Your July Weekend Challenge: Build a Productivity App, get a cool jacket
Build a personal AI-powered productivity tool using AWS, and win an AWS Builder Jacket! (Limited quantities!). Runs July 10th - 13th.
Welcome to the Build a Productivity App Weekend Challenge! This is your chance to build something useful, learn new AWS skills, and earn an awesome prize, all in one weekend. The first 50 qualifying submissions earn an AWS Builder Jacket. No random drawing, if you complete the challenge and are one of the first 50 to submit, you win. Let's go!
What You'll Build 🏗️
Create a personal AI-powered productivity tool — something that genuinely helps you get more done. Here are some ideas to spark your creativity:
- Task prioritizer — Let AI sort your to-do list by urgency and impact
- Email summarizer — Condense your inbox into actionable highlights
- Meeting prep bot — Auto-generate agendas and talking points
- Habit tracker — Use AI to surface insights about your daily routines
Deploy using AWS Free Tier services — for new accounts, access up to $200 in Free Tier credits covering Amazon Bedrock, Nova models, Amplify, Lambda, and more.
Win an AWS Builder Jacket! 🏆
The first 50 qualifying submissions will each receive an AWS Builder Jacket (approx. $99 value).
There is no lottery, no voting. Be one of the first 50 to submit a qualifying entry and the jacket is yours.
How to Participate 🎯
- Build your app — Create an AI-powered productivity tool deployed on at least one AWS service
- Write your article — Publish an article on AWS Builder Center that meets the requirements below between July 10, 9:00 AM PT and July 13, 2026, 1:00 PM PT
Article Requirements ✍️
Your article must be at least 500 words and include:
| Section | What to Include |
|---|---|
| Title | Must include: "Weekend Productivity Challenge: [Name of Your App]" |
| Tag | Add the tag: #productivity |
| Vision & What the App Does | Describe the purpose of your tool, the problem it solves, and how it works from a user perspective |
| How You Built It | Your development process — key decisions, challenges encountered, and how you overcame them |
| AWS Services Used / Architecture Overview | List the AWS services used and provide a brief architecture overview. Diagrams encouraged! |
| What You Learned | Reflect on new skills, services, or approaches you discovered during the challenge |
| Link to App or Repo | A working link to your deployed app OR a public GitHub repo with your source code |
Timeline ⏰
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Challenge opens | July 10, 2026 at 9:00 AM PT |
| Challenge deadline | July 13, 2026 at 1:00 PM PT |
| Evaluation complete | Within 2 weeks of deadline |
| Winners notified | Via email + updated Builder Center article |
How Evaluation Works 📋
Submissions are evaluated on a Pass/Fail basis across three categories:
- Completeness: Did you deliver everything? (500+ word article covering all sections, working link)
- Relevance & Functionality: Is it actually an AI-powered productivity tool that works?
- AWS Service Usage: Does it use at least one AWS service, clearly described in the article?
Pass all three = you're in. First 50 to pass = jacket winners.
Tips for Success 💡
- Start simple: A focused tool that does one thing well is perfect. You don't need to over-engineer it
- Use AWS Free Tier: Amazon Bedrock with Nova models, Lambda, Amplify, and DynamoDB are great starting points
- Show it working: Screenshots, a video walkthrough, or a live URL all count
- Be specific: The more detail you share about your process, the more helpful your article will be for other builders
- Deploy early: Don't wait until Sunday night :)
Ready to Build? 🔨
This is a weekend challenge. You have between July 10 at 9:00 AM and July 13 at 1:00 PM PT to publish your article. Whether you're a seasoned builder or trying AWS for the first time, this is your chance to build something useful, learn something new, and earn an awesome jacket.
Save this page and get ready to build! 🚀
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