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Join the New Year, New You Portfolio Challenge: $3,000 in Prizes + Feedback from Google AI Team (For Winners and Runner Ups!)

Jess Lee on January 01, 2026

We're thrilled to kick off 2026 with our newest challenge presented by Google AI! Running through February 1, the "New Year, New You" Portfolio C...
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naveen gaur

This challenge came at the perfect time 🚀 I’ve been planning to refresh my portfolio, and this is a great opportunity to rebuild with new ideas and tech. Excited to participate and share progress along the way. Looking forward to seeing how others approach their portfolio redesigns too 💻✨

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naveen gaur • Edited

I ended up writing a short reference guide while working on my own portfolio refresh — focused on which Google AI tool to use for which kind of task (Gemini vs AI Studio vs Antigravity), rather than a step-by-step build.

Sharing it here in case it helps others in the challenge: 👉 Reference guide on Google AI tools for portfolios

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Pascal CESCATO

Awesome! This is the challenge I was waiting for 🙂
I jumped straight into architecture design and coding as soon as I read the post, and things are moving fast.
Now comes the hard part: writing the accompanying article… and that’s a whole different challenge 😄

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Carlos Rogerio Orioli

I did this before this challenge existed. 😂😂😂😂
rogeriorioli.vercel.app/

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Athreya aka Maneshwar

Nice, how's mine?
lovestaco.replit.app

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Daniel Githinji

Would you mind sharing the prompt😌, It's too good to be true🥵

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Athreya aka Maneshwar

I did it long back @daniel_githinji_6e1e402c3
And it was multiple prompts and multiple iterations.
Thanks a lot :)

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Leonardo Sanchez Biondini

Excellent! no notes! love it! great job man.

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Athreya aka Maneshwar

Thanks a lot, Leo :)

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Omaima Ameen

niceee !!🔥

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Anthony divine

nice portfolio, which framework did you use

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Carlos Rogerio Orioli • Edited

vite , react , gemini client for my chat assistent, IDE antigravity and resend to save leads and notify me by email when new lead comming .

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Simangaliso Vilakazi • Edited

Immediately jumped into build mode when I saw this. Thanks for putting it together! I have been meaning to refresh my portfolio for a while now.

I haven’t worked with Cloud Run before, so this should be a great excuse to learn it. Planning to submit tomorrow.

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nisha_chauhan_34dcd367085 profile image
nc

I have a confusion, I haven't built a personal project in a while and all my old projects are just meh, but I still wanna take part in this portfolio contest, suggestions please?

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Mason Wright

This challenge sounds exciting and very helpful for developers. It is a great way to start the new year by building or updating a portfolio using Google AI tools. I like that it is open to both beginners and experienced developers. The prizes, feedback from the Google AI team, and badges are a big bonus. Thank you for sharing this opportunity. I am looking forward to seeing the portfolios everyone creates and may join the challenge myself.

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Anna Villarreal

This is a much needed kick in the butt to get some kind of profile website published finally. 😂 Very excited for this one. Sick.

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Selvin Sahn • Edited

This is awesome! I just started working on my portfolio until I came across this, this morning.

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Andrew Baisden

Great way to start the year 🔥

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Nansel

LFG, see you all at submission and announcement.

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Awowole Hammad Olamilekan

This is awesome.
The challenge I've been waiting for.
Let's goooo

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Debojyoti De Majumder

LFG,was thinking of making a proper portfolio for me so long
now let me use this

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Zain Muhammad

I will be sharing an exciting portfolio shortly.

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Togun Oludolapo Ajisola

Woww!, I could really use this for a refresh as I'm a developer who really needs to update my portfolio.

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Jramone3

A reflection on Global Talent and Local Constraints

"Hi Jess and the DEV Team,

As a long-time member of this community and a developer deeply committed to building with AI (currently architecting the REMI-IA ecosystem), I am thrilled to see Google AI pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with Gemini 3 Flash and Cloud Run.

However, I feel compelled to share a respectful reflection regarding the eligibility restrictions. It is disheartening to see a list of countries, including my own (Venezuela), excluded from participating in the rewards of a challenge that celebrates innovation.

In the world of code, we are taught that logic and talent have no borders. When a 'Global Challenge' is launched, the exclusion of thousands of brilliant developers based on their geographic location feels like a setback for the spirit of open collaboration that defines DEV.

I understand these are often legal/OFAC constraints beyond the team's control, but it highlights a critical reality: the urgent need for Digital Sovereignty. At REMI-IA, we will continue to build, innovate, and contribute to the AI ecosystem, not for the prizes, but because we believe technology should be a bridge, not a wall.

I will follow the challenge closely and continue to prove that excellence knows no geography. Best of luck to all participants who can apply."

