DEV Community: The DEVengers

Dev Opportunity Radar #18: $50K AI Hackathon, SheBuilds, Verci Fellowship, and Stanford CS336

Hemapriya Kanagala — Fri, 25 Sep 2026 17:48:13 +0000

TL;DR

Welcome back to Dev Opportunity Radar.

This is a weekly series where I share opportunities, resources, communities, and interesting finds that I come across, with the goal of helping people discover things they might otherwise miss.

This week's edition features the Verci Fellowship, Nebius x NVIDIA Global AI Hackathon, and SheBuilds on Lovable, along with Stanford CS336: Language Modeling from Scratch, a course for understanding how language models are built from the ground up.

If you're new to the series, you can also browse previous editions, search past opportunities, and explore Community Finds, Reader Updates, and Resources Worth Checking Out on the Dev Opportunity Radar website. I've also written a short post about why I built it. You'll find links to both at the end of this article.

This week's 🌟 Community Finds section features two opportunities shared by Dhruv Jani (@dj29). Thank you, Dhruv, for sharing the Snapdragon® AI Lab Build & Present Challenge and the SerpApi India Hackathon 2026. I always enjoy seeing readers help others discover opportunities they might otherwise have missed, and I hope this section continues to grow.

If you've discovered something through the Radar, I'd love to hear about it. Whether you applied to an opportunity, attended an event, joined a community, completed a program, built something, or found a resource you hadn't seen before, I'd be happy to feature your experience in a future 💙 Reader Updates section (with your permission).

And if you've come across an opportunity, resource, community, program, event, or anything else you think deserves more attention, feel free to share it in the comments.

If I feature one of your 🌟 Community Finds in a future edition, I'll always make sure to credit you. If you discovered it, that recognition belongs to you.

⚡ Quick Scan
🔄 Still Open From Previous Editions
📍 This Week's Opportunities
- 📌 Verci Fellowship
- 📌 Nebius x NVIDIA Global AI Hackathon
- 📌 SheBuilds on Lovable
📚 Resources Worth Checking Out
- Stanford CS336: Language Modeling from Scratch
🌟 Community Finds
- 📌 Snapdragon AI Lab Build & Present Challenge
- 📌 SerpApi India Hackathon 2026
💙 Reader Updates
👋 Until Next Friday
🌐 Dev Opportunity Radar Website

⚡ Quick Scan

Opportunities

Opportunity	Organization	Type	Format	Deadline
Verci Fellowship	Verci	Fellowship	Hybrid	October 1
Nebius x NVIDIA Global AI Hackathon	Nebius × NVIDIA	Hackathon	Online	October 30
SheBuilds on Lovable	Lovable	Build Event	Virtual	September 27

Resource Highlight

Resource	Why Check It Out
Stanford CS336: Language Modeling from Scratch	An advanced course covering the process of building language models from the ground up, including Transformers, training, GPU optimization, scaling, data, evaluation, and alignment.

Community Finds

Shared By	Find	Type	Format
Dhruv Jani (@dj29)	Snapdragon AI Lab Build & Present Challenge	AI Challenge	Online
Dhruv Jani (@dj29)	SerpApi India Hackathon 2026	Hackathon	Online & Async

📝 A quick note: I spend a lot of time researching and verifying every opportunity before featuring it in Dev Opportunity Radar. However, deadlines, eligibility, program details, and application requirements can change after publication. Before applying, please take a few minutes to visit the official program page, review the latest information, and confirm that you're eligible.

🔄 Still Open From Previous Editions

Before we get into this week's opportunities, here are a few from the two most recent editions that are still accepting applications.

As the Radar has grown, there are now quite a few opportunities spread across the different editions. I used to keep all the still-open opportunities here, but I don't think repeating a long list every week makes the editions easier to read.

So I keep this section to the two most recent editions as a quick reminder of opportunities you may have missed. Older opportunities are still available on the Dev Opportunity Radar website, where you can browse the full collection and use the filters to find something specific.

I've already covered the opportunities below in detail, so I won't repeat everything here. If any of them catch your attention, you can go back to the original edition for the full overview, eligibility details, and application links.

Opportunity	Organization	Type	Format	Deadline	Featured In
Code in Place X	Stanford University	Programming Course	Virtual	September 28	Edition #17
Build, Ship, Shape: Amazon Developer Hackathon	Amazon	Hackathon	Online	October 24	Edition #17
Dev3Pack Hackathon	Dev3Pack	Hackathon	Hybrid	October 30	Edition #17
AI for Education Fellowship	Worldwide Studios	Fellowship	Virtual (Global)	Rolling	Edition #16
AWS Student Rewards	AWS Builder Center	Student Rewards Program	Online (Global)	Open	Edition #16

📍 This Week's Opportunities

Here are a few opportunities I came across this week that I thought were worth sharing.

📌 Verci Fellowship

Who it's for: Young builders, students, recent graduates, and people building projects or communities.

What it's about: The Verci Fellowship is a one-semester program bringing together 20 people who are building startups, projects, and communities.

The fellowship focuses heavily on community and mentorship. Each fellow is matched with a mentor, joins a small weekly mastermind group, and gets access to office hours and workshops with founders, operators, and investors.

There is also a Catskills retreat in November where the cohort spends a weekend together, along with support for fellows who want to organize things in their own communities such as hackathons, dinners, or demo nights.

Another part I found interesting is the focus on building in public. The program includes workshops and accountability groups to help fellows share what they are working on and actually ship something during the semester.

The fellowship is open to people who are currently in college, on leave, dropped out, or recently graduated, with the program looking for people roughly under 24 who have a strong interest in technology, are creative and curious, and are already building things on campus or in their communities.

Applications are rolling, but the current application form says applications close on October 1, 2026 at midnight PST.

Format: Hybrid / Online + New York and LA opportunities

Cohort: 20 fellows

Program: October – December 2026

Application Deadline: October 1, 2026 at midnight PST

Eligibility: Currently in college, on leave, dropped out, or recently graduated; roughly under 24

What you get: Individual mentorship, weekly mastermind groups, workshops and office hours, Catskills retreat, community/event support, cohort Slack, building-in-public support, and optional opportunity matching

Application: Name and background + social profiles + semester schedule + work/portfolio + short answers + 1–2 minute personal video

🔗 Apply to the Verci Fellowship

📌 Nebius x NVIDIA Global AI Hackathon

Who it's for: AI builders, ML engineers, developers, founders, and anyone interested in building practical AI systems.

What it's about: The Nebius x NVIDIA Global AI Hackathon is a global online hackathon where participants build an AI project using NVIDIA open source models on Nebius Token Factory or Nebius AI Cloud.

There are four main tracks, so you can choose the type of project that fits what you want to build:

Coding and Agentic Engineering: Build coding agents and developer tools.
Best Apps and Agents: Build an application or agent designed to solve a real problem.
Personal AI: Build a private, always-on AI assistant with memory, skills, and access to your chosen tools and information.
Physical AI: Build robotics, IoT, or other systems that can sense and act in the physical world.

The main requirement is that your submission runs on Nebius Token Factory or Nebius AI Cloud and uses at least one NVIDIA open source model.

I wanted to include this one because there is quite a bit of room in what you can build. You can work on an AI agent, developer tool, personal assistant, application, robotics project, or something else that fits one of the tracks.

There are also Builders & Brews events in different cities where participants can join technical onboarding, workshops, team formation, build sessions, and get feedback while working on their projects.

For the submission, you'll need a working project, public code repository, project description, working demo or test build, and a public demo video of three minutes or less. Your repository also needs an open source license and setup instructions.

There is $50,000+ in prizes, including a $20,000 grand prize, $10,000 for second place, $6,000 for third place, track prizes, city awards, and additional prizes.

Format: Online | Global

Deadline: October 30, 2026 at 10:30 PM IST

Tracks: Coding & Agentic Engineering | Best Apps & Agents | Personal AI | Physical AI

Requirement: Use Nebius Token Factory or Nebius AI Cloud + at least one NVIDIA open source model

Submission: Working project + public repository + demo + ≤3-minute demo video

Prize Pool: $50,000+ in prizes

🔗 Join the Hackathon

📌 SheBuilds on Lovable

Who it's for: Women 18+ who have an idea they want to turn into a working product, including students, first-time makers, founders, and experienced developers.

What it's about: SheBuilds on Lovable is a global community of women building with AI through virtual build events, webinars, and community spaces.

Season 04 is a 72-hour virtual build event where participants use Lovable to turn an idea into a working product alongside mentors, community champions, and a few hundred other builders.

You don't need to know how to code to apply. You can come with an idea, sketches, research, or a plan, and the actual building starts when the event kicks off.

You can participate solo or with one co-builder. Around 400 participants are expected to be selected for this season.

There are also live prep sessions from October 6–14 covering things like figuring out what to build, making your product stand out, and getting it in front of people. Accepted participants also get Lovable credits to use during the build.

The build starts on October 15 and submissions close on October 17. The organizers will announce the prizes at kickoff, so the prize details for Season 04 have not been announced yet.

Format: Online | 72-hour build event

Build Dates: October 15–17, 2026

Applications Close: September 27, 2026 at 11:59 PM PT

Decisions: October 5, 2026

Eligibility: Women 18+ with an idea they want to build

Team Size: Solo or 1 co-builder

Cost: Free | Coding Required: No

Expected Cohort: Around 400 participants

Prep Sessions: October 6–14

Prizes: To be announced at kickoff

🔗 Apply for Season 04

📚 Resources Worth Checking Out

Not every useful find comes with an application deadline.

Here's one resource worth checking out this week.

Stanford CS336: Language Modeling from Scratch

If you want to go beyond using LLMs and actually understand how language models are built, Stanford's CS336: Language Modeling from Scratch is a really interesting resource to explore.

The course walks through the process of building language models from the ground up, including data collection and cleaning, tokenization, Transformer architecture, training, GPU optimization, scaling, evaluation, inference, alignment, and reasoning.

What makes this course different is how implementation-heavy it is. The assignments have students actually build components of a Transformer language model, train a small language model, optimize attention with Triton, work with distributed training, process pretraining data, and apply post-training methods such as supervised fine-tuning and reinforcement learning.

The course provides lecture recordings, assignments, lecture materials, and code, so you can follow along even if you're not enrolled at Stanford.

One important thing to know before jumping in: this is an advanced course. The course expects proficiency in Python, experience with deep learning and systems optimization, familiarity with PyTorch, and a foundation in calculus, linear algebra, probability, statistics, and machine learning.

You will also be writing a lot of code, so this is much more suitable if you already have a solid technical foundation and want to understand the engineering behind language models.

Format: Self-paced online resource

Focus: Language models, Transformers, training, systems optimization, scaling, data, evaluation, alignment, and reasoning

Level: Advanced

Prerequisites: Python + PyTorch/deep learning + systems optimization + calculus + linear algebra + probability/statistics + machine learning

Includes: Lectures + recordings + assignments + code + course materials

🔗 Explore the CS336 Course Website

🎥 Watch the Lecture Recordings

🌟 Community Finds

One of my favorite things about this series has been seeing people share opportunities, communities, and resources that others might not have discovered otherwise.

This week, Dhruv Jani (@dj29) sent me two opportunities that I thought were worth including:

📌 Snapdragon AI Lab Build & Present Challenge

Shared by Dhruv Jani

The Snapdragon® AI Lab Build & Present Challenge by Qualcomm is an individual online challenge for participants in India to build or propose an AI solution designed, developed, or optimized for Snapdragon-powered HP PCs.

You can submit a new project or significantly modify an existing project by adding AI models from Qualcomm AI Hub or other open-source platforms.

The challenge is open to Indian residents aged 18+ who own a Snapdragon-powered laptop.

Format: Online | Individual

Deadline: September 30, 2026 at 11:59 PM IST

Eligibility: India residents, 18+

Requirement: Snapdragon-powered laptop

Rewards: HP laptops, Qualcomm internship opportunity for the first award subject to eligibility, executive mentorship, and showcase opportunities

🔗 Learn More & Apply

📌 SerpApi India Hackathon 2026

Shared by Dhruv Jani

The SerpApi India Hackathon 2026 is an online and asynchronous hackathon where participants can build an app, AI agent, or open-source integration using live search data from SerpApi.

You can participate solo or in a team of up to five, use any programming language or framework, and work from anywhere in India. Existing projects are also allowed if the submitted version makes meaningful use of SerpApi.

There are six project tracks, and AI-assisted development is allowed.

The total prize value is ₹3 lakh+, including cash awards, SerpApi credits, track awards, community awards, and credits for every valid submission.

Format: Online & asynchronous

Deadline: October 10, 2026 at 11:59 PM IST

Eligibility: India residents, 18+

Team Size: 1–5 members

Requirement: Meaningful use of SerpApi search data

Prize Value: ₹3 lakh+

Submission: Public GitHub repository + project description + demo video under 3 minutes

🔗 Submit Your Project

Thank you to Dhruv Jani (@dj29) for thinking of the Radar and sharing this one with the community. It really means a lot 💙

I'd love for this section to keep growing.

If you've come across an opportunity, fellowship, grant, hackathon, conference, community, resource, or anything else you think more people should know about, feel free to share it in the comments.

If I feature it in a future edition, I'll always make sure to credit you. If you discovered it, that recognition belongs to you.

One small request: If you're sharing an opportunity, please avoid posting raw URLs directly in the comments. DEV sometimes filters them before I get a chance to see them.

A short description alongside the link makes it much easier for me to review and potentially feature it in a future edition.

💙 Reader Updates

I'm looking forward to this section gradually growing over time, and I'd still love to hear from you.

One of my favorite parts of writing Dev Opportunity Radar has been hearing from people who discovered something they otherwise might have missed.

If you discovered an opportunity through the radar, applied to something, joined a community, attended an event, or simply found a resource you hadn't seen before, I'd genuinely love to hear about it.

You don't need to have been accepted or have a big success story to share. Sometimes simply discovering the right opportunity at the right time is already a win.

If you'd like to share an update, feel free to leave a comment on this edition. With your permission, I may feature it in a future 💙 Reader Updates section and tag you so other readers can celebrate your journey too.

I hope this section gradually becomes a place where we can celebrate those stories together, one update at a time.

👋 Until Next Friday

Before I go, I just want to say thank you.

Every week, I spend time searching for opportunities, resources, and communities that I think deserve a little more attention. But one of my favorite parts of this series isn't the research. It's seeing what happens after an edition is published.

Seeing someone discover an opportunity, apply to a program, share a resource, suggest a Community Find, or come back to tell us what they learned reminds me why I started Dev Opportunity Radar in the first place.

The goal has always been simple:

Help people discover opportunities they otherwise might have missed.

Thanks to all of you, it feels like we're doing exactly that.

Whether you've been reading since the very first edition or this is your first time here, thank you for being part of the journey. Every comment, suggestion, and shared opportunity helps make this series better than I could build on my own.

If you ever come across an opportunity, resource, event, community, or anything else you think deserves more attention, I'd love for you to share it in the comments. And if Dev Opportunity Radar helped you discover something exciting, I'd love to hear that too.

Thank you for reading, for sharing, and for helping make this our radar, not just mine.

I'll be back next Friday with more opportunities, resources, and Community Finds.

Until then, take care, and I hope you discover something amazing this week 💙

🌐 Dev Opportunity Radar Website

If this is your first time discovering the series, you can explore every edition, browse opportunities by category, discover Community Finds, and catch up on Reader Updates on the Dev Opportunity Radar website.

👉 Website

I also wrote a short post about why I built the website and the journey behind it.

👉 Website Launch Post

Dev Opportunity Radar #17: $138K Amazon Hackathon, Stanford's Code in Place X, and Dev3Pack Hackathon

Hemapriya Kanagala — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 16:44:35 +0000

TL;DR

Welcome back to Dev Opportunity Radar.

This is a weekly series where I share opportunities, resources, communities, and interesting finds that I come across, with the goal of helping people discover things they might otherwise miss.

This week's edition features Code in Place X, the Build, Ship, Shape: Amazon Developer Hackathon, and the Dev3Pack Hackathon, along with Coding Interview University, a free study plan for software engineering and technical interview preparation.

If you're new to the series, you can also browse previous editions, search past opportunities, and explore Community Finds, Reader Updates, and Resources Worth Checking Out on the Dev Opportunity Radar website. I've also written a short post about why I built it. You'll find links to both at the end of this article.

