Ready to decentralize your hackathon experience? Want some hackathon tips for success?
You can use a Pocket-Powered RPC endpoint to build your hackathon projects with fast and reliable infrastructure at their core. Pocket is the #1 way for hackers to ship cool projects quickly and set their early-stage ideas up for scale.
Here’s how to get started 👇
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Mint Your Own Decentralized Endpoint
Getting set up with your own private endpoint is easy with Pocket. Just head over to the Pocket Portal and:
🟢 Sign up for an account
🟢 Create a new application
🟢 Use our Always Free tier for 250,000 free relays per day
🟢 Add your own private endpoints for any of Pocket’s dozens of supported chains
🟢 Fine tune your whitelists and usage notifications
🟢 Let the data relays begin!
That’s it! You’re set up with decentralized and reliable infrastructure to power you through any hackathon now – and the whole process just takes a couple of minutes, so you can focus on building the winning app.
Check Out the Quickstart Guide on Building with Pocket
Now that you’ve got a Pocket endpoint, it’s time to put it to use!
Your Portal URL is designed to work directly in the popular frameworks and libraries that you’ll need to interact with. Our Quickstart Guide for building with Pocket will get you rolling.
🟢Build an interface to applications. See how to use your Pocket endpoint with popular libraries.
🟢Access live chains in your development environment. Learn how to leverage your endpoint in different smart contract environments.
🟢Access blockchain data directly. Learn how to use your Pocket endpoint to interact with underlying blockchain APIs directly in your browser.
Use the Pocket API Docs to Level Up
You’ve got the endpoint…you’ve got the crash course…now it’s time to really dig in.
The Pocket API Docs break down all the different requests you can make using your endpoint, and give interactive samples of proper requests and successful responses.
Plus, the Pocket API Docs bring a couple of super handy extra functionalities:
🟢Choose between nearly 20 different languages to see request samples in, from JavaScript and Python to Ruby and Swift, and everything in between.
🟢Send API requests directly through the browser, using your Portal ID
Meet the Community and Ask Away
Once you’ve got yourself acquainted make sure to hop in our Discord, ask any questions you may have, and listen in on our regular community calls! The Pocket community is full of helpful builders.
10 Hackathon Tips for Success
Last but not least – we’ve been to our fair share of hackathons.
We want to share some hackathon tips for success that we’ve seen from successful projects in the past!
- Lean into the most current Web3 trends and use cases. Identify the most pressing challenges and opportunities. Develop a project that really stands out.
- Focus on delivering real value to users. This can mean anything from making it easier for people to access Web3 applications and services, to improving the speed and security of Web3 transactions.
- Take risks. Hackathons are all about pushing the boundaries and exploring new ideas. Get creative and think outside the box.
- You don’t always have to reinvent the wheel. Don’t be afraid to rely on existing technologies and platforms. You can always look for ways to build on existing solutions and improve them in cool new ways.
- Build your team with complementary skills. The right mix of skills and expertise really matters. Look for team members who complement your own strengths and weaknesses.
- Think about scalability. While the focus of a hackathon is often on creating a proof of concept, think about how your project could be scaled in the future.
- Don’t neglect the design and UX. Even the best ideas can fall short if they’re not well-designed and user-friendly. Try and create a clean and intuitive interface.
- Engage with the community. Reach out to other developers and users in the Web3 space, and get their feedback and insights on your project.
- Leverage existing Web3 networks and ecosystems. There are tons of communities and platforms that can provide valuable resources and support for your project. Don’t be shy about tapping into them.
- Enjoy yourself! Challenge yourself, learn new things, and connect with like-minded builders. Make the most of the experience!