Skip to content
Hult Founders ClubGoogle Developer GroupsHFC x GDG

How the pilot works

Register now, submit an idea, vote online in the week before, pick a team on Friday night, build and pitch on Saturday.

Why a pilot

A pilot before the flagship. Seventy people, one Saturday, and the parts that matter most tested for real: the online pitch vote, the app, the club-run tracks and the judging.

The flagship follows in spring 2027: two days, 180 to 250 builders, a live pitch marketplace with virtual money and a projector leaderboard, cash prizes and Google speakers.

The flow

Everything happens in one small app on your phone. Here is what it looks like at each step.

  1. 1

    Now

    Register

    Free. Pick a track you care about, bring an idea if you have one, choose a 4-digit PIN.

  2. 2

    until Nov 18

    Submit an idea

    One idea per person, 150 words, optional video. Opt in to pitch and it goes on the ballot. Edit it in the app until voting opens.

  3. 3

    Nov 18 to 20

    Vote online

    Everyone gets 3 votes, one per idea, none for your own. Wednesday morning to Friday noon.

  4. 4

    Friday night

    Results and teams

    The top ideas in each track become teams of 4 to 5. How many depends on how many people chose the track. Pick the team you want to build with.

  5. 5

    Saturday, Nov 21

    Build and pitch

    Check in, build all day with mentors, submit by 17:30, pitch to your track at 17:45, main stage at 19:00.

The rules

Short, and the app enforces every one of them.

One idea per person
Submitted with registration or added in the app. Editable until voting opens on Nov 18.
Up to 24 ideas on the ballot
8 per track. Beyond that, the organizers approve or swap. Ideas that did not opt in stay as summaries for team balancing.
3 votes each
One vote per idea, none for your own. You can change your votes until Friday at noon.
No running totals
You see how many people have voted, not who is winning. Results come out Friday evening.
Ties
A tie at the cutoff goes to the earlier submission, or to a live tiebreak Saturday morning.
Teams of 4 to 5
Each track gets enough teams for its size, usually 2 to 6. The top-voted ideas become those teams, led by the idea owner. Teams lock Saturday at 10:00.
One winner per track, one overall
Judges score idea, execution and pitch, 1 to 5 each. Track winners pitch again on the main stage.
Prizes are credits and perks
Partner credits and perks for the pilot. The flagship has a cash pool.

What comes back for the flagship

The live market: everyone pitches on the floor, everyone invests virtual money, and a projector leaderboard shows which ideas are pulling ahead over 90 minutes. When it closes, the top ideas become the teams. Two days, cash prizes, Google speakers, spring 2027.

About the flagship

Bring an idea or bring your skills. Leave with a team.

Saturday, November 21, 2026 at Hult Boston. Free. Open to Hult and all Boston-area university students.

Get notified
Get notified