This week's 🌟 Community Finds section features an opportunity shared by Dhruv Jani (@dj29). Thank you, Dhruv, for sharing the Dogfood | 72-Hour Hackathon. I always enjoy seeing readers help others discover opportunities they might otherwise have missed, and I hope this section continues to grow.

If you've discovered something through the Radar, I'd love to hear about it. Whether you applied to an opportunity, attended an event, joined a community, completed a program, built something, or found a resource you hadn't seen before, I'd be happy to feature your experience in a future 💙 Reader Updates section (with your permission).

And if you've come across an opportunity, resource, community, program, event, or anything else you think deserves more attention, feel free to share it in the comments.

If I feature one of your 🌟 Community Finds in a future edition, I'll always make sure to credit you. If you discovered it, that recognition belongs to you.

⚡ Quick Scan
🔄 Still Open From Previous Editions
📍 This Week's Opportunities
- 📌 Code in Place X
- 📌 Build, Ship, Shape: Amazon Developer Hackathon
- 📌 Dev3Pack Hackathon
📚 Resources Worth Checking Out
- Coding Interview University
🌟 Community Finds
- Dogfood: 72-Hour Hackathon
💙 Reader Updates
👋 Until Next Friday
🌐 Dev Opportunity Radar Website

⚡ Quick Scan

Opportunities

Opportunity	Organization	Type	Format	Deadline
Code in Place X	Stanford University	Programming Course	Virtual	September 28
Build, Ship, Shape: Amazon Developer Hackathon	Amazon	Hackathon	Online	October 24
Dev3Pack Hackathon	Dev3Pack	Hackathon	Hybrid	October 30

Resource Highlight

Resource	Why Check It Out
Coding Interview University	A free, self-paced study plan covering data structures, algorithms, computer science topics, coding practice, and software engineering interview preparation.

Community Finds

Shared By	Find	Type	Format
Dhruv Jani (@dj29)	Dogfood	72-Hour Hackathon	Software Development Hackathon

📝 A quick note: I spend a lot of time researching and verifying every opportunity before featuring it in Dev Opportunity Radar. However, deadlines, eligibility, program details, and application requirements can change after publication. Before applying, please take a few minutes to visit the official program page, review the latest information, and confirm that you're eligible.

🔄 Still Open From Previous Editions

Before we get into this week's opportunities, here are a few from the two most recent editions that are still accepting applications.

Opportunity	Organization	Type	Format	Deadline	Featured In
AI for Education Fellowship	Worldwide Studios	Fellowship	Virtual (Global)	Rolling	Edition #16
AWS Student Rewards	AWS Builder Center	Student Rewards Program	Online (Global)	Open	Edition #16
Bharat Builds Tour	WeMakeDevs × AWS Builder Center	Student Hackathon Series	Online (India) / In Person	September 17–20	Edition #15

📍 This Week's Opportunities

Here are a few opportunities I came across this week that I thought were worth sharing.

📌 Code in Place X

Who it's for: Anyone 18+ who wants to learn programming, or people who already know Python and want to volunteer as a teacher.

What it's about: Code in Place X is a new free course from Stanford that teaches programming while also helping students practice explaining what they build.

The course is six weeks long and you'll meet every week on Zoom with a small group of students and a volunteer teacher who will guide you through the material. You don't need any previous programming experience, and the course is completely free.

I wanted to include this one because I like that it is not only about writing code. Students also get to practice explaining their thinking and what they built, which is a useful skill whether you're learning programming for the first time or already working with AI coding tools.

The course also has an interesting approach to AI. Students can use AI as part of their learning, but they are expected to come to their weekly section ready to show what they learned and share how they are using AI. So the course is also exploring what it means to learn programming when AI can already write a lot of code for us.

There is also a volunteer teacher option. If you already know how to write a simple Python program and can explain your thinking, you can apply to lead a small group. You don't need to be a professional engineer or have teaching experience. Teachers spend around 4 hours per week and receive lesson plans and section problems to work with.

The course itself takes around 7 hours per week for students and begins on October 12, 2026.

Format: Online | Duration: 6 weeks

Class Begins: October 12, 2026

Orientation: October 7, 2026

Time Commitment: Around 7 hours/week for students | Around 4 hours/week for volunteer teachers

Cost: Free

Eligibility: 18+ | No prior programming experience required for students

Applications Close: September 28, 2026

Language: English

🔗 Learn More & Apply

📌 Build, Ship, Shape: Amazon Developer Hackathon

Who it's for: Developers, students, AI builders, and anyone interested in building applications for Amazon devices and services.

What it's about: The Build, Ship, Shape: Amazon Developer Hackathon brings Fire TV, Alexa+, Bee, and Ring together in one global hackathon. You can choose one of the four tracks and build a working project using the developer tools, APIs, SDKs, or simulators for that track.

I wanted to include this one because there are quite a few different ways to approach the challenge. You can build for Fire TV, Alexa+, Bee, or Ring, depending on what you're interested in. There are also additional AWS Builder and Open Source mini challenges that you can enter alongside your main track.

For example, the Fire TV track lets you build an app using React Native, web technologies, Android, or another framework that runs on Fire OS or Vega OS. The Alexa+ track focuses on building an MCP server or Agent Skill, while Bee projects use data from a Bee device or Apple Watch running Bee software. Ring projects can use Ring APIs, SDKs, simulators, or devices.

You also don't necessarily need to already have experience with Amazon's developer tools. The hackathon provides documentation, sample code, simulators, and live office hours to help participants get started.

The submission needs to include a working project, GitHub repository, and a demo video under three minutes, along with product feedback on the Amazon tools you used.

There is a $138,000 cash prize pool, with prizes across the four main tracks and the AWS Builder and Open Source mini challenges. Track winners also receive a 1:1 meeting with the Amazon Developer team, depending on the track.

One thing to check before choosing your project is the specific requirements for each track. Some tracks require you to actually use the relevant technology in your code or demo, so simply mentioning a particular Amazon service isn't enough.

Format: Online | Global

Deadline: October 24, 2026 at 12:30 AM IST

Team Size: Not specified in the information provided

Main Tracks: Fire TV, Alexa+, Bee, Ring

Mini Challenges: AWS Builder, Open Source

Prize Pool: $138,000 in cash + additional AWS credits and other prizes

Submission: Working demo + GitHub repository + under-3-minute demo video + product feedback

Eligibility: Above the legal age of majority in your country of residence | Global, subject to standard country/territory exclusions

🔗 Learn More & Join the Hackathon

📌 Dev3Pack Hackathon

Who it's for: University students and student builders interested in building on Solana. You can participate solo or in a team of up to four.

What it's about: Dev3Pack Hackathon is a three-day hybrid hackathon where students from around the world can build on Solana, either online or at one of the local build stations.

The hackathon runs from October 30 to November 1, 2026, but there is also a free Solana Rust Bootcamp running from October 6 to 30. So if you're new to Rust or Solana, you can use the weeks before the hackathon to learn and get ready.

I wanted to include this one because it has a little more of a community and learning side than just the three-day hackathon. You can join a local build station if there is one near you, meet other students and mentors, or participate completely online if you prefer.

There are currently 40+ build stations listed around the world, including Mumbai, along with locations across Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas.

The project needs to be open source and must use Solana if you want to be eligible for prizes and the accelerator. You can also use AI coding tools while building, as long as the project is yours and you understand and can explain what you built.

After the hackathon, top teams can be invited to the Bridge Accelerator, which runs from November through January. The exact prize tracks and amounts for this edition are still to be announced.

There are also some builder perks available to participants, including Noah AI credits, v0 credits, and Cursor Pro for select countries, along with other perks listed in the participant dashboard.

Format: Hybrid | Online or local build station

Dates: October 30 – November 1, 2026

Preparation: Solana Rust Bootcamp | October 6–30

Duration: 3 days

Team Size: Solo or up to 4 members

Location: Worldwide | 40+ build stations

Cost: Free

Project Requirement: Open source + Solana

AI Tools: Allowed

Prizes: Tracks and prize amounts to be announced

After the Hackathon: Top teams can be invited to the Bridge Accelerator

🔗 Learn More & Apply

📚 Resources Worth Checking Out

Not every useful find comes with an application deadline.

Here's one resource worth checking out this week.

Coding Interview University

If you're preparing for software engineering interviews and don't know where to start, Coding Interview University is a free study plan that puts a lot of the topics you need to learn in one place.

It covers things like data structures, algorithms, Big-O, trees, graphs, sorting, dynamic programming, networking, and coding interview practice. It also has sections on resumes, finding a job, interview preparation, and other parts of the interview process.

What I like about this resource is that it gives you a path to follow instead of just giving you a list of random topics. You can go through the topics step by step and practice coding problems along the way.

There are also a lot of free resources linked throughout the plan, including videos, books, courses, and coding practice sites.

It is a pretty big study plan though, so you definitely don't need to finish everything. You can pick the parts that make sense for where you are in your interview preparation.

Format: Free, self-paced study plan

Covers: Data structures, algorithms, coding problems, computer science topics, and interview preparation

🔗 Explore Coding Interview University

🌟 Community Finds

One of my favorite things about this series has been seeing people share opportunities, communities, and resources that others might not have discovered otherwise.

Dogfood: 72-Hour Hackathon

Shared by Dhruv Jani (@dj29).

Dhruv shared the Dogfood | 72-Hour Hackathon by Hackathon Raptors, and I thought this was an interesting one to include because the challenge itself is quite different from a usual hackathon.

Instead of letting everyone build different projects, everyone is working on the same product: an open-source, self-hostable platform for running hackathons, including registration, team formation, submissions, judging, scoring, and results.

What I found interesting is that the goal isn't just to build a working demo. The winning project will be forked, self-hosted, and used for future Hackathon Raptors events. Teams also keep ownership of their work.

The technical requirements are quite specific too. The platform needs to run locally with docker compose up and work without a hosted database, external API, cloud account, or network connection. The challenge also covers things like role isolation, judging, score normalization, voting, APIs, testing, and documentation.

There are four tiers to work through, but you don't have to try to build everything. The organizers mention that a clean and correct lower tier is better than a broken higher tier, which I thought was a good approach for a 72-hour challenge.

Who it's for: Developers, students, engineers, open-source contributors, and anyone interested in software development, backend systems, APIs, DevOps, security, or data and algorithms.

Format: Online

Duration: 72 hours

Event Date: September 25–28, 2026

Team Size: 1 to 4 participants

Prize Pool: ₹2,50,000

🔗 Learn More & Register

Thank you to Dhruv Jani (@dj29) for thinking of the Radar and sharing this one with the community. It really means a lot 💙

I'd love for this section to keep growing.

If you've come across an opportunity, fellowship, grant, hackathon, conference, community, resource, or anything else you think more people should know about, feel free to share it in the comments.

If I feature it in a future edition, I'll always make sure to credit you. If you discovered it, that recognition belongs to you.

One small request: If you're sharing an opportunity, please avoid posting raw URLs directly in the comments. DEV sometimes filters them before I get a chance to see them.

A short description alongside the link makes it much easier for me to review and potentially feature it in a future edition.

💙 Reader Updates

I'm looking forward to this section gradually growing over time, and I'd still love to hear from you.

One of my favorite parts of writing Dev Opportunity Radar has been hearing from people who discovered something they otherwise might have missed.

You don't need to have been accepted or have a big success story to share. Sometimes simply discovering the right opportunity at the right time is already a win.

I hope this section gradually becomes a place where we can celebrate those stories together, one update at a time.

👋 Until Next Friday

Before I go, I just want to say thank you.

The goal has always been simple:

Help people discover opportunities they otherwise might have missed.

Thanks to all of you, it feels like we're doing exactly that.

Thank you for reading, for sharing, and for helping make this our radar, not just mine.

I'll be back next Friday with more opportunities, resources, and Community Finds.

Until then, take care, and I hope you discover something amazing this week 💙

🌐 Dev Opportunity Radar Website

👉 Website

I also wrote a short post about why I built the website and the journey behind it.

👉 Website Launch Post

Dev Opportunity Radar #16: $15K AI Agent Hackathon, AI Education Fellowship, and AWS Student Rewards

Hemapriya Kanagala — Fri, 11 Sep 2026 13:59:00 +0000

TL;DR

Welcome back to Dev Opportunity Radar.

This is a weekly series where I share opportunities, resources, communities, and interesting finds that I come across, with the goal of helping people discover things they might otherwise miss.

This week's edition features the AI for Education Fellowship, AWS Student Rewards, and the Multi-App AI Agent Hackathon, along with the Tech Interview Handbook as a resource worth checking out.

If you're new to the series, you can also browse previous editions, search past opportunities, and explore Community Finds, Reader Updates, and Resources Worth Checking Out on the Dev Opportunity Radar website. I've also written a short post about why I built it. You'll find links to both at the end of this article.

If you've discovered something through the radar, I'd love to hear about it. Whether you applied to an opportunity, joined a community, completed a program, or found a resource you hadn't seen before, I'd be happy to feature your experience in a future 💙 Reader Updates section (with your permission).

And if you've come across an opportunity, resource, community, program, or event that deserves more attention, feel free to share it in the comments.

If I feature one of your Community Finds in a future edition, I'll always make sure to credit you. If you discovered it, that recognition belongs to you.

⚡ Quick Scan
🔄 Still Open From Previous Editions
📍 This Week's Opportunities
- 📌 AI for Education Fellowship
- 📌 AWS Student Rewards
- 📌 Multi-App AI Agent Hackathon
📚 Resources Worth Checking Out
- Tech Interview Handbook
🌟 Community Finds
💙 Reader Updates
👋 Until Next Friday
🌐 Dev Opportunity Radar Website

⚡ Quick Scan

Opportunities

Opportunity	Organization	Type	Location / Format	Deadline
AI for Education Fellowship	Worldwide Studios	Fellowship	Virtual (Global)	Applications reviewed on a rolling basis
AWS Student Rewards	AWS Builder Center	Student Rewards Program	Online (Global)	Open
Multi-App AI Agent Hackathon	Lemma × Comma Capital	AI Hackathon	Virtual (Global)	September 13

Resource Highlight

Resource	Why Check It Out
Tech Interview Handbook	A free collection of software engineering interview preparation material covering resumes, coding and algorithms, system design, behavioral interviews, interview best practices, and offer negotiation.

📝 A quick note: I spend a lot of time researching and verifying every opportunity before featuring it in Dev Opportunity Radar. However, deadlines, eligibility, program details, and application requirements can change after publication. Before applying, please take a few minutes to visit the official program page, review the latest information, and confirm that you're eligible.

🔄 Still Open From Previous Editions

Before we get into this week's opportunities, here are a few from the two most recent editions that are still accepting applications.

Opportunity	Organization	Type	Format	Deadline	Featured In
Agents for Humans Hackathon	AWS	Hackathon	Online (Mostly Global*)	September 15	Edition #14
MLH Global Hack Week: Data	Major League Hacking (MLH)	Hackathon	Online (Global)	September 17	Edition #14
HackerRank Orchestrate	HackerRank	AI Hackathon	Online (Global)	September 12	Edition #15
Claude Campus Ambassador Program	Anthropic	Campus Ambassador Program	Campus-based (Global)	September 12	Edition #15
Bharat Builds Tour	WeMakeDevs × AWS Builder Center	Student Hackathon Series	Online (India) / In Person	September 17–20	Edition #15

📍 This Week's Opportunities

Here are a few opportunities I came across this week that I thought were worth sharing.

📌 AI for Education Fellowship

Who it's for: Builders, engineers, educators, researchers, and anyone interested in building something at the intersection of AI and education. No coding experience or other prerequisites are required.

What stands out: The AI for Education Fellowship from Worldwide Studios is a 100-day virtual fellowship where you pick projects to work on, build and test them, and share what you're working on through demos every two weeks.

I wanted to include this because I like that it is focused on actually building something, rather than just learning about AI or education. You can explore an idea, build a first version, test it, and keep improving it throughout the fellowship.

The fellowship is fully virtual and you can join from anywhere in the world. Fellows can also work in teams if they want, and the community includes people from different backgrounds, including engineers, researchers, educators, and school owners.

Another thing worth knowing is the time commitment. The fellowship expects around 8–10 hours a week, with weekly squad syncs and bi-weekly demos. So this is something to think about if you're considering applying alongside work or school.