Una reflexión sobre el Talento Global y las Restricciones Locales

"Hola Jess y el equipo de DEV,

Como miembro veterano de esta comunidad y desarrollador profundamente comprometido con la construcción de IA (actualmente arquitectando el ecosistema REMI-IA), me emociona ver a Google AI ampliando los límites de lo posible con Gemini 3 Flash y Cloud Run.

Sin embargo, me siento obligado a compartir una reflexión respetuosa sobre las restricciones de elegibilidad. Es desalentador ver una lista de países, incluido el mío (Venezuela), excluidos de participar en las recompensas de un desafío que celebra la innovación.

En el mundo del código, se nos enseña que la lógica y el talento no tienen fronteras. Cuando se lanza un 'Desafío Global', la exclusión de miles de desarrolladores brillantes basada en su ubicación geográfica se siente como un retroceso para el espíritu de colaboración abierta que define a DEV.

Entiendo que a menudo se trata de restricciones legales/OFAC fuera del control del equipo, pero esto resalta una realidad crítica: la necesidad urgente de la Soberanía Digital. En REMI-IA, continuaremos construyendo, innovando y contribuyendo al ecosistema de IA, no por los premios, sino porque creemos que la tecnología debe ser un puente, no un muro.

Seguiré de cerca el desafío y continuaré demostrando que la excelencia no conoce de geografía. Mucha suerte a todos los participantes que puedan aplicar."

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Jess Lee The DEV Team

Hey @jramone3 , we understand your frustration with geographic limitations on our challenges. These restrictions are due to requirements outside our direct control, and we share in your disappointment that not all of our members can participate. Thank you for raising your concern and speaking up for folks who are affected. We value your feedback and engagement with us, and will strive to offer more inclusive programs for future initiatives wherever possible.

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Jramone3

Dear Jess Lee,

On behalf of myself and many others in the community, I sincerely thank you for your thoughtful and empathetic response regarding the geographic limitations in DEV Community challenges.
I understand that these restrictions often stem from external factors, but I deeply appreciate that you took the time to acknowledge the impact this has on those of us eager to participate from other regions of the world. Your words reflect a sensitivity that strengthens the sense of belonging and commitment within this global community.
Thank you for listening, for responding with openness, and for keeping the intention alive to build more inclusive spaces. You can count on my support and enthusiasm to continue contributing from wherever we are.
Warm regards,

Ramón Rivas
@jramone3

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jramone3 profile image
Jramone3

Dear Jess Lee,

On behalf of myself and many others in the community, I sincerely thank you for your thoughtful and empathetic response regarding the geographic limitations in DEV Community challenges.
I understand that these restrictions often stem from external factors, but I deeply appreciate that you took the time to acknowledge the impact this has on those of us eager to participate from other regions of the world. Your words reflect a sensitivity that strengthens the sense of belonging and commitment within this global community.
Thank you for listening, for responding with openness, and for keeping the intention alive to build more inclusive spaces. You can count on my support and enthusiasm to continue contributing from wherever we are.
Warm regards,

Ramón Rivas
@jramone3

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Fyodor

Yes, indeed, this is a very sad trend for such an open and democratic (in its nature) resource as dev.to. I guess that’s the Google’s policy though so I bet it’s hardly possible to do something with it for dev.to guys, even if they had that intention.

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Andrey Kolkov

Why is there such discrimination by regions?

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jess profile image
Jess Lee The DEV Team

Hey @kolkov , we understand your frustration with geographic limitations on our challenges. These restrictions are due to requirements outside our direct control, and we share in your disappointment that not all of our members can participate. Thank you for raising your concern and speaking up for folks who are affected. We value your feedback and engagement with us, and will strive to offer more inclusive programs for future initiatives wherever possible.

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Serhii Serdiuk

Since you are asking this question, you will never understand it.

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kolkov profile image
Andrey Kolkov

For example, the US today treacherously attacked Venezuela without declaring war. Maybe they should be removed too... And why hasn't Israel, which attacks everyone around it, been removed yet? What can you personally say about this?

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Nadine

I live in a country that's one bad act from being sanctioned by the US so I do empathize with devs living in these countries.

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kolkov profile image
Andrey Kolkov

This is wrong! On the contrary, we should sympathize with the United States, which is disgracing itself globally with such sanctions and is finally losing its credibility and standing as a bastion of freedom. Although whether there really was any freedom has long been in serious doubt...

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Maame Afua A. P. Fordjour

Awesome! Will try my hands on this challenge. Good luck to everyone else😊

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William Cheung

Hi, I want to do this, but I've already used up my Google Cloud free tier in the past. Can Google provide a coupon for credit to use during this hackathon and the judging period?

Thanks,
William

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Nadine

That shouldn't be an issue since the free tier limits apply to everyone with 240,000 vCPU-seconds free per month.

