
Confirm eligible platforms, the “new app” requirement, team rules, submission deadline, and the specific category you are targeting. The Devpost page is the source of truth when details differ.
From blank folder to demo
The starter kit.
A short path through the parts that usually steal the day: choosing a stack, configuring purchases, testing, and making a submission that someone else can understand.
Pick the stack you can debug fastest
Native Swift/Kotlin and cross-platform Flutter, React Native, or Expo can all work. Use the toolchain your team can run on a physical device today; novelty in the stack is rarely the winning feature.
Create one paid entitlement
Start with a single entitlement and one offering. Give it a clear customer benefit. You can add tiers later; first prove that the purchase screen, transaction, and unlocked state agree.
Wire the SDK and identify the user
Configure the public SDK key for the correct app, load offerings, purchase a package, and gate one real feature with CustomerInfo. Never put a RevenueCat secret API key in the mobile client or in this website’s project form.
Test the broken paths, not just the happy one
Try purchase, cancel, restore, expired access, slow network, and relaunch. Keep a test checklist with the device and account used so a teammate can reproduce the same state.
Record the two-minute proof
Show the problem, the core loop, the paywall or purchase, and the unlocked result on a real device or clean simulator. Put the strongest moment in the first thirty seconds; skip a long logo intro.
Package the submission
Prepare the app link or student-eligible video and source-code route, a short description, screenshots, team details, category, and testing instructions. Students should use the academic email on their Devpost account for Next Gen eligibility.
Build-day packing list
Laptop, charger, test phone and cable, store/sandbox login, recovery codes you can access safely, headphones, a two-minute demo script, and a local backup of the build that worked. Keep credentials in your password manager—not in chat, source control, screenshots, or project submissions.