There are also examples of past fellows building and testing real projects during the fellowship, including AI tutoring and education-focused products.

Format: Virtual | Duration: 100 days

Dates: September 15 – December 15, 2026

Time Commitment: 8–10 hours per week

Cost: Free for accepted fellows

Eligibility: Anyone interested in building solutions in AI and education | No prerequisites

Application: Applications are reviewed as they come in

🔗 Learn More & Apply

📌 AWS Student Rewards

Who it's for: University students who want to learn cloud and AI, build projects, and earn AWS learning and certification benefits along the way.

What stands out: AWS Student Rewards on AWS Builder Center gives verified higher education students 12 months of AWS Skill Builder Premium, along with opportunities to earn AWS Credits and an AWS Foundational Certification exam voucher.

I wanted to include this because 12 months of premium learning access is a pretty significant amount of time. The Skill Builder access includes 900+ courses, hands-on labs, certification preparation, and other learning resources, so students can actually use it throughout the year rather than having access for only a short period.

There is also a reward system built around participating in the AWS Builder Center community. After verifying your student status and completing your profile, you get the Skill Builder reward. You can then earn badges through things like publishing articles, commenting, and maintaining engagement.

At 7 badges, you unlock $10 in AWS Credits, at 14 badges you get another $20, and at 21 badges you can unlock an AWS Foundational Certification exam voucher worth $100.

Another thing I liked is that AWS also has Student Builder Groups at universities in 60+ countries, so there is a community side to this as well if there is a group at your university.

One thing to check before signing up is the eligibility. You need to be 18 or older and enrolled at an accredited higher education institution, and your student status needs to be verified.

Benefits: 12 months of Skill Builder Premium + up to $30 in AWS Credits + AWS Foundational Certification exam voucher

Eligibility: Students 18+ enrolled at accredited higher education institutions worldwide

Cost: Free

🔗 Learn More & Get Student Rewards

📌 Multi-App AI Agent Hackathon

Who it's for: Developers, AI builders, and anyone who wants to build an AI agent that can actually take actions across different applications. You can participate solo or in a team of up to four.

What it's about: The Multi-App AI Agent Hackathon, hosted by Lemma and Comma Capital, is a one-day virtual hackathon where you build a multi-step AI agent connected to at least three external apps.

I wanted to include this one because the challenge is pretty clear: you're not just building a chatbot or showing what an AI agent could do. The idea is to build something that can actually take actions across multiple apps, and then show that it works.

The hackathon takes place on September 13, 2026, from 9 AM to 5 PM Pacific Time. You'll have most of the day to build, with judging and awards happening toward the end.

For the submission, you'll need a working project or repository, a two-minute demo, and a short system and reliability brief. The project is judged on technical execution, reliability and evaluation, usefulness, originality, and how clearly you can explain what you built.

There is also $15,000 in cash prizes, with $10,000 for first place, $4,000 for second, and $1,000 for third.

And probably the part many developers will care about: all three winning teams get a guaranteed interview with either Arga Labs or Lemma AI. Of course, that is an interview opportunity and not a job offer, but I think it makes the hackathon a little more interesting if you're also looking for opportunities to get your work in front of companies.

One thing to keep in mind is that this is a single-day hackathon, so you'll need to be comfortable building and making decisions fairly quickly. The challenge also has a specific requirement of connecting your agent to at least three external apps, so it's worth thinking about what you could build before the event starts.

Prize Pool: $15,000

Format: Virtual | Duration: 1 day

Date: September 13, 2026 | Time: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM Pacific Time

Team Size: Solo or 2–4 people

What you need to build: A useful, multi-step AI agent connected to at least 3 external apps

Submission: Working project/repository + 2-minute demo + system and reliability brief

Judging: Technical execution, reliability & evaluation, usefulness, originality, and demo clarity

Hiring: Top 3 teams receive guaranteed interviews with Arga Labs or Lemma AI

🔗 Learn More & Register

📚 Resources Worth Checking Out

Not every useful find comes with an application deadline.

Here's one resource worth checking out this week.

Tech Interview Handbook

If you're preparing for a software engineering interview and not sure what you should actually focus on, the Tech Interview Handbook is a free resource that puts a lot of the preparation material in one place.

It covers the whole interview process, starting from resume preparation and applying for jobs, then moving into coding and algorithms, system design, behavioral interviews, and finally offer negotiation.

I think the useful part here is that you don't have to use it only for coding practice. There are sections on things like how to prepare for coding interviews, common algorithm patterns, system design, behavioral questions, interview best practices, and questions you can ask the interviewer.

It also includes curated coding questions through the Blind 75 and Grind 75, along with explanations and tips for different algorithm topics. So if you don't want to randomly pick hundreds of problems to practice, you can use those lists as a starting point.

There are also sections on company interview formats, engineering levels, compensation, and choosing between offers, which can be useful once you get further into the process.

I wouldn't say you need to go through every section. Depending on where you are in your interview preparation, you can just pick the parts that are relevant to you. For example, if your coding preparation is already good, you could spend more time on system design or behavioral interviews.

So if you're preparing for interviews and looking for one place to get an idea of what to prepare and in what order, this is a resource I think is worth going through.

Format: Free online resource

Covers: Resume preparation, coding & algorithms, system design, behavioral interviews, interview best practices, offer negotiation, and more.

Also includes: Blind 75, Grind 75, curated practice questions, interview cheatsheets, and company interview information.

🔗 Explore the Tech Interview Handbook

🌟 Community Finds

One of my favorite things about this series has been seeing people share opportunities, communities, and resources that others might not have discovered otherwise.

We've had some really wonderful community finds over the last few weeks, and I honestly can't thank everyone enough for taking the time to find these opportunities, look through them, and send them my way. I know that takes time, and I appreciate every person who thinks of the Radar when they come across something they feel others might find useful 💙

This week, we weren't able to include a community find, but that's completely okay. Hopefully we'll have more wonderful finds from the community as we keep going.

So if you come across an opportunity, fellowship, grant, hackathon, conference, community, resource, or anything else you think more people should know about, please do send it my way. I love seeing what you find, and it helps make this series better for everyone.

If I feature something you shared in a future edition, I'll always make sure to credit you. If you discovered it, that recognition belongs to you.

One small request: If you're sharing an opportunity, please avoid posting raw URLs directly in the comments. DEV sometimes filters them before I get a chance to see them.

A short description alongside the link makes it much easier for me to review and potentially feature it in a future edition.

💙 Reader Updates

I'm looking forward to this section gradually growing over time, and I'd still love to hear from you.

One of my favorite parts of writing Dev Opportunity Radar has been hearing from people who discovered something they otherwise might have missed.

You don't need to have been accepted or have a big success story to share. Sometimes simply discovering the right opportunity at the right time is already a win.

I hope this section gradually becomes a place where we can celebrate those stories together, one update at a time.

👋 Until Next Friday

Before I go, I just want to say thank you.

The goal has always been simple:

Help people discover opportunities they otherwise might have missed.

Thanks to all of you, it feels like we're doing exactly that.

Thank you for reading, for sharing, and for helping make this our radar, not just mine.

I'll be back next Friday with more opportunities, resources, and Community Finds.

Until then, take care, and I hope you discover something amazing this week 💙

🌐 Dev Opportunity Radar Website

👉 Website

I also wrote a short post about why I built the website and the journey behind it.

👉 Website Launch Post

Dev Opportunity Radar #15: HackerRank Orchestrate, Claude Campus Ambassadors & the Bharat Builds Tour

Hemapriya Kanagala — Fri, 04 Sep 2026 17:37:52 +0000

TL;DR

Welcome back to Dev Opportunity Radar.

This is a weekly series where I share opportunities, resources, communities, and interesting finds that I come across, with the goal of helping people discover things they might otherwise miss.

This week's edition features HackerRank Orchestrate, the Claude Campus Ambassador Program, and the Bharat Builds Tour, along with the System Design Primer as a resource worth checking out.

If you're new to the series, you can also browse previous editions, search past opportunities, and explore Community Finds, Reader Updates, and Resources Worth Checking Out on the Dev Opportunity Radar website. I've also written a short post about why I built it. You'll find links to both at the end of this article.

This week's 🌟 Community Finds section features opportunities shared by L. Cordero (@earlgreyhot1701d) and Konark Sharma (@konark_13). Thank you both for sharing the NASA Space Apps Challenge and the Build with React Image Editor Challenge. I always enjoy seeing readers help others discover opportunities they might otherwise have missed, and I hope this section continues to grow.

If you've discovered something through the Radar, I'd love to hear about it. Whether you applied to an opportunity, attended an event, joined a community, completed a program, built something, or found a resource you hadn't seen before, I'd be happy to feature your experience in a future 💙 Reader Updates section (with your permission).

And if you've come across an opportunity, resource, community, program, event, or anything else you think deserves more attention, feel free to share it in the comments.

If I feature one of your 🌟 Community Finds in a future edition, I'll always make sure to credit you. If you discovered it, that recognition belongs to you.

⚡ Quick Scan
🔄 Still Open From Previous Editions
📍 This Week's Opportunities
- 📌 HackerRank Orchestrate
- 📌 Claude Campus Ambassador Program
- 📌 Bharat Builds Tour
📚 Resources Worth Checking Out
- The System Design Primer
🌟 Community Finds
- The NASA Space Apps Challenge
- The Build with React Image Editor Challenge
💙 Reader Updates
👋 Until Next Friday
🌐 Dev Opportunity Radar Website

⚡ Quick Scan

Opportunities

Opportunity	Organization	Type	Location / Format	Deadline
HackerRank Orchestrate	HackerRank	AI Hackathon	Online (Global)	September 12
Claude Campus Ambassador Program	Anthropic	Campus Ambassador Program	Campus-based (Global)	September 12
Bharat Builds Tour	WeMakeDevs × AWS Builder Center	Student Hackathon Series	Online (India) / In Person	September 17–20

Resource Highlight

Resource	Why Check It Out
The System Design Primer	A free, open-source collection of system design topics, interview questions, real-world architectures, and resources for learning system design and preparing for system design interviews.

Community Finds

Shared By	Find	Type	Location / Format
L. Cordero (@earlgreyhot1701d)	NASA Space Apps Challenge	Global Hackathon	Global / 450+ Local Events
Konark Sharma (@konark_13)	Build with React Image Editor Challenge	Hackathon	Online

📝 A quick note: I spend a lot of time researching and verifying every opportunity before featuring it in Dev Opportunity Radar. However, deadlines, eligibility, program details, and application requirements can change after publication. Before applying, please take a few minutes to visit the official program page, review the latest information, and confirm that you're eligible.

🔄 Still Open From Previous Editions

Before we get into this week's opportunities, here are a few from the two most recent editions that are still accepting applications.

Opportunity	Organization	Type	Format	Deadline	Featured In
a16z Alpha Fellowship	a16z speedrun × EO Ventures	Fellowship	In Person	September 2026	Edition #13
RevenueCat Shipaton 2026	RevenueCat	Hackathon	Online	October 1	Edition #13
Kaggriculture AI Agent Competition	Kaggle	AI Competition	Online	September 30	Edition #13
Razorpay AI Buildathon	Razorpay	Buildathon	In Person (Bangalore, India)	September 5	Edition #14
Agents for Humans Hackathon	AWS	Hackathon	Online (Mostly Global*)	September 15	Edition #14
MLH Global Hack Week: Data	Major League Hacking (MLH)	Hackathon	Online (Global)	September 17	Edition #14

📍 This Week's Opportunities

Here are a few opportunities I came across this week that I thought were worth sharing.

📌 HackerRank Orchestrate

Who it's for: Developers, students, and builders who want to try building an AI agent in a short, focused challenge. It's open to anyone, and the challenge is solo.

What stands out: HackerRank Orchestrate is a 24-hour hackathon where you'll receive a real-world problem and build an agent-based solution for it. The challenge starts on September 12 at 6:00 PM IST, and you'll have 24 hours to build and submit your solution.

I wanted to include this one because it's a little different from the usual hackathons where you know the problem before you start. Here, the challenge is sent to you when the hackathon begins, so you'll need to figure out the architecture, retrieval strategy, model choice, prompts, and the rest of the approach yourself.

You can also use the tools you already work with, including Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, or Copilot. The submission includes your code, the agent's output, and your AI chat transcript, so they're looking at more than just the final result.

There's also an interesting part after submission: a 30-minute voice interview with an AI judge, where you'll walk through your architecture, decisions, tradeoffs, safety choices, and code. So if you're curious about what it feels like to have your AI project evaluated beyond a demo, this could be an interesting challenge to try.

There are cash prizes too, with $1,200 for first place and $300 for places 2–5, along with other rewards. The top three winners who build with Codex can also receive additional Codex credits.

One thing worth knowing before signing up is that this is a 24-hour challenge, and the problem itself isn't revealed until the start. So it may be more suited to people who enjoy working under a tight deadline rather than those looking for a longer, more relaxed hackathon.

Prize: $1,200 for 1st place | $300 for 2nd–5th place

Format: Online | Duration: 24 hours | Team: Solo

Challenge Starts: September 12, 2026 at 6:00 PM IST

What you need to build: An AI agent that solves a real-world problem provided when the challenge begins.

Evaluation: Code, agent output, AI chat transcript, and a 30-minute AI judge interview.

Eligibility: Anyone can participate | No prior AI experience required

🔗 Learn More & Register

📌 Claude Campus Ambassador Program

Who it's for: Students who want to help other students learn about and use AI on their campus. There are separate tracks for undergraduates, master's students, and PhD students/postdocs, with different responsibilities for each.

What stands out: The Claude Campus Ambassador program from Anthropic is back for the 2026–27 school year, and applications are currently open.

I wanted to include this because it's a little different from the usual student programs I come across. Instead of being focused mainly on learning or completing a project, you're helping build an AI community on your campus and organizing activities for other students.

For undergraduate students, the program involves leading a Claude Builder Club, organizing technical and non-technical workshops, running hackathons or demo nights, and sharing resources with members. Selected ambassadors receive a $3,600 cash stipend.

For master's students, there's a Claude Campus Conversations track focused more on discussions around AI and its impact on education and society. You'd organize discussion groups and events, while also helping students share and discuss the AI projects they're building.

For PhD students and postdocs, the Claude Science track is focused on researchers using AI in their work. This includes leading workshops for other researchers, organizing Claude for Science sessions, and engaging with Anthropic's science teams.

All three tracks also give ambassadors opportunities to participate in workshops led by Anthropic, connect with other ambassadors, and share feedback with Anthropic's teams.

A few things are worth knowing before applying. The program runs for the full school year, from September 2026 through June 2027, so this is more of an ongoing commitment than a short-term program. You also need to be 18 or older and have work authorization in your country of study.

The program is open to students anywhere in the world, although the initial pilot for the graduate and PhD tracks may select from a smaller group of schools. You don't need to be an AI expert, but Anthropic does expect some level of AI fluency and familiarity with Claude.

Stipend: $3,600

Format: Campus-based | Program Duration: September 2026 – June 2027

Tracks: Claude Builder Club (Undergraduate), Claude Campus Conversations (Master's), and Claude Science (PhD/Postdocs)

Eligibility: Students worldwide | Age: 18+

Application Deadline: September 12, 2026

Cost: Free to apply and participate

🔗 Learn More & Apply

📌 Bharat Builds Tour

Who it's for: University students in India who want to build projects through a series of online and in-person hackathons. You must be 18 or older to register on your own.

What stands out: The Bharat Builds Tour, organized by WeMakeDevs in collaboration with AWS Builder Center, is a six-stop hackathon series where students can participate online from anywhere in India. Each stop has its own hackathon, and you can take part in as many of the six as you'd like.

I wanted to include this one even though it's geographically limited because there is a hiring component that I don't come across very often in student hackathons.

For students graduating in 2027 or 2028, some of the top projects can be eligible for a fast-track interview opportunity with Amazon's University Talent Acquisition Team for available internship and full-time roles. The fast-track means the usual screening round is skipped and the project is used in its place.

That doesn't mean winning a hackathon automatically gets you an Amazon interview, though. The rules say that being shortlisted for a prize and being put forward for an interview are separate decisions, and the interview opportunity is also subject to Amazon's eligibility requirements, available roles, and business needs. So I'd definitely read the terms before counting on the hiring part.