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naveen gaur

Make a new ID and try with that, that may work.

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Dmitrii Efimov

Good luck to all participants!

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Art light

This is a really exciting initiative—combining portfolio building with real-world AI tools and direct feedback from the Google AI team is a huge opportunity for developers at any stage. I especially like the focus on showing personality, not just technical skills, since that’s what often makes a portfolio stand out. I expect to see some very creative and practical projects come out of this, especially with Cloud Run and Gemini in the mix. Definitely something I’m interested in following and possibly participating in.

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Jan Küster 🔥

Do you consider a public university a government institution?

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jess profile image
Jess Lee The DEV Team

Nope!

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Nadia Allah bakash

Assalam u Alaikum, this is really a great opportunity and have impactful results.
It is exactly what I have been waiting for. I am very excited to take on this incredible challenge. In shā’ Allāh, this journey will be both enjoyable and a valuable source of inspiration, learning, and experience.

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Anshu Mandal

Thanks for this Challenge, but its very hard to create a google cloud free tier account atleast in India. I have faced multiple payment errors message even contacted their support team for it. Is there any other way to host application and still be eligible for it?

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deadmau5v

🤯

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mohamed_abdellahi_a5efba7 profile image
Ben

This challenge is more than just a portfolio refresh it's a chance to rethink how we present ourselves as developers in the age of AI. I'm exploring how Gemini CLI and Antigravity can go beyond aesthetics to reflect technical depth and personal narrative. Curious: how are others balancing personality with performance in their submissions?

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Hala Kabir

good to go love to participate.....

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zo Aoo

This challenge lands at the perfect time! 🚀

I've been heavily integrating the Google ecosystem into my professional dev workflow recently.

My portfolio site, n8nworkflows.world, is already live on Cloud Run. I leveraged Google Antigravity to accelerate the full-stack build—specifically for generating the crawler logic and refining the UI components.

I also maintain aiword.life, where the backend architecture is completely driven by Gemini for processing complex user intents.

It's great to see a challenge that unifies this stack. I'm finalizing my submission to demonstrate how these AI tools fit into a real-world full-stack environment. Challenge accepted! 💪

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VIMAL KUMAR • Edited

Hi @jess
I have a confusion, is it "mandatory" to add labels
--labels dev-tutorial=devnewyear2026
For sure i will be using Cloud Run embed feature

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Marry Walker

This is such a great challenge! Perfect for anyone looking to level up their portfolio with AI powered tools like Gemini. Plus, the chance for personalized feedback from the Google AI team is awesome!
Can’t wait to see all the cool projects that come out of this. Good luck, everyone!

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mjuice

Nice

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Gray Miller

As a complete beginner to agentic AI tools, I just tried Google Antigravity for the first time and was honestly blown away by how smoothly it worked!

The best part? Watching the agents plan steps, delegate tasks between themselves, run in the background, and even handle browser interactions without me micromanaging everything—it felt like magic and saved me so much time as a newbie.
Excited to share my little experiment here.

dev.to
Looking for honest critiques on the agent autonomy, task delegation, and overall workflow (especially from people who’ve used it more).

Any tips on better prompting, common pitfalls for beginners, or ways to make agents even more reliable? Positive vibes or suggestions super welcome—help this noob improve!
Appreciate your time and thoughts in advance! 🚀”

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fortune_obe_31a96c4067d5a profile image
Fortune Obe

Hey guys, so like there's only going to be to spots for winners because I'm taking the 1st one, thanks, bye, for now.

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abdul_muspik_054eeb16aa7d profile image
Abdul Muspik

Am a student from a private university from india, am i eligible ?

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jess profile image
Jess Lee The DEV Team

Yes

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sajjasudhakararao profile image
Sajja Sudhakararao

Exited to be part of this Challenge...

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Umar Hayat

Excited for this 😃
Never made any of my portfolio till now but guess what it's time to make one. And its bonus if getting prizes...
Oh!! Boy, Now I need a lot of reading to do, just to begin with.

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Samuel Leonardo

Me gustaría lanzarme pero no puedo, 😢.

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Omaima Ameen

This is awesome !!

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Nyanguno

Naiiiiis
What a way to start a new year!

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Shreya Maheshwar

Good timing ✨ I was getting curious about Antigravity. It is cool to watch AI perform functional testing and observe and control the UI state ✨

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MoiAI

Niceee!!! Thanks

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Samhan

Thank you, I hope to learn a lot of knowledge.

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Fever lyfe

The adventure begins

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adnan yousaf

This is a solid approach that allows experienced professionals to better align and present their work.

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Shashank Sharma

Can I use my old portfolio or it should be created during this time?

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Nhi Nguyen

Can anyone review my freshly-baked portfolio plz
portfolio-service-66227376966.us-c...