Vol. I·Tuesday, August 18, 2026
Makersfuel
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Makersfuel Sprint 011 founder in

Six weeks.Build. Compete. Win.

Practical 48-hour startup challenges. Ship the work, earn points and climb the leaderboard. 10 founders get their six weeks written up and put in front of investors: the top 5 on points, and 5 wildcards.

Join the Sprint →See how it works
Joining closes in
weeks: Start to finish
6weeks
jams / week: Two business, one hackathon
3jams / week
challenges: Public and permanent
17challenges
→ shortlist: Half on points, half wildcards
10→ shortlist
Prizes are in INR.

What is the Sprint?

Six weeks, from 19 August

A six-week competition for founders who are building something.

You join once. Three times a week you get a practical challenge, you do the work, and you submit what you actually did. Other founders read your submission and vote on it. Points put you on a leaderboard, and 10 founders at the end get their six weeks written up and taken to investors: the top 5 on points, and 5 wildcards picked on the work itself.

It runs on real work, not attendance. Nothing is scored for turning up, and because half the places are wildcards, joining in week three does not put you out of it.

And a jam?

One practical challenge, and 48 hours to do it.

It is not a course and there is nothing to watch. On Wednesday morning you get one task. It is specific, practical, and doable in two days. By Friday morning you submit what you did, with the evidence attached. Every submission is public and permanent under your name.

Two of the three each week are Business Jams. They cover the half of building that is not code: customers, positioning, pricing, distribution. The third is a weekend Hackathon, where you ship.

hours: Start to deadline
48hours
task: Specific and practical
1task
jams: Across the six weeks
17jams

How it works

Five steps, six weeks

  1. 3 minJoinFour screens. What you are building, where you are today, and what would make six weeks worth it.
  2. 3 a weekJamTwo 48-hour Business Jams and a weekend Hackathon. Each one revealed 24 hours before it starts.
  3. 48 hrsShipSubmit what you actually did, with the evidence. The conversations, the replies, the link. Not a plan.
  4. 10 / 15Score10 points for a business jam, 15 for a weekend build, then the other founders vote. Good work outscores work that merely arrived.
  5. 10 placesClimbEvery submission moves you. Ten founders go to investors: five on points, five wildcards chosen on the work.

One week. Three jams.

Every week, for six weeks

  1. MonWedBusiness Jam48h
  2. WedFriBusiness Jam48h
  3. FriMonHackathonWeekend

The six weeks

17 jams · 1 revealed

Every jam’s date, format and subject is public from day one. The challenge itself appears 24 hours before that jam begins.

  1. Week 1 · you are here

    1. Business JamCustomer discoveryTalk to ten potential customers.Open
    2. HackathonLanding pagesReveals Thu 20 AugLocked

  2. Week 2

    1. Business JamPositioningReveals Sun 23 AugLocked
    2. Business JamCold outreachReveals Tue 25 AugLocked
    3. HackathonShippingReveals Thu 27 AugLocked

  3. Week 3

    1. Business JamPricingReveals Sun 30 AugLocked
    2. Business JamDistributionReveals Tue 1 SeptLocked
    3. HackathonOnboardingReveals Thu 3 SeptLocked

  4. Week 4

    1. Business JamSalesReveals Sun 6 SeptLocked
    2. Business JamContentReveals Tue 8 SeptLocked
    3. HackathonShippingReveals Thu 10 SeptLocked

  5. Week 5

    1. Business JamRetentionReveals Sun 13 SeptLocked
    2. Business JamReferralsReveals Tue 15 SeptLocked
    3. HackathonShippingReveals Thu 17 SeptLocked

  6. Week 6

    1. Business JamNarrativeReveals Sun 20 SeptLocked
    2. Business JamLaunchReveals Tue 22 SeptLocked
    3. HackathonShippingReveals Thu 24 SeptLocked

The finish line

After six weeks

Prize money

Prizes are funded by sponsors. We are talking to partners for this season, and the moment one is confirmed the prize table appears here with their name on it. Everything below is true either way.

Everyone who finishes

A record you can point at.

17 jams, each one public and permanent under your name with the evidence attached. Most founders reach November unable to prove what they did in September. You will have it dated.

5 wildcards

Joining late does not put you out of it.

Half the places are not decided by points. 5 are chosen on the pitch, the submissions and the progress made over however many weeks you were here. A founder who joined in week three and shipped four extraordinary things is exactly who these are for.

10 go forward · The shortlist

We put our weight behind you.

10 founders make the shortlist: the top 5 on points, plus 5 wildcards chosen on the pitch, the submissions and the progress made. They get a written profile in the Publication and a place in the Dispatch. We are lining up investors to take that shortlist to, and the work you do here is what we will be showing them. When they are confirmed they will be named here.

Join the Sprint →