The tour itself includes six hackathons, with the first one, First Commit, taking place September 17–20. Every stop has an online option for students across India, while the city hosting that particular stop also has limited in-person seats.

You can participate solo or in teams of up to four, and you don't need previous cloud experience. Each project does need to use AWS, and submissions include a public repository, a short demo video, and a write-up explaining the project and where AWS is used.

There are also prizes across the tour, with a total prize value of ₹1 crore in gadgets and cloud credits. Participants can also get access to AWS learning resources, credits, a certification voucher, mentors, and a WeMakeDevs certificate.

One thing worth knowing is that one registration covers all six stops, but you still need to check in to each hackathon as it opens. You'll also need an AWS Builder Center profile and verified student status before your entry can be scored.

Prize Pool: Prizes worth ₹1 crore across six hackathons

Format: Online across India + limited in-person seats

First Hackathon: September 17–20, 2026

Team Size: Solo or up to 4 people

Eligibility: University students in India, 18+

Hiring: Top projects from eligible 2027 and 2028 students may receive a fast-track interview opportunity with Amazon

Cost: Free

🔗 Learn More & Register

📚 Resources Worth Checking Out

Not every useful find comes with an application deadline.

Here's one resource worth checking out this week.

The System Design Primer

If system design is something you're trying to learn, this is one resource I came across that is worth keeping around.

The System Design Primer is a free, open-source GitHub repository with a collection of system design topics, interview questions, real-world architectures, and other resources. It also has a study guide that gives you an idea of what to focus on depending on how much time you have.

It covers things like scalability, latency, availability, consistency, DNS, CDNs, load balancers, databases, caching, microservices, and distributed systems.

What I liked here is that it also has actual system design questions to work through, such as Pastebin, Twitter, a web crawler, a social network, and scaling a system to millions of users on AWS.

There is also a section on how to approach a system design interview, starting with requirements and constraints, then moving into the high-level design, core components, scaling, and trade-offs.

So if you're just getting started with system design, or preparing for interviews and don't know what topics to go through first, this could be a good place to start.

Format: Free, open-source GitHub repository

Covers: System design, scalability, databases, caching, distributed systems, networking, microservices, and more.

Also includes: System design interview questions, real-world architectures, and Anki flashcards.

🔗 Explore the System Design Primer

🌟 Community Finds

One of my favorite things about this series has been seeing people share opportunities, communities, and resources that others might not have discovered otherwise.

The NASA Space Apps Challenge

Shared by L. Cordero (@earlgreyhot1701d).

L. Cordero shared the NASA Space Apps Challenge, a global hackathon happening on November 14–15, 2026, with 450+ local events to choose from when you register.

The challenge brings people together to work on real-world problems using NASA data and Space Agency Partner data. The challenges can cover things like software development, storytelling, astrophysics, space exploration, agriculture, and more.

I wanted to include this because I like the community side of this one. You can choose a local event and meet other people interested in technology, science, and space, and it is open to people from different backgrounds and skill levels.

Another thing L. Cordero pointed out is that this is far enough out to plan around. There is still some time to find teammates, look at the local events, and think about what you might want to build.

L. Cordero also mentioned the idea of putting together a DEV team for this. I won't be able to join this one myself with everything going on right now, but maybe some of you would be interested in putting a team together.

Format: Global hackathon with local events

Dates: November 14–15, 2026

Local Events: 450+

Who can participate: All ages, skill levels, and professional backgrounds

🔗 Find a Local Event & Learn More

💡 Community Note: If you're interested in joining a DEV team for this, feel free to leave a comment below and connect with others who are interested. Maybe we can get a few people together for this one!

The Build with React Image Editor Challenge

Shared by Konark Sharma (@konark_13).

Konark shared the Build with React Image Editor Challenge from Unlayer, where you build a GTA VI-inspired experience using React Image Editor.

The idea is to build something where users can edit or customize at least one visual, use React Image Editor as a core part of the project, and then publish the source code in a public GitHub repository and deploy the project.

I wanted to include this because it's a little different from the usual hackathons I come across. The GTA VI theme gives you a starting point, but there is still quite a bit of room for what you can actually build around it.

There is $1,000 in prizes, with $500 for first place, $300 for second, and $200 for third. Projects are judged on creativity, visual execution, use of React Image Editor, and the overall experience.

Format: Online

Deadline: September 24, 2026 at 11:59 PM UTC

Prize Pool: $1,000

What you need to build: A GTA VI-inspired experience using React Image Editor, with at least one visual that users can edit or customize.

Submission: Public GitHub repository + deployed project

🔗 Learn More & Submit

Thank you to L. Cordero (@earlgreyhot1701d) and Konark Sharma (@konark_13) for thinking of the Radar and sharing these with the community. It really means a lot 💙

I'd love for this section to keep growing.

If you've come across an opportunity, fellowship, grant, hackathon, conference, community, resource, or anything else you think more people should know about, feel free to share it in the comments.

If I feature it in a future edition, I'll always make sure to credit you. If you discovered it, that recognition belongs to you.

One small request: If you're sharing an opportunity, please avoid posting raw URLs directly in the comments. DEV sometimes filters them before I get a chance to see them.

A short description alongside the link makes it much easier for me to review and potentially feature it in a future edition.

💙 Reader Updates

I'm looking forward to this section gradually growing over time, and I'd still love to hear from you.

One of my favorite parts of writing Dev Opportunity Radar has been hearing from people who discovered something they otherwise might have missed.

You don't need to have been accepted or have a big success story to share. Sometimes simply discovering the right opportunity at the right time is already a win.

I hope this section gradually becomes a place where we can celebrate those stories together, one update at a time.

👋 Until Next Friday

Before I go, I just want to say thank you.

The goal has always been simple:

Help people discover opportunities they otherwise might have missed.

Thanks to all of you, it feels like we're doing exactly that.

Thank you for reading, for sharing, and for helping make this our radar, not just mine.

I'll be back next Friday with more opportunities, resources, and Community Finds.

Until then, take care, and I hope you discover something amazing this week 💙

🌐 Dev Opportunity Radar Website

👉 Website

I also wrote a short post about why I built the website and the journey behind it.

👉 Website Launch Post

Dev Opportunity Radar #14: MLH Global Hack Week, $40K Agents for Humans Hackathon & Razorpay AI Buildathon

Hemapriya Kanagala — Fri, 28 Aug 2026 13:24:07 +0000

TL;DR

Welcome back to Dev Opportunity Radar.

This is a weekly series where I share opportunities, resources, communities, and interesting finds that I come across, with the goal of helping people discover things they might otherwise miss.

This week's edition features the Razorpay AI Buildathon, Agents for Humans Hackathon, and MLH Global Hack Week: Data, along with Andrej Karpathy's Deep Dive into LLMs like ChatGPT as a resource worth checking out.

If you're new to the series, you can also browse previous editions, search past opportunities, and explore Community Finds, Reader Updates, and Resources Worth Checking Out on the Dev Opportunity Radar website. I've also written a short post about why I built it. You'll find links to both at the end of this article.

If you've discovered something through the radar, I'd love to hear about it. Whether you applied to an opportunity, joined a community, completed a program, or found a resource you hadn't seen before, I'd be happy to feature your experience in a future 💙 Reader Updates section (with your permission).

And if you've come across an opportunity, resource, community, program, or event that deserves more attention, feel free to share it in the comments.

If I feature one of your Community Finds in a future edition, I'll always make sure to credit you. If you discovered it, that recognition belongs to you.

⚡ Quick Scan
🔄 Still Open From Previous Editions
📍 This Week's Opportunities
- 📌 Razorpay AI Buildathon
- 📌 Agents for Humans Hackathon
- 📌 MLH Global Hack Week: Data
📚 Resources Worth Checking Out
- Deep Dive into LLMs like ChatGPT
🌟 Community Finds
💙 Reader Updates
💙 A Little Personal Note
👋 Until Next Friday
🌐 Dev Opportunity Radar Website

⚡ Quick Scan

Opportunities

Opportunity	Organization	Type	Location / Format	Deadline
Razorpay AI Buildathon	Razorpay	Buildathon	In Person (Bangalore, India)	September 5
Agents for Humans Hackathon	AWS	Hackathon	Online (Mostly Global*)	September 15
MLH Global Hack Week: Data	Major League Hacking (MLH)	Hackathon	Online (Global)	September 17

Agents for Humans Hackathon: Open internationally, but some countries and territories are excluded. Check the full eligibility rules before participating.

Resource Highlight

Resource	Why Check It Out
Deep Dive into LLMs like ChatGPT	A free 3+ hour deep dive by Andrej Karpathy covering how LLMs work, from tokenization and neural network internals to training, inference, hallucinations, tool use, and reinforcement learning.

📝 A quick note: I spend a lot of time researching and verifying every opportunity before featuring it in Dev Opportunity Radar. However, deadlines, eligibility, program details, and application requirements can change after publication. Before applying, please take a few minutes to visit the official program page, review the latest information, and confirm that you're eligible.

🔄 Still Open From Previous Editions

Before we get into this week's opportunities, here are a few from the previous two editions that are still accepting applications.

Since this is already Edition #14, the list of opportunities covered across the earlier editions is starting to get quite long. I used to keep all the still-open opportunities here, but I don't think repeating the full list every week makes the editions easier to read.

So from this edition onward, I'll keep this section to the two most recent editions. This way, you can still get a quick reminder about recent opportunities without making the weekly edition too long.

If you're looking for opportunities from earlier editions, they're still available on the Dev Opportunity Radar website, where you can browse the full list and use the filters to find what you're looking for.

I've already covered the opportunities below in detail, so I won't repeat everything here. If any of them catch your attention, you can find the full overview, eligibility details, and application links in the original edition.

Opportunity	Organization	Type	Format	Deadline	Featured In
Magnificent Grants	Magnificent Grants	Grant & Fellowship	Hybrid	Rolling	Edition #12
AI Societal Impact Lab Autumn 2026 Fellowship	AI Societal Impact Lab	Fellowship	Remote	September 4	Edition #12
a16z Alpha Fellowship	a16z speedrun × EO Ventures	Fellowship	In Person	September 2026	Edition #13
RevenueCat Shipaton 2026	RevenueCat	Hackathon	Online	October 1	Edition #13
Kaggriculture AI Agent Competition	Kaggle	AI Competition	Online	September 30	Edition #13

📍 This Week's Opportunities

Here are a few opportunities I came across this week that I thought were worth sharing.

📌 Razorpay AI Buildathon

Who it's for: Students interested in AI and software engineering who are able to work in person in Bangalore from September 2026.

What stands out: The Razorpay AI Buildathon is a student-only program where you build an AI project and use that project to apply for a 6 or 12-month AI Builder Internship at Razorpay.

There are five tracks you can choose from: AI Growth & Agentic Commerce, AI Risk Manager, AI Revenue Recovery, AI Finance Controller, and an Open Track if you want to build something outside the listed ideas.

I wanted to include this because I don't come across many opportunities where the project you build is actually part of the hiring process. Here, Razorpay is looking at how you think, what you build, how well it works, and even how you deal with things when they break.

Another thing I liked is that they don't make the application all about your resume. You'll need to submit a public GitHub repository, a five-minute pitch video, explain what your project solves, and talk about what broke and how you fixed it. There is also no aptitude test or group discussion. Shortlisted builders go directly to a panel.

The internship itself is also quite substantial. Selected students can choose between 6 or 12 months and receive a ₹75,000 monthly stipend while working in person in Bangalore.

I know many people reading the radar are looking for opportunities that are accessible globally, so this one is definitely more location-specific. I'm still sharing it because I think the combination of building something real + getting evaluated on your work + potentially turning that into a paid AI engineering internship makes this worth knowing about, especially for students in India who can be in Bangalore.

Internship: 6 or 12 months | Stipend: ₹75,000/month

Format: In person, Bangalore

Application Deadline: September 5, 2026

Application Requirements: Resume, project details, public GitHub repository, five-minute pitch video, and application questions.

🔗 Learn More & Apply

📌 Agents for Humans Hackathon

Who it's for: Developers, students, and builders who want to build an AI agent that can handle repetitive tasks for people. You can participate solo or with a team, and the hackathon is open to participants from around the world, with some countries and territories excluded.

What stands out: The Agents for Humans Hackathon, organized by AWS, is a six-week online hackathon where you build a new AI agent using the Strands Agents SDK. The idea is pretty simple: build something that can take care of a real task that people normally have to do themselves.

There are three tracks to choose from: Everyday Agents, for things like home, money, errands, or family tasks; Professional Agents, for repetitive work tasks; and Good Neighbor Agents, for agents that help groups such as nonprofits, schools, libraries, or local organizations.

I wanted to include this because I think the theme leaves quite a lot of room to build something you would actually want to use. You're not given one specific problem to solve, so you can start with a repetitive task you've personally dealt with and think about whether an agent could handle it.

Another thing I like is that the submission isn't just about showing an idea. You need to build a working agent, make your code publicly available, include an architecture diagram, and record a short demo showing it working. So if you're looking for a project that can also become something useful for your portfolio, this could be an interesting one to try.

The hackathon also provides $50 in AWS credits to help with build costs, and there is a total of $40,000 in cash prizes across the three tracks.

Prize Pool: $40,000

Format: Online | Build Period: Six weeks

Submission Deadline: September 15, 2026

Team Size: Solo or teams

What you need to build: A new AI agent using the Strands Agents SDK that handles a real, repetitive task.

Tracks: Everyday Agents, Professional Agents, and Good Neighbor Agents.

Additional Support: $50 in AWS credits are available for the build.

🔗 Learn More & Join the Hackathon

📌 MLH Global Hack Week: Data

Who it's for: Students, developers, and anyone interested in learning more about data, whether you're just getting started or already have some experience.

What stands out: Global Hack Week: Data is a free, week-long online event from Major League Hacking (MLH) where you can learn, build projects, complete challenges, and meet other people from the MLH community.

The week includes live workshops and technical challenges covering topics like SQL, databases, and data visualization. There are also smaller community events on Discord where you can meet other participants, work together, and take a break between challenges.

I wanted to include this because sometimes learning data skills can feel like you need to take a full course before you can actually start building something. This is a more relaxed way to spend a week exploring the area, learning something new, and actually putting it into practice.

Another thing I like is that you don't have to complete every challenge or already know what you're doing. Some challenges are simple, like connecting with other members of the community, while others involve building projects and creating demos. You can choose what you want to take on depending on your interests and experience.

And this one is actually global. It's completely free and open to participants from anywhere in the world, which is always something I look for when going through opportunities for the radar.

Event: September 11–17, 2026

Format: Fully online | Cost: Free

Topics: SQL, databases, data visualization, and other data-related technical skills.

🔗 Learn More & Register

📚 Resources Worth Checking Out

Not every useful find comes with an application deadline.

Here's one resource worth checking out this week.

Deep Dive into LLMs like ChatGPT

Who it's for: Developers, students, AI enthusiasts, and anyone who wants to understand how large language models like ChatGPT actually work. You don't need to be an AI researcher to follow it, but some basic technical knowledge will make it easier to get through the deeper sections.

What stands out: This is a free 3+ hour deep dive into LLMs by Andrej Karpathy, covering much more than just how to use ChatGPT. He walks through the full training stack, starting with internet data and tokenization, then moving into neural network internals, inference, pretraining, post-training, hallucinations, tool use, reinforcement learning, and how models actually "think."

I wanted to include this because there are so many resources about using AI tools, but fewer that actually help you understand what's happening underneath. If you've ever wondered how a large language model goes from a huge amount of text to something that can answer questions, write code, or use tools, this is a really good place to start.

Another thing I liked is that Karpathy doesn't only explain the technical side. He also talks about some of the strange ways LLMs behave, including hallucinations, tokenization problems, "jagged intelligence," knowledge and working memory, and why models can be surprisingly good at some things while struggling with others. That makes the video useful even if you're more interested in building with AI than training models yourself.

Format: Free recorded video | Length: Approximately 3 hours 22 minutes

Level: Beginner-friendly, with deeper technical sections

Topics Covered: LLM pretraining, tokenization, neural networks, inference, post-training, hallucinations, tool use, reinforcement learning, RLHF, DeepSeek-R1, and practical use of LLMs.

🔗 Watch the Video

🌟 Community Finds

One of my favorite things about this series has been seeing people share opportunities, communities, and resources that others might not have discovered otherwise.

This week, we weren't able to include a community find, but that's completely okay. Hopefully we'll have more wonderful finds from the community as we keep going.

If I feature something you shared in a future edition, I'll always make sure to credit you. If you discovered it, that recognition belongs to you.

One small request: If you're sharing an opportunity, please avoid posting raw URLs directly in the comments. DEV sometimes filters them before I get a chance to see them.

A short description alongside the link makes it much easier for me to review and potentially feature it in a future edition.

💙 Reader Updates

I'm looking forward to this section gradually growing over time, and I'd still love to hear from you.

One of my favorite parts of writing Dev Opportunity Radar has been hearing from people who discovered something they otherwise might have missed.

You don't need to have been accepted or have a big success story to share. Sometimes simply discovering the right opportunity at the right time is already a win.

I hope this section gradually becomes a place where we can celebrate those stories together, one update at a time.

💙 A Little Personal Note

I know I've been a little quieter around the community over the last couple of weeks. I haven't been as active as I normally am, and I know I haven't been able to support everyone's posts and work in the same way I usually would.

I've been going through a difficult phase personally, with some things happening in my family, and I've needed to take a little step back. I haven't really talked about it here because I didn't quite know how to put it into words. But I wanted to share a little bit of it because so many of you have continued to support me and the Radar.

I'm sharing this here mainly because I don't want my being quiet to be misunderstood. This community means a lot to me, and I know many of you regularly support what I share. I don't want someone to think that I saw their work and chose not to support it, or that I don't care, when that isn't the case.

Even though I've been quieter, I'm still trying to keep up with everyone. Whenever I come online, especially when I'm working on the Radar on Fridays or whenever I have the energy during the week, I try to go through the posts and see what everyone has been working on. I may not always have the energy to leave a comment or reaction on everything, but I am still looking, reading, and cheering for you from my side.

So please don't take it personally if I haven't reacted to or commented on something you've shared. If I missed your post, there's a very good chance I simply missed it, not that I don't care about what you're doing. I know I may have missed quite a few things recently, and I'm genuinely sorry for that.

I also know that many of you continue to give me so much support, and I wish I could always give the same energy back. Right now, I just can't always be as present as I'd like to be. I'm doing what I can with what I have, and I hope you'll understand that.

I don't want this difficult phase to stop me from doing the things I care about either. The Radar is one of those things. Even if I'm somewhat quiet around the community for a while, I'll keep coming back every Friday with a new edition and keep doing my best to find and share opportunities that might help someone.

Thank you to everyone who has continued to support me, encourage me, read the editions, share opportunities, leave comments, and simply be here. I notice it, even when I don't always have the energy to respond properly. It means a lot to me 💙

And if I've missed your post recently, please know that I haven't stopped caring. I might have just missed it. I hope you guys understand.

👋 Until Next Friday

Before I go, I just want to say thank you.

The goal has always been simple:

Help people discover opportunities they otherwise might have missed.

Thanks to all of you, it feels like we're doing exactly that.

Thank you for reading, for sharing, and for helping make this our radar, not just mine.

I'll be back next Friday with more opportunities, resources, and Community Finds.

Until then, take care, and I hope you discover something amazing this week 💙

🌐 Dev Opportunity Radar Website

👉 Website

I also wrote a short post about why I built the website and the journey behind it.

👉 Website Launch Post

Dev Opportunity Radar #13: a16z Alpha, a $740K Hackathon, and an AI Agent Competition

Hemapriya Kanagala — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 17:06:59 +0000

TL;DR

Welcome back to Dev Opportunity Radar.

This is a weekly series where I share opportunities, resources, communities, and interesting finds that I come across, with the goal of helping people discover things they might otherwise miss.

This week's edition features the a16z Alpha Fellowship, RevenueCat Shipaton 2026, and the Kaggriculture AI Agent Competition, along with IBM SkillsBuild as a resource worth checking out.

If you're new to the series, you can also browse previous editions, search past opportunities, and explore Community Finds, Reader Updates, and Resources Worth Checking Out on the Dev Opportunity Radar website. I've also written a short post about why I built it. You'll find links to both at the end of this article.

This week's 🌟 Community Finds section features an opportunity shared by Konark Sharma (@konark_13). Thank you, Konark, for sharing the Agent Harness Hackathon. I always enjoy seeing readers help others discover opportunities they might otherwise have missed, and I hope this section continues to grow.

If you've discovered something through the radar, I'd love to hear about it. Whether you applied to an opportunity, attended an event, joined a community, completed a program, built something, or found a resource you hadn't seen before, I'd be happy to feature your experience in a future 💙 Reader Updates section (with your permission).

And if you've come across an opportunity, resource, community, program, event, or anything else you think deserves more attention, feel free to share it in the comments.

If I feature one of your 🌟 Community Finds in a future edition, I'll always make sure to credit you. If you discovered it, that recognition belongs to you.

⚡ Quick Scan
🔄 Still Open From Previous Editions
📍 This Week's Opportunities
- 📌 a16z Alpha Fellowship
- 📌 RevenueCat Shipaton 2026
- 📌 Kaggriculture AI Agent Competition
📚 Resources Worth Checking Out
- IBM SkillsBuild
🌟 Community Finds
- The Agent Harness Hackathon
💙 Reader Updates
👋 Until Next Friday
🌐 Dev Opportunity Radar Website

⚡ Quick Scan

Opportunities

Opportunity	Organization	Type	Location / Format	Deadline
a16z Alpha Fellowship	a16z speedrun × EO Ventures	Fellowship	In Person (United States)	September 2026
RevenueCat Shipaton 2026	RevenueCat	Global Hackathon	Online (Global)	October 1
Kaggriculture AI Agent Competition	Kaggle	AI Competition	Online (Global)	September 30

Resource Highlight

Resource	Why Check It Out
IBM SkillsBuild	A free online learning platform offering courses and learning pathways across AI, cybersecurity, data, cloud, and other technology skills, with learning available in 20+ languages.

Community Finds

Shared By	Find	Type	Location / Format
Konark Sharma (@konark_13)	The Agent Harness Hackathon	AI Hackathon	Online (Global) / In Person (San Francisco)

📝 A quick note: I spend a lot of time researching and verifying every opportunity before featuring it in Dev Opportunity Radar. However, deadlines, eligibility, program details, and application requirements can change after publication. Before applying, please take a few minutes to visit the official program page, review the latest information, and confirm that you're eligible.

🔄 Still Open From Previous Editions

Before we get into this week's opportunities, here are a few from previous editions that are still accepting applications.

I've already covered these in detail, so I won't repeat everything here. If any of them catch your attention, you can find the full overview, eligibility details, and application links in the original edition.

Opportunity	Organization	Type	Format	Deadline	Featured In
FR8	FR8	Builder Residency	In Person	Rolling	Edition #2
Anthropic Fellows Program	Anthropic	AI Research Fellowship	In Person	Rolling	Edition #4
Sentient Open Source AGI Grant Program	Sentient Foundation	AI Grant & Investment	Remote	Rolling	Edition #6
Solo Grants	Solo Grants	Microgrant for Solo Builders	Remote	Rolling	Edition #7
Claude for Open Source	Anthropic	Open Source Program	Remote	Rolling	Edition #7
The Bridge	Entrepreneurs First	Founder Residency	In Person	August 30	Edition #9
Develop for Good Winter 2027	Develop for Good	Student Volunteer Program	Remote	August 31	Edition #10
Claude Community Ambassadors	Anthropic	Community Ambassador Program	Hybrid (Local Events)	Rolling	Edition #11
Z Fellows	Z Fellows	Founder Fellowship	Hybrid	Rolling	Edition #11
Magnificent Grants	Magnificent Grants	Grant & Fellowship	Hybrid	Rolling	Edition #12
AI Societal Impact Lab Autumn 2026 Fellowship	AI Societal Impact Lab	Fellowship	Remote	September 4	Edition #12
CodePath Fall 2026 Courses	CodePath	Technical Education Program	Virtual	August 23	Edition #12

📍 This Week's Opportunities

Here are a few opportunities I came across this week that I thought were worth sharing.

📌 a16z Alpha Fellowship

Who it's for: Technical students and recent graduates, generally within three years of graduating, who want to work at a fast-growing startup or try building their own company.

What stands out: The Alpha Fellowship gives you two options. You can join a fast-growing a16z portfolio company as a full-time software engineer, or you can apply through the Founder Track and get $20,000 in equity-free funding to start building your own company. The Founder Track can also lead to up to $250,000 in additional investment.

I wanted to include this because it's a pretty unusual opportunity for someone early in their career. You're not just getting another fellowship or a short course. You can either get a full-time engineering role at a growing startup or get funding to try building something yourself.

Another thing I like is that you don't need to already have a company or a complete team for the Founder Track. You apply as an individual, and if you already know who you want to build with, each person can apply separately and mention the others.

The fellowship itself is also very hands-on. It runs for eight weeks in person and includes a kickoff retreat, founder AMAs, small-group dinners, and access to the a16z speedrun community and events.

One important thing to know is that this is not globally accessible. You need valid U.S. authorization to work full time, and accepted fellows need to relocate for the in-person fellowship. I know I usually try to share opportunities that are accessible to people from different parts of the world, but I still wanted to include this one because the opportunity itself is too interesting to leave out. If you're eligible, definitely take a look.

Startup Track: Full-time software engineering role with salary and equity

Founder Track: $20,000 equity-free grant + up to $250,000 in additional investment

Fellowship: 8 weeks, in person

Who can apply: Technical students and recent graduates, generally within 3 years of graduation

Important: U.S. full-time work authorization is required.

Applications: Cohort 2 applications open in September 2026. Early applicants can submit now for priority consideration.

💡 Tip: You can apply to both tracks. If you're already building with a team, each person should apply separately and mention the other team members.

🔗 Learn More

📌 RevenueCat Shipaton 2026

Who it's for: Developers, students, indie builders, and teams who want to build and launch a mobile app.

What stands out: The RevenueCat Shipaton 2026 is a global online hackathon where the goal isn't just to build something. You actually have to launch a new app during the competition and use RevenueCat for monetization.

And the prize pool is pretty big. There is more than $740,000 in cash prizes, along with things like a Times Square billboard, media coverage, and a chance to attend RevenueCat's App Growth Annual conference in New York.

I wanted to include this because I like hackathons where you actually have to ship something people can use. Instead of building a prototype and stopping there, Shipaton gives you a reason to take the idea all the way to launch.

Another thing I like is that there are a lot of different categories, so you don't necessarily have to compete only for the main prize. There are awards for things like design, gaming, social good, growth, building in public, monetization, and a student-only Next Gen Award.

There are also sponsor prizes from companies like JetBrains, OneSignal, Replit, Samsung, Stripe, and others.

Prize Pool: $740,000+ | Format: Online, global hackathon

Build Window: August 1 – September 30, 2026 | Submission Deadline: October 1, 2026

Team: Individual or team participation

Who can participate: Ages 13–99, with some countries and territories excluded.

Main Requirement: Build and publicly launch a new app during the Shipaton window and integrate RevenueCat for monetization.

🔗 Learn More & Join the Hackathon

📌 Kaggriculture AI Agent Competition

Who it's for: Developers, students, AI engineers, machine learning practitioners, and anyone interested in experimenting with AI agents. Some Python experience will be helpful.

What stands out: Kaggriculture is a Kaggle competition where you build an AI agent that manages a virtual farm and competes against other agents on a live leaderboard.

Your agent has to make decisions over hundreds of turns, balancing things like farming, trading, expansion, resources, and changing market conditions to try to make the most profit.

I wanted to include this because it's very different from the Kaggle competitions you usually see. You're not just given a dataset and asked to build the best prediction model. You're actually building an agent that has to make decisions, plan ahead, and react to what is happening around it.

Another thing I like is that it gives you a way to experiment with agent design without needing to build a huge project from scratch. You're working inside a game-like environment, but you're still thinking about things like strategy, optimization, resource management, and planning.

And honestly, the farming part just makes it more fun than another competition where you're staring at a dataset all day.

Prize Pool: $50,000 USD ($5,000 each for the top 10 teams)

Format: Online Kaggle competition

Competition Start: July 29, 2026 | Entry Deadline: September 23, 2026

Final Submission Deadline: September 30, 2026

Team Size: Individual or team

🔗 Learn More & Join

📚 Resources Worth Checking Out

Not every useful find comes with an application deadline.

Here's one resource worth checking out this week.

IBM SkillsBuild

Who it's for: Students, recent graduates, and anyone who wants to build skills in areas like AI, cybersecurity, data, cloud, and other emerging technologies.

What stands out: IBM SkillsBuild is a free online learning platform with courses, learning pathways, hands-on learning, and digital credentials.

I wanted to include this because it's one of those resources that's worth bookmarking. If you're trying to learn something new alongside school, work, or a job search, there are a lot of different topics you can explore without paying for another course.

You can find content on things like generative AI, AI ethics, cybersecurity, data, cloud computing, and quantum computing, so there's a good amount to explore depending on what you're interested in.

Another thing I like is that it isn't just video courses. There are also hands-on labs, learning pathways, digital credentials, and virtual events.

Cost: Free | Format: Online | Languages: 20+ languages

Topics: AI, Generative AI, Cybersecurity, Data, Cloud, Quantum Computing, and more

Credentials: Digital credentials are available for selected activities and pathways.

🔗 Explore IBM SkillsBuild

🌟 Community Finds

One of my favorite things about this series has been seeing people share opportunities, communities, and resources that others might not have discovered otherwise.

The Agent Harness Hackathon

Shared by Konark Sharma (@konark_13).

Konark shared the Agent Harness Hackathon, a seven-day online hackathon from WeMakeDevs in collaboration with TrueFoundry.

The challenge is to build an AI agent using TrueForge, TrueFoundry's open-source agent harness. The idea is to build an agent that can actually take actions, connect to real tools, safely run generated code, and ask for human approval before doing something irreversible.

I wanted to include this because I like that it's focused on building agents that can actually do things, rather than just answering questions. You can build something like a code review agent, incident responder, research assistant, analytics agent, or come up with your own idea.

There are several categories to compete in, including Best Use of TrueForge, Best Code Quality, and Best UI. There are also prizes for the best blog and social posts.

The total prize pool is $10,000, including an NVIDIA DGX Spark, Mac Mini, iPad, and other prizes.

Format: Online, with an optional in-person event in San Francisco

Dates: August 24–30, 2026

Team Size: Solo or teams of up to 4

Prize Pool: $10,000

Submission Deadline: August 30, 2026 at 8:00 PM London time

Who can participate: Developers, students, builders, and anyone interested in AI agents.

🔗 Learn More & Register

Thank you to Konark Sharma (@konark_13) for thinking of the radar and sharing this with the community. It really means a lot 💙

I'd love for this section to keep growing.

If you've come across an opportunity, fellowship, grant, hackathon, conference, community, resource, or anything else you think more people should know about, feel free to share it in the comments.

If I feature it in a future edition, I'll always make sure to credit you. If you discovered it, that recognition belongs to you.

One small request: If you're sharing an opportunity, please avoid posting raw URLs directly in the comments. DEV sometimes filters them before I get a chance to see them.

A short description alongside the link makes it much easier for me to review and potentially feature it in a future edition.

💙 Reader Updates

I'm looking forward to this section gradually growing over time, and I'd still love to hear from you.

One of my favorite parts of writing Dev Opportunity Radar has been hearing from people who discovered something they otherwise might have missed.

You don't need to have been accepted or have a big success story to share. Sometimes simply discovering the right opportunity at the right time is already a win.

I hope this section gradually becomes a place where we can celebrate those stories together, one update at a time.

👋 Until Next Friday

Before I go, I just want to say thank you.

The goal has always been simple:

Help people discover opportunities they otherwise might have missed.

Thanks to all of you, it feels like we're doing exactly that.

Thank you for reading, for sharing, and for helping make this our radar, not just mine.

I'll be back next Friday with more opportunities, resources, and Community Finds.

Until then, take care, and I hope you discover something amazing this week 💙

🌐 Dev Opportunity Radar Website

👉 Website

I also wrote a short post about why I built the website and the journey behind it.

👉 Website Launch Post

Transparency note: I used AI (Gemini) to create the banner image for this article.

I also used AI to help with grammar and wording. English isn't my first language, and sometimes I know exactly what I want to say but struggle to find the right words. I used AI to help me express those thoughts more clearly, especially when explaining opportunities and making sure the information was easy to follow.

The research, ideas, experiences, perspectives, and decisions about what to include are my own. As always, I recommend checking the official links before applying, since deadlines and program details can change.

Dev Opportunity Radar #12: $10K+ Magnificent Grants, Free CodePath Courses, AI Societal Impact Lab Fellowship, and Interview Prep 101

Hemapriya Kanagala — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 17:48:56 +0000

TL;DR

Welcome back to Dev Opportunity Radar.

This is a weekly series where I share opportunities, resources, communities, and interesting finds that I come across, with the goal of helping people discover things they might otherwise miss.

This week's edition features Magnificent Grants, the AI Societal Impact Lab Autumn 2026 Fellowship, CodePath's Fall 2026 Courses, and Interview Prep 101, a free workshop recording from CodePath's Emerging Engineers Summit packed with practical advice for technical interviews.

If you're new to the series, you can also browse previous editions, search past opportunities, and explore Community Finds, Reader Updates, and Resources Worth Checking Out on the Dev Opportunity Radar website. I've also written a short post about why I built it. You'll find links to both at the end of this article.

This week's 🌟 Community Finds section features an opportunity shared by Konark Sharma (@konark_13). Thank you, Konark, for recommending the Zero Downtime Hackathon. I always enjoy seeing readers help others discover opportunities they might otherwise have missed, and I hope this section continues to grow.

If you've discovered something through the radar, I'd love to hear about it. Whether you applied to an opportunity, attended an event, joined a community, completed a program, built something, or found a resource you hadn't seen before, I'd be happy to feature your experience in a future 💙 Reader Updates section (with your permission).

And if you've come across an opportunity, resource, community, program, event, or anything else you think deserves more attention, feel free to share it in the comments.

If I feature one of your 🌟 Community Finds in a future edition, I'll always make sure to credit you. If you discovered it, that recognition belongs to you.

⚡ Quick Scan
🔄 Still Open From Previous Editions
📍 This Week's Opportunities
- 📌 Magnificent Grants
- 📌 AI Societal Impact Lab Autumn 2026 Fellowship
- 📌 CodePath Fall 2026 Courses
📚 Resources Worth Checking Out
- CodePath: Interview Prep 101
🌟 Community Finds
- Zero Downtime Hackathon
💙 Reader Updates
👋 Until Next Friday
🌐 Dev Opportunity Radar Website

⚡ Quick Scan

Opportunities

Opportunity	Organization	Type	Format	Deadline
Magnificent Grants	Magnificent Grants	Grant & Fellowship	Hybrid	Rolling
AI Societal Impact Lab Autumn 2026 Fellowship	AI Societal Impact Lab	Fellowship	Remote	September 4
CodePath Fall 2026 Courses	CodePath	Technical Education Program	Virtual	August 23

Resource Highlight

Resource	Why Check It Out
CodePath: Interview Prep 101	A free workshop recording covering practical interview strategies, communication, structuring answers, and techniques to help you perform more confidently in technical interviews.

Community Finds

Shared By	Find	Type	Format
Konark Sharma (@konark_13)	Zero Downtime Hackathon	AI Hackathon	In Person (San Francisco)

📝 A quick note: I spend a lot of time researching and verifying every opportunity before featuring it in Dev Opportunity Radar. However, deadlines, eligibility, program details, and application requirements can change after publication. Before applying, please take a few minutes to visit the official program page, review the latest information, and confirm that you're eligible.

🔄 Still Open From Previous Editions

Before we get into this week's opportunities, here are a few from previous editions that are still accepting applications.

Opportunity	Organization	Type	Format	Deadline	Featured In
FR8	FR8	Builder Residency	In Person	Rolling	Edition #2
Anthropic Fellows Program	Anthropic	AI Research Fellowship	In Person	Rolling	Edition #4
Sentient Open Source AGI Grant Program	Sentient Foundation	AI Grant & Investment	Remote	Rolling	Edition #6
Solo Grants	Solo Grants	Microgrant for Solo Builders	Remote	Rolling	Edition #7
Claude for Open Source	Anthropic	Open Source Program	Remote	Rolling	Edition #7
AIAF Fellowship 2026	AIAF × AE Studio	AI Research Fellowship	Remote	August 17	Edition #8
The Bridge	Entrepreneurs First	Founder Residency	In Person	August 30	Edition #9
Develop for Good Winter 2027	Develop for Good	Student Volunteer Program	Remote	August 31	Edition #10
Claude Community Ambassadors	Anthropic	Community Ambassador Program	Hybrid (Local Events)	Rolling	Edition #11
Z Fellows	Z Fellows	Founder Fellowship	Hybrid	Rolling	Edition #11

📍 This Week's Opportunities

Here are a few opportunities I came across this week that I thought were worth sharing.

📌 Magnificent Grants

Who it's for: Builders, founders, researchers, creators, and ambitious young people aged 25 or younger who are working on ambitious ideas, side projects, startups, or other high-impact work. You don't need to have a company or drop out of school to apply, although showing meaningful progress on what you're building will strengthen your application.

What stands out: Magnificent Grants awards $10,000+ grants to a small group of young builders each year, along with two years of mentorship from experienced founders and investors. Unlike many startup programs, the grant comes with no equity requirement, allowing recipients to continue building independently while receiving ongoing support.

I wanted to include this because it's refreshing to see a program that's willing to support people at a very early stage. Many fellowships expect applicants to already have traction, funding, or a well-established company. Here, the focus seems to be on identifying exceptional people with ambitious ideas and helping them move faster.

Another thing I like is that the support extends well beyond the grant itself. Fellows become part of a two-year community where they receive mentorship, meet other grantees, and continue building relationships with experienced founders and investors. The fact that you don't need to drop out of school or leave your job also makes it accessible to more people who are still exploring their ideas.

Grant: $10,000+ (no equity required)

Program Duration: Two years

Who can apply: Anyone aged 25 or younger from anywhere in the world.

Application Deadline: Rolling

🔗 Learn More | 🔗 Apply

📌 AI Societal Impact Lab Autumn 2026 Fellowship

Who it's for: Recent graduates, early-career researchers, and people interested in exploring how AI is shaping society. While the fellowship is primarily aimed at applicants from the social sciences and humanities, people from STEM, the arts, and other backgrounds are also encouraged to apply. Previous AI experience is welcome but not required.

What stands out: The AI Societal Impact Lab Autumn 2026 Fellowship is a remote 8 to 10-week program that brings together people interested in the societal and political implications of AI. Fellows participate in weekly discussions, receive mentorship, work on a collaborative group project, attend workshops and seminars, and write their own analytical piece that will be published on the AI Societal Impact Lab website.

I wanted to include this because most AI fellowships focus on building models or developing technical skills. This one takes a different approach by exploring the broader questions around how AI is changing society and encouraging thoughtful discussions from people with different backgrounds.

Another thing I like is that you don't need to be an AI expert to apply. The fellowship welcomes people from a variety of disciplines and creates a space where different perspectives can come together. If you've been curious about AI governance, ethics, public policy, or the social impact of emerging technologies, this looks like a great place to learn and contribute.

Program Duration: Approximately 8 to 10 weeks (starting in mid to late September 2026)

Time Commitment: Around 4 hours per week

Format: Fully remote

Benefits: Mentorship, workshops and seminars, collaborative group project, publication on the AI Societal Impact Lab website, and a community of fellows.

Who can apply: Recent graduates, early-career researchers, and applicants from a wide range of backgrounds, including humanities, social sciences, STEM, and the arts.

Application Deadline: September 4, 2026 (rolling until filled)

🔗 Learn More | 🔗 Apply

📌 CodePath Fall 2026 Courses

Who it's for: Students and recent graduates in computer science or software-related programs who want to strengthen their technical skills, prepare for internships and full-time roles, and learn in a structured, instructor-led environment. Some pathways have additional prerequisites, so be sure to review the requirements before applying.

What stands out: CodePath is offering its Fall 2026 cohort of free, instructor-led technical courses in Applied AI Engineering, Technical Interview Prep, Cybersecurity, and Web Development. Each pathway runs virtually for around 10 weeks, combining live classes, hands-on assignments, projects, and mentorship from engineers at leading technology companies.

I wanted to include this because I've personally completed two CodePath courses: Intermediate Cybersecurity (with Honors) and Intro to Technical Interview Prep. They were genuinely some of the most valuable learning experiences I've had. The courses aren't passive video lectures. Every week includes live, interactive sessions, breakout discussions with peers and teaching assistants, and practical assignments that push you to apply what you've learned.

One thing I also appreciate is that CodePath expects commitment. Getting accepted isn't the final step. Every applicant is required to complete pre-work as part of the admissions process, and it takes real time and effort. It's one of the reasons the community stays so engaged. Everyone begins the course having already demonstrated they're willing to put in the work.

Another thing I like is that the experience continues well beyond the classroom. After completing a course, students gain access to career services, a large network of students and alumni, industry mentors, recruiting events, career fairs, workshops with leading technology companies, and an active Slack community where people continue learning and helping one another.

Available Pathways:

Applied AI Engineering
Technical Interview Prep
Cybersecurity
Web Development

Duration: Approximately 10 weeks

Format: Virtual, instructor-led

Cost: Free

Who can apply: Students aged 18+ who will be enrolled in a U.S. college or university during Fall 2026 in a computer science or software-related degree program. WEB101 and CYB101 are open to students from all majors. Recent computer science graduates are also eligible. Individual courses may have additional prerequisites.

Application Deadline: August 23, 2026

💡 Tip: Don't wait until the last minute. After submitting your application, you'll need to complete the required pre-work before your application can be reviewed. The pre-work takes time, so applying early gives you the best chance of completing everything before the deadline.

🔗 Learn More & Apply

📚 Resources Worth Checking Out

Not every useful find comes with an application deadline.

Here's one resource worth checking out this week.

CodePath: Interview Prep 101 (Free Workshop Recording)

Who it's for: Students, new graduates, internship applicants, and anyone preparing for software engineering interviews.

What stands out: This free session from CodePath's 2024 Emerging Engineers Summit focuses on the parts of interviewing that people often overlook. Instead of diving straight into coding problems, it covers how to make a strong first impression, communicate your thought process, structure your answers, and approach technical interviews with more confidence.

I wanted to include this because interview preparation isn't just about solving LeetCode problems. Being able to clearly explain your thinking, communicate with your interviewer, and approach questions in a structured way can make a huge difference. I found this session practical and easy to follow, especially for people preparing for internships or new graduate roles.

Another thing I like is that it's only around an hour long, making it an easy resource to watch before interview season. If you're already practicing coding problems, this is a nice complement that focuses on the communication side of technical interviews.

Format: Free recorded workshop

Level: Beginner to Intermediate

Topics Covered: Technical interview preparation, communication, structuring answers, interview tips, and best practices.

🔗 Watch the Session

🌟 Community Finds

One of my favorite things about this series has been seeing people share opportunities, communities, and resources that others might not have discovered otherwise.

Zero Downtime Hackathon

Shared by Konark Sharma (@konark_13).

Konark shared the Zero Downtime Hackathon, and I thought it would be worth passing along for anyone interested in building AI applications.

The hackathon focuses on building resilient AI systems rather than just prototypes. Participants will use Port for project organization, Bright Data Scraper Studio for web data extraction, and SigNoz for observability to create an end-to-end application, pipeline, or AI agent. Projects will also be judged by engineers from Anthropic.

I wanted to feature this because it encourages participants to think beyond simply getting an AI application to work. It emphasizes planning, monitoring, and building systems that can continue running even when things change, which are skills that become increasingly important as AI projects move into production.

There are also some exciting prizes, including an NVIDIA DGX Spark AI Supercomputer for the overall winner, along with track prizes for the best integrations with each sponsor tool.

Who it's for: Developers, students, builders, and AI enthusiasts interested in building production-ready AI applications.

Format: In-person hackathon (San Francisco, California)

Event Date: August 22, 2026

Team Size: 1 to 4 participants

🔗 Learn More & Register

Thank you to Konark Sharma (@konark_13) for thinking of the radar and sharing this with the community. It really means a lot 💙

I'd love for this section to keep growing.

If you've come across an opportunity, fellowship, grant, hackathon, conference, community, resource, or anything else you think more people should know about, feel free to share it in the comments.

If I feature it in a future edition, I'll always make sure to credit you. If you discovered it, that recognition belongs to you.

One small request: If you're sharing an opportunity, please avoid posting raw URLs directly in the comments. DEV sometimes filters them before I get a chance to see them.

A short description alongside the link makes it much easier for me to review and potentially feature it in a future edition.

💙 Reader Updates

I'm looking forward to this section gradually growing over time, and I'd still love to hear from you.

One of my favorite parts of writing Dev Opportunity Radar has been hearing from people who discovered something they otherwise might have missed.

You don't need to have been accepted or have a big success story to share. Sometimes simply discovering the right opportunity at the right time is already a win.

I hope this section gradually becomes a place where we can celebrate those stories together, one update at a time.

👋 Until Next Friday

Before I go, I just want to say thank you.

The goal has always been simple:

Help people discover opportunities they otherwise might have missed.

Thanks to all of you, it feels like we're doing exactly that.

Thank you for reading, for sharing, and for helping make this our radar, not just mine.

I'll be back next Friday with more opportunities, resources, and Community Finds.

Until then, take care, and I hope you discover something amazing this week 💙

🌐 Dev Opportunity Radar Website

👉 Website

I also wrote a short post about why I built the website and the journey behind it.

👉 Website Launch Post

Dev Opportunity Radar #11: Claude Community Ambassadors, YC Startup Internship Expo, Z Fellows, and Stanford's AI Agents Course

Hemapriya Kanagala — Fri, 07 Aug 2026 15:52:30 +0000

TL;DR

Welcome back to Dev Opportunity Radar.

This is a weekly series where I share opportunities, resources, communities, and interesting finds that I come across, with the goal of helping people discover things they might otherwise miss.

This week's edition features the Claude Community Ambassadors Program, the YC Startup Internship Expo, Z Fellows, and CS329A: Self-Improving AI Agents, a free graduate-level Stanford course exploring the latest research behind modern AI agents.

If you're new to the series, you can also browse previous editions, search past opportunities, and explore Community Finds, Reader Updates, and Resources Worth Checking Out on the Dev Opportunity Radar website. I've also written a short post about why I built it. You'll find links to both at the end of this article.

This week's 🌟 Community Finds section features opportunities shared by Francis (@francistrdev) and Konark Sharma (@konark_13). I always love seeing readers help others discover opportunities they might otherwise have missed.

If you've discovered something through the radar, I'd love to hear about it. Whether you applied to an opportunity, attended an event, joined a community, completed a program, built something, or found a resource you hadn't seen before, I'd be happy to feature your experience in a future 💙 Reader Updates section (with your permission).

And if you've come across an opportunity, resource, community, program, event, or anything else you think deserves more attention, feel free to share it in the comments.

If I feature one of your 🌟 Community Finds in a future edition, I'll always make sure to credit you. If you discovered it, that recognition belongs to you.

⚡ Quick Scan
🔄 Still Open From Previous Editions
📍 This Week's Opportunities
- 📌 Claude Community Ambassadors
- 📌 YC Startup Internship Expo
- 📌 Z Fellows
📚 Resources Worth Checking Out
- CS329A: Self-Improving AI Agents
🌟 Community Finds
- CALEC Volunteer and Internship Opportunities
- JPMorganChase Code for Good Singapore & Software Engineer Program
💙 Reader Updates
👋 Until Next Friday
🌐 Dev Opportunity Radar Website

⚡ Quick Scan

Opportunities

Opportunity	Organization	Type	Format	Deadline
Claude Community Ambassadors	Anthropic	Community Ambassador Program	Hybrid (Local Events)	Rolling
YC Startup Internship Expo	Y Combinator	Startup Career Expo	In Person (San Francisco)	August 15 (Event)
Z Fellows	Z Fellows	Founder Fellowship	Hybrid	Rolling

Resource Highlight

Resource	Why Check It Out
CS329A: Self-Improving AI Agents	A free graduate-level Stanford course covering modern AI agent research, including constitutional AI, tool use, planning, reinforcement learning, memory, and evaluation frameworks.

Community Finds

Shared By	Find	Type	Format
Francis (@francistrdev)	CALEC Volunteer & Internship Opportunities	Volunteer & Internship Opportunities	Remote
Konark Sharma (@konark_13)	JPMorganChase Code for Good Singapore & Software Engineer Program	Hackathon & Internship	In Person (Singapore)

📝 A quick note: I spend a lot of time researching and verifying every opportunity before featuring it in Dev Opportunity Radar. However, deadlines, eligibility, program details, and application requirements can change after publication. Before applying, please take a few minutes to visit the official program page, review the latest information, and confirm that you're eligible.

🔄 Still Open From Previous Editions

Before we get into this week's opportunities, here are a few from previous editions that are still accepting applications.

Opportunity	Organization	Type	Format	Deadline	Featured In
FR8	FR8	Builder Residency	In Person	Rolling	Edition #2
Anthropic Fellows Program	Anthropic	AI Research Fellowship	In Person	Rolling	Edition #4
Sentient Open Source AGI Grant Program	Sentient Foundation	AI Grant & Investment	Remote	Rolling	Edition #6
Solo Grants	Solo Grants	Microgrant for Solo Builders	Remote	Rolling	Edition #7
Claude for Open Source	Anthropic	Open Source Program	Remote	Rolling	Edition #7
AIAF Fellowship 2026	AIAF × AE Studio	AI Research Fellowship	Remote	August 17	Edition #8
The Bridge	Entrepreneurs First	Founder Residency	In Person	August 30	Edition #9
Develop for Good Winter 2027	Develop for Good	Student Volunteer Program	Remote	August 31	Edition #10
OpenAI Student Collective	OpenAI	Campus Leadership Program	In Person (Campus-Based)	August 10	Edition #10

📍 This Week's Opportunities

Here are a few opportunities I came across this week that I thought were worth sharing.

📌 Claude Community Ambassadors

Who it's for: Developers, community organizers, meetup hosts, technical educators, and active Claude users who enjoy bringing people together and helping others learn. You don't need to be a professional developer, but you should have meaningful experience using Claude and a track record of community involvement.

What stands out: The Claude Community Ambassadors program gives community builders the opportunity to grow local Claude communities with support from Anthropic. Ambassadors can host meetups, workshops, hackathons, and other community events while receiving event funding, monthly API credits, ready-to-use event materials, swag, and promotion through Anthropic's channels.

I wanted to include this because most ambassador programs are focused on students. This one is different. It's designed for people who are already active in their local tech communities or online communities and want to help others explore Claude while building a stronger local developer ecosystem.

Another thing I like is that the program goes beyond hosting events. Ambassadors get early access to selected features, opportunities to participate in Builders Council sessions, and a direct way to share feedback from their communities with Anthropic's product teams. If you enjoy teaching, organizing events, or building developer communities, this could be a great opportunity to make an impact while connecting with other community leaders around the world.

Program Duration: Ongoing

Cost: Free

Benefits: Event sponsorship, monthly Claude API credits, exclusive swag, access to a private Ambassador Slack, pre-release features, and opportunities to provide product feedback.

Who can apply: Community builders and experienced Claude users from anywhere in the world. Professional developer experience is not required.

Application Deadline: Rolling

🔗 Learn More | 🔗 Apply

📌 YC Startup Internship Expo

Who it's for: Students looking for internships, co-ops, semester internships, or new graduate roles who will be in the San Francisco Bay Area on August 15. YC is also encouraging applications from exceptional high school builders.

What stands out: The YC Startup Internship Expo is a one-day, acceptance-only event where students can meet founders, engineers, and hiring teams from 50+ Y Combinator startups. Rather than browsing job boards, attendees get the chance to explore what it's actually like to work at early-stage AI startups, participate in coding and AI challenges, network with startup teams, and even interview onsite with more than 40 YC companies.

I wanted to include this because opportunities like this don't come around very often. Instead of applying online and hoping someone sees your resume, you get to meet founders and engineers face-to-face, ask questions, and learn how some of today's fastest-growing AI startups actually build products.

Another thing I like is that it's more than just a career fair. Alongside the startup expo, there will be coding and AI challenges, giveaways, food trucks, and onsite interviews happening throughout the day. If you're already spending the summer in San Francisco or studying in the Bay Area, this could be a great opportunity to explore internships while connecting with people building at the forefront of AI.

Event Date: August 15, 2026

Location: San Francisco, California

Cost: Free (application required)

Who can apply: Students interning in San Francisco, students attending Bay Area colleges or universities, and exceptional high school builders who will be in the Bay Area on the event date.

Application Process: Acceptance only

Travel Support: No travel sponsorship is provided.

🔗 Learn More & Apply

📌 Z Fellows

Who it's for: Technical builders, aspiring founders, students, recent graduates, researchers, engineers, and anyone working on a side project or startup. You can apply solo or with a team, and you don't need to have a company yet.

What stands out: Z Fellows is a one-week founder program that brings together a small group of ambitious builders with founders and investors behind companies like Figma, Vercel, Instacart, Netflix, DoorDash, and AngelList. The week is designed to help early builders learn from experienced founders, connect with other ambitious people, and accelerate whatever they're working on. The support doesn't stop after the program. Z Fellows continues helping founders throughout their journey.

I wanted to include this because most startup programs expect you to already have a company, traction, or funding. Z Fellows takes a different approach. It's built for people who are still early and simply have the ambition to build something meaningful. Whether you're working on a side project, exploring an idea, or already building a startup, the focus is on backing people with potential before everyone else notices them.

Another thing I like is how flexible the program is. You don't need to quit your job, leave school, or even have a co-founder to apply. The program is mostly virtual, with the final day taking place in San Francisco or New York City, making it accessible to builders from around the world. Applicants can also choose to participate without funding or accept an optional $10,000 investment through a SAFE agreement if it makes sense for their company.

Program Duration: One week (multiple cohorts each year)

Format: Mostly virtual, with the final day held in San Francisco or New York City

Funding: Optional $10,000 investment through a SAFE agreement

Who can apply: Builders from anywhere in the world. No age restrictions. You can apply as an individual or as a team, and you don't need a company to get started.

Application Deadline: Rolling

🔗 Learn More | 🔗 Apply

📚 Resources Worth Checking Out

Not every useful find comes with an application deadline.

Here's one resource worth checking out this week.

CS329A: Self-Improving AI Agents

Who it's for: Developers, AI engineers, researchers, graduate students, and anyone who already has a basic understanding of large language models and wants to dive deeper into modern AI agent research.

What stands out: CS329A: Self-Improving AI Agents is a graduate-level course from Stanford University that explores how AI agents can continuously improve through interaction with themselves and their environment. The lecture recordings cover many of the ideas shaping today's AI landscape, including constitutional AI, reinforcement learning, test-time scaling, tool use, memory, planning, multimodal agents, and evaluation frameworks for agentic systems.

I wanted to include this because there's a lot of discussion about AI agents right now, but it can be difficult to separate hype from the underlying concepts. This course is taught by researchers working in the field and provides a structured way to understand many of the techniques behind modern agent systems.

Another thing I like is that the course doesn't focus on a single framework or API. Instead, it explores the research ideas that are driving the next generation of AI agents, making it a resource that's likely to stay useful even as tools continue to evolve.

Format: Free online lecture recordings

Level: Graduate / Advanced

Topics Covered: Self-improving LLMs, Constitutional AI, reinforcement learning, test-time scaling, tool use, memory, planning, multimodal agents, and AI evaluation.

🔗 Watch the Lecture Playlist

🌟 Community Finds

One of my favorite things about this series has been seeing people share opportunities, communities, and resources that others might not have discovered otherwise.

CALEC Volunteer and Internship Opportunities

Back in Edition #6, I featured CALEC's remote volunteer and internship opportunities after Francis (@francistrdev) shared them with the community. If you missed it, you can find the full overview and all the details in Edition #6.

Since sharing this opportunity with the community, Francis has also published a dedicated DEV post about the Full-Stack Developer volunteer role at CALEC. If that role interests you, it's worth checking out for his perspective and some additional information about what the team is looking for.

🔗 Francis' post

🔗 CALEC Volunteer & Internship Opportunities | 🔗 Edition #6

JPMorganChase Code for Good Singapore & Software Engineer Program

Shared by Konark Sharma (@konark_13).

Konark shared two opportunities from JPMorganChase that I thought would be worth passing along for students interested in software engineering.

The first is Code for Good Singapore, a two-day social impact hackathon where participants work alongside JPMorganChase engineers to build technology solutions for nonprofit organizations. Besides the experience itself, the event also serves as a pathway to the company's 2027 Early Careers Software Engineer Program in Singapore.

He also shared the 2027 Software Engineer Program - Summer Analyst (Singapore). Interns work on real software engineering projects, collaborate with experienced engineers, receive mentorship and training, and may be considered for a full-time graduate role based on their performance.

I thought these were worth featuring because they offer more than just a hackathon or an internship. Together, they provide a chance to gain hands-on experience, connect with engineers, and potentially open the door to future opportunities at one of the world's largest technology employers.

Who it's for: Students pursuing a bachelor's degree in computer science or a related field who are interested in software engineering opportunities in Singapore.

Application Deadlines:

Code for Good Singapore: September 18, 2026
Software Engineer Program - Summer Analyst (Singapore): October 29, 2026

🔗 Code for Good Singapore

🔗 Software Engineer Program - Summer Analyst (Singapore)

Thank you to Francis (@francistrdev) and Konark Sharma (@konark_13) for thinking of the radar and sharing these with the community. It really means a lot 💙

I'd love for this section to keep growing.

If you've come across an opportunity, fellowship, grant, hackathon, conference, community, resource, or anything else you think more people should know about, feel free to share it in the comments.

If I feature it in a future edition, I'll always make sure to credit you. If you discovered it, that recognition belongs to you.

One small request: If you're sharing an opportunity, please avoid posting raw URLs directly in the comments. DEV sometimes filters them before I get a chance to see them.

A short description alongside the link makes it much easier for me to review and potentially feature it in a future edition.

💙 Reader Updates

I'm looking forward to this section gradually growing over time, and I'd still love to hear from you.

One of my favorite parts of writing Dev Opportunity Radar has been hearing from people who discovered something they otherwise might have missed.

You don't need to have been accepted or have a big success story to share. Sometimes simply discovering the right opportunity at the right time is already a win.

I hope this section gradually becomes a place where we can celebrate those stories together, one update at a time.

👋 Until Next Friday

Before I go, I just want to say thank you.

The goal has always been simple:

Help people discover opportunities they otherwise might have missed.

Thanks to all of you, it feels like we're doing exactly that.

Thank you for reading, for sharing, and for helping make this our radar, not just mine.

I'll be back next Friday with more opportunities, resources, and Community Finds.

Until then, take care, and I hope you discover something amazing this week 💙

🌐 Dev Opportunity Radar Website

👉 Website

I also wrote a short post about why I built the website and the journey behind it.

👉 Website Launch Post

Dev Opportunity Radar #10: OpenAI Student Collective, Develop for Good, MLH Global Hack Week & Learning How to Learn

Hemapriya Kanagala — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 16:02:04 +0000

TL;DR

Welcome back to Dev Opportunity Radar.

This is a weekly series where I share opportunities, resources, communities, and interesting finds that I come across, with the goal of helping people discover things they might otherwise miss.

This week's edition features Develop for Good, MLH Global Hack Week: Agents, the OpenAI Student Collective, and Learning How to Learn, a free Coursera course that has helped millions of people become more effective learners.

If you're new to the series, you can now browse previous editions, search past opportunities, and explore Community Finds, Reader Updates, and Resources Worth Checking Out on the Dev Opportunity Radar website. I've also written a short post about why I built it. You'll find links to both at the end of this article.

If you've discovered something through the radar, I'd love to hear about it. Whether you applied to an opportunity, joined a community, completed a program, or found a resource you hadn't seen before, I'd be happy to feature your experience in a future 💙 Reader Updates section (with your permission).

And if you've come across an opportunity, resource, community, program, or event that deserves more attention, feel free to share it in the comments.

If I feature one of your Community Finds in a future edition, I'll always make sure to credit you. If you discovered it, that recognition belongs to you.

⚡ Quick Scan
🔄 Still Open From Previous Editions
📍 This Week's Opportunities
- 📌 Develop for Good Winter 2027 Student Volunteer Program
- 📌 MLH Global Hack Week: Agents
- 📌 OpenAI Student Collective
📚 Resources Worth Checking Out
- Learning How to Learn (Free Coursera Course)
🌟 Community Finds
- CALEC Volunteer and Internship Opportunities
💙 Reader Updates
👋 Until Next Friday
🌐 Dev Opportunity Radar Website

⚡ Quick Scan

Opportunities

Opportunity	Organization	Type	Format	Deadline
Develop for Good Winter 2027	Develop for Good	Student Volunteer Program	Remote	August 31
Global Hack Week: Agents	Major League Hacking (MLH)	Online Hack Week	Remote	August 7 (Event Starts)
OpenAI Student Collective	OpenAI	Campus Leadership Program	In Person (Campus-Based)	August 10

Resource Highlight

Resource	Why Check It Out
Learning How to Learn	A free Coursera course that teaches practical learning strategies, memory techniques, and study habits that can help you learn technical subjects more effectively.

Community Find

Shared By	Find	Type	Format
Francis (@francistrdev)	CALEC Volunteer & Internship Opportunities	Volunteer & Internship Opportunities	Remote

📝 A quick note: I spend a lot of time researching and verifying every opportunity before featuring it in Dev Opportunity Radar. However, deadlines, eligibility, program details, and application requirements can change after publication. Before applying, please take a few minutes to visit the official program page, review the latest information, and confirm that you're eligible.

🔄 Still Open From Previous Editions

Before we get into this week's opportunities, here are a few from previous editions that are still accepting applications.

Opportunity	Organization	Type	Format	Deadline	Featured In
FR8	FR8	Builder Residency	In Person	Rolling	Edition #2
Anthropic Fellows Program	Anthropic	AI Research Fellowship	In Person	Rolling	Edition #4
Sentient Open Source AGI Grant Program	Sentient Foundation	AI Grant & Investment	Remote	Rolling	Edition #6
Solo Grants	Solo Grants	Microgrant for Solo Builders	Remote	Rolling	Edition #7
Claude for Open Source	Anthropic	Open Source Program	Remote	Rolling	Edition #7
The Bridge	Entrepreneurs First	Founder Residency	In Person	August 30	Edition #9
Frontier AI Security Residency	ERA	AI Security Research & Engineering Residency	In Person	August 2	Edition #9
Figma Campus Leader Program 2026–2027	Figma	Student Leadership Program	In Person (Campus-Based)	August 2	Edition #9
AIAF Fellowship 2026	AIAF × AE Studio	AI Research Fellowship	Remote	August 17	Edition #8

📍 This Week's Opportunities

Here are a few opportunities I came across this week that I thought were worth sharing.

📌 Develop for Good Winter 2027 Student Volunteer Program

Who it's for: University students, bootcamp graduates, and recent graduates (with less than two years of full-time work experience) who want to gain real-world product, design, or engineering experience while contributing to nonprofit organizations. International students are welcome, and the program is fully remote.

What stands out: Develop for Good matches students with nonprofit organizations to work on real technology projects over a 16-week virtual program. Participants join cross-functional teams alongside designers, engineers, and product managers, receive mentorship from industry professionals, and build products that support causes like education, healthcare, sustainability, poverty alleviation, disaster relief, and more.

I wanted to include this because one of the biggest challenges early in your career is answering the question, "How do I get experience if every opportunity asks for experience?" Programs like this help bridge that gap. Unlike many volunteer programs, this one is intentionally structured to feel like working on a real product team. Instead of working on another tutorial or personal project, you get to collaborate with a real client, solve real problems, and build something that can become a meaningful portfolio piece.

Another thing I like is how closely the experience mirrors a real software team. Students work through project planning, stakeholder communication, technical collaboration, documentation, and product delivery over four months. Participants can also receive mentorship, recommendation letters, portfolio case studies, and opportunities to network with professionals during Demo Day. For eligible students from underserved and underrepresented backgrounds, the Develop for Good Fellows program also provides $1,536 unrestricted cash grants upon successful completion.

Program Duration: 16 weeks (Winter 2027 Batch)

Time Commitment: Approximately 5–10 hours per week

Format: Fully remote

Roles Available: Engineering, Design, Product Management, Technical Management, and Design Management

Who can apply: Applicants aged 18+ who are university students, bootcamp students, or recent graduates with less than two years of full-time work experience. International students are eligible.

Application Deadline: September 15, 2026

🔗 Learn More | 🔗 Apply

📌 MLH Global Hack Week: Agents

Who it's for: Students, beginners, aspiring developers, experienced engineers, and anyone interested in learning about AI agents through hands-on challenges. You don't need prior hackathon experience to participate, and the event is open to people around the world.

What stands out: Global Hack Week: Agents is a free, week-long online event hosted by Major League Hacking (MLH) that combines workshops, technical challenges, community activities, and project building around the theme of AI agents. Throughout the week, participants can attend live coding sessions, complete challenges at their own pace, earn points, connect with other builders on Discord, and learn directly from the MLH community.

I wanted to include this because learning about AI agents is becoming increasingly valuable, but it can be difficult to know where to start. This event lowers that barrier by combining guided workshops with practical challenges, making it approachable whether you're experimenting with agents for the first time or looking to build on your existing skills.

Another thing I like is that you don't have to commit to building a full hackathon project over a weekend. Instead, you can participate throughout the week, choose the challenges that interest you, attend live sessions, and learn alongside thousands of developers from around the world. It's a great way to build new skills, meet other developers, and stay motivated without the pressure of a traditional hackathon.

Event Dates: August 7–13, 2026

Format: Fully online

Cost: Free

Who can apply: Anyone, anywhere. All experience levels are welcome, including beginners and non-students. Participants aged 13+ may join with parental permission.

Registration: Open

🔗 Learn More & Register

📌 OpenAI Student Collective

Who it's for: Undergraduate students who enjoy building communities and are excited to help others learn how to use AI tools like ChatGPT and Codex. Students from all majors are encouraged to apply. The program is open to students studying in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, India, Japan, and South Korea.

What stands out: The OpenAI Student Collective is a new campus leadership program where students work in pairs to build AI communities at their universities. Campus Leads organize workshops, host weekly Studio Hours where students can build projects together, run campus showcases, and help create an environment where anyone curious about AI can learn and experiment.

I wanted to include this because AI communities on campus are growing quickly, but they often depend on a few students taking the initiative to bring people together. This program gives students the support, resources, and funding to create those spaces while helping others become more confident using AI tools.

Another thing I like is that the focus isn't just on teaching ChatGPT or Codex. It's about helping students actually build projects together. Campus Leads receive training, event funding, a ChatGPT subscription, Codex credits, OpenAI swag, a semester stipend, and access to the OpenAI team and a global network of Campus Leads. There are also opportunities to visit OpenAI HQ and connect with other student leaders from around the world.

Program Duration: August 2026 – June 2027

Time Commitment: Approximately 4–6 hours per week

Who can apply: Undergraduate students aged 18 or older who expect to graduate after December 2027. Applicants should be studying in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, India, Japan, or South Korea.

Application Deadline: August 10, 2026 (11:59 PM PT)

🔗 Learn More & Apply

📚 Resources Worth Checking Out

Not every useful find comes with an application deadline.

Here's one resource worth checking out this week.

Learning How to Learn (Free Coursera Course)

Who it's for: Students, self-taught developers, career changers, and anyone who wants to become better at learning technical subjects like programming, AI, math, or computer science.

What stands out: Learning How to Learn, taught by Dr. Barbara Oakley and Dr. Terrence Sejnowski, is one of Coursera's most popular courses, with over 4 million learners. Instead of teaching a specific programming language or framework, it focuses on something even more valuable: how to learn effectively. The course covers topics like procrastination, memory, focused and diffuse thinking, chunking, learning strategies, and practical techniques you can apply no matter what you're studying.

I wanted to include this because I genuinely found it helpful. I first came across Barbara Oakley through her TEDx talk, which eventually led me to this course. It completely changed the way I thought about learning difficult subjects. Whether you're learning AI, web development, cybersecurity, or preparing for interviews, I think understanding how to learn is one of the best investments you can make.

One thing I especially wanted to share is that you don't have to pay to take the full course. Coursera has a partner-supported free version that gives you access to all the course content. The only thing you don't receive is the certificate, which I think is a great option if you're primarily there to learn.

Course Length: Approximately 2 weeks (around 10 hours)

Cost: Free (certificate optional)

💡 Free Access Tip: You can take the full version of this course for free (without the certificate). On the Coursera course page, scroll all the way down to the FAQ section. Under More Questions, click Partner-supported free access, then select Learn More followed by Continue to enroll. You'll get access to the complete course content without paying for the certificate.

Format: Self-paced online course

🔗 Course | 🔗 TEDx Talk (Optional)

🌟 Community Finds

One of my favorite things about this series has been seeing people share opportunities, communities, and resources that others might not have discovered otherwise.

CALEC Volunteer and Internship Opportunities

🔗 Francis' post

🔗 CALEC Volunteer & Internship Opportunities | 🔗 Edition #6

Thank you to Francis (@francistrdev) for thinking of the radar and sharing this with the community. It really means a lot 💙

I'd love for this section to keep growing.

If you've come across an opportunity, fellowship, grant, hackathon, conference, community, resource, or anything else you think more people should know about, feel free to share it in the comments.

If I feature it in a future edition, I'll always make sure to credit you. If you discovered it, that recognition belongs to you.

One small request: If you're sharing an opportunity, please avoid posting raw URLs directly in the comments. DEV sometimes filters them before I get a chance to see them.

A short description alongside the link makes it much easier for me to review and potentially feature it in a future edition.

💙 Reader Updates

I'm looking forward to this section gradually growing over time, and I'd still love to hear from you.

One of my favorite parts of writing Dev Opportunity Radar has been hearing from people who discovered something they otherwise might have missed.

You don't need to have been accepted or have a big success story to share. Sometimes simply discovering the right opportunity at the right time is already a win.

I hope this section gradually becomes a place where we can celebrate those stories together, one update at a time.

👋 Until Next Friday

Before I go, I just want to say thank you.

The goal has always been simple:

Help people discover opportunities they otherwise might have missed.

Thanks to all of you, it feels like we're doing exactly that.

Thank you for reading, for sharing, and for helping make this our radar, not just mine.

I'll be back next Friday with more opportunities, resources, and Community Finds.

Until then, take care, and I hope you discover something amazing this week 💙

🌐 Dev Opportunity Radar Website

👉 Website

I also wrote a short post about why I built the website and the journey behind it.

👉 Website Launch Post

Dev Opportunity Radar #9: A Fully Funded AI Security Residency, SF Founder Residency, Figma Campus Leaders & More

Hemapriya Kanagala — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 14:06:55 +0000

TL;DR

Welcome back to Dev Opportunity Radar.

This is a weekly series where I share opportunities, resources, communities, and interesting finds that I come across, with the goal of helping people discover things they might otherwise miss.

This week's edition features The Bridge by Entrepreneurs First, the Frontier AI Security Residency, the Figma Campus Leader Program 2026–2027, and The Missing Semester of Your CS Education, a free MIT course on the tools, workflows, and developer skills that every programmer should know.

If you're new to the series, you can now browse previous editions, search past opportunities, and explore Community Finds and Reader Updates on the Dev Opportunity Radar website. I've also written a short post about why I built it. You'll find links to both at the end of this article.

If you've discovered something through the radar, I'd love to hear about it. Whether you applied to an opportunity, joined a community, or found a resource you hadn't seen before, I'd be happy to feature your experience in a future 💙 Reader Updates section (with your permission).

And if you've come across an opportunity, resource, community, program, or event that deserves more attention, feel free to share it in the comments.

If I feature one of your Community Finds in a future edition, I'll always make sure to credit you. If you discovered it, that recognition belongs to you.

⚡ Quick Scan
🔄 Still Open From Previous Editions
📍 This Week's Opportunities
- 📌 The Bridge by Entrepreneurs First
- 📌 Frontier AI Security Residency
- 📌 Figma Campus Leader Program 2026–2027
📚 Resources Worth Checking Out
- The Missing Semester of Your CS Education
🌟 Community Finds
- CALEC Volunteer and Internship Opportunities
💙 Reader Updates
- ⭐ This Week's Reader Spotlight
- 💬 Share Your Story
👋 Until Next Friday
🌐 Dev Opportunity Radar Website

⚡ Quick Scan

Opportunities

Opportunity	Organization	Type	Deadline
The Bridge	Entrepreneurs First	Founder Residency	August 30
Frontier AI Security Residency	ERA	AI Security Research & Engineering Residency	August 2
Figma Campus Leader Program 2026–2027	Figma	Student Leadership Program	August 2

Resource Highlight

Resource	Why Check It Out
The Missing Semester of Your CS Education	Free MIT course covering Git, shell, debugging, AI-assisted development, and the developer tools every programmer should know.

Community Find

Shared By	Find	Type	Format
Francis (@francistrdev)	CALEC Volunteer & Internship Opportunities	Volunteer & Internship Opportunities	Remote

📝 A quick note: I spend a lot of time researching and verifying every opportunity before featuring it in Dev Opportunity Radar. However, deadlines, eligibility, program details, and application requirements can change after publication. Before applying, please take a few minutes to visit the official program page, review the latest information, and confirm that you're eligible.

🔄 Still Open From Previous Editions

Before we get into this week's opportunities, here are a few from previous editions that are still accepting applications.

Opportunity	Organization	Type	Deadline	Featured In
FR8	FR8	Builder Residency	Rolling	Edition #2
Anthropic Fellows Program	Anthropic	AI Research Fellowship	Rolling	Edition #4
Sentient Open Source AGI Grant Program	Sentient Foundation	AI Grant & Investment	Rolling	Edition #6
Solo Grants	Solo Grants	Microgrant for Solo Builders	Rolling	Edition #7
Claude for Open Source	Anthropic	Open Source Program	Rolling	Edition #7
The Residency	The Residency	Deep-Tech Founder Residency	July 31	Edition #8
AIAF Fellowship 2026	AIAF × AE Studio	AI Research Fellowship	August 17	Edition #8

📍 This Week's Opportunities

Here are a few opportunities I came across this week that I thought were worth sharing.

📌 The Bridge by Entrepreneurs First

Who it's for: Ambitious founders, engineers, researchers, product builders, and future startup CEOs based outside the US who want to build a venture-scale company. You don't need to have a co-founder or even a startup idea before applying.

What stands out: The Bridge is an 8-week, fully funded residency in San Francisco designed for exceptional international founders at the very beginning of their startup journey. Participants live and build together, explore ideas, meet potential co-founders, talk to users, and receive hands-on support from the Entrepreneurs First team.

I wanted to include this because most founder programs expect you to already have a company, traction, or a complete founding team. The Bridge is different. It's designed for people who are still figuring out what to build and who to build it with, while giving them the environment and support to make meaningful progress.

Another thing I like is that the residency is only the beginning. At the end of the eight weeks, teams that demonstrate strong potential can pitch to EF's Investment Committee. Selected teams receive a $250,000 pre-seed investment (in exchange for equity) and continue building in San Francisco for another three months with ongoing support from the EF team.

Duration: 8-week residency (plus an additional 3-month company-building program for funded teams)

Location: San Francisco, California

Cost: Free (housing, workspace, food, and the program are covered)

Who can apply: Exceptional founders based outside the US. You don't need an idea or a co-founder to apply.

Application Deadline: August 30, 2026

🔗 Learn More | 🔗 Apply

📌 Frontier AI Security Residency

Who it's for: Security engineers, cybersecurity professionals, hardware and embedded systems specialists, cryptography researchers, AI safety practitioners, and experienced software engineers interested in securing frontier AI systems. Prior research experience is helpful but not required, though the applied track generally expects around five or more years of industry experience.

What stands out: The Frontier AI Security Residency (FASR) is an 8-week, fully funded, in-person research and engineering residency in Cambridge, UK, run by ERA. Residents work on real-world challenges at the intersection of AI security, cybersecurity, and hardware verification, tackling problems such as securing frontier AI systems, verifying AI compute, and building mechanisms that make AI systems more trustworthy and verifiable.

I wanted to include this because most AI programs focus on building more capable models. This residency focuses on something just as important but discussed far less often: making advanced AI systems secure, verifiable, and resilient before their capabilities outpace our ability to protect them. If you're interested in the security side of AI rather than model development, opportunities like this are still relatively rare.

Another thing I like is how comprehensive the support is. The residency covers travel, accommodation, visas, workspace, and meals during working hours, pairs each resident with an experienced mentor and a Research Manager, and culminates in a research symposium where participants present their work. Residents also receive a pro-rated salary (based on an annual rate of £34,125), making it possible to focus entirely on the research without worrying about day-to-day expenses.

Duration: 8 weeks (October 12 – December 4, 2026)

Location: Cambridge, UK (primarily in person)

Funding: Fully funded, including travel, accommodation, visa support, workspace, and meals during working hours. Residents also receive a pro-rated salary.

Who can apply: Applicants worldwide aged 18 or older. The program values demonstrated technical ability over formal credentials. Prior research experience is not required, although the applied track generally expects experienced professionals.

Application Deadline: August 2, 2026

🔗 Learn More | 🔗 Apply

📌 Figma Campus Leader Program 2026–2027

Who it's for: University and college students in the United States, Canada, and India who have at least one academic year remaining, actively use Figma, and enjoy building communities around design, creativity, and product development. Students from any major are welcome.

What stands out: The Figma Campus Leader Program gives students the opportunity to become the official Figma ambassadors at their university. Campus Leaders work with the Figma for Education team to grow their campus design community by hosting workshops, events, and creative programs while helping other students learn and use Figma.

I wanted to include this because it's more than a typical campus ambassador program. Rather than focusing on promotion alone, it gives students the resources to build a lasting design community at their university while developing leadership, event planning, and community-building experience that carries well beyond college.

Another thing I like is that India is joining the program for the first time this year, making this a great opportunity for Indian students who previously weren't eligible. Campus Leaders also receive a community budget for events, exclusive mentorship and training, direct access to the Figma team, custom Figma swag, and a complimentary ticket to Config, Figma's annual conference for product builders.

Program Duration: August 2026 – June 2027

Time Commitment: Approximately 2–5 hours per week

Benefits: Community budget, Config ticket, exclusive swag, mentorship, portfolio reviews, training workshops, and direct access to the Figma team.

Who can apply: Students in the United States, Canada, and India with at least one academic year remaining who are active Figma users and passionate about design, creativity, and community building.

Application Deadline: August 2, 2026 (11:59 PM PDT)

🔗 Learn More | 🔗 Apply

📚 Resources Worth Checking Out

Not every useful find comes with an application deadline.

Here's one resource worth checking out this week.

The Missing Semester of Your CS Education

Who it's for: Computer science students, self-taught developers, early-career software engineers, and anyone who wants to become more confident with the tools they use every day while building software.

What stands out: Every computer science degree teaches things like algorithms, operating systems, databases, and programming languages. But very few teach you how to use the tools you'll spend hours with every single day. That's exactly what The Missing Semester of Your CS Education, created by instructors at MIT, is all about. Instead of focusing on another programming language or framework, the course covers practical topics like the command line, Git, debugging, development environments, SSH, code quality, documentation, packaging, and modern AI-assisted development workflows.

I wanted to include this because I think it's one of those resources that's easy to overlook. We spend so much time trying to learn the latest framework, library, or AI tool that we sometimes forget the skills that make us more productive no matter what we're building.

One thing I really liked is how practical the course is. It's full of the little things experienced developers often take for granted but that can make a huge difference once you learn them. If you've ever wondered how someone is so fast with Git, the terminal, debugging, or navigating a large codebase, there's a good chance they've picked up many of the skills this course teaches.

I also like that the course has continued to evolve alongside the software industry. The latest edition introduces Agentic Coding and naturally incorporates AI-assisted development throughout the lectures, while still emphasizing the fundamentals that every developer should know.

Topics Covered: Shell, development environments, debugging, Git, packaging, code quality, AI-assisted development, documentation, and more.

Cost: Free

Format: Online lectures, notes, and exercises

🔗 Learn More

🌟 Community Finds

One of my favorite things about this series has been seeing people share opportunities, communities, and resources that others might not have discovered otherwise.

CALEC Volunteer and Internship Opportunities

🔗 Francis' post

🔗 CALEC Volunteer & Internship Opportunities | 🔗 Edition #6

Thank you to Francis (@francistrdev) for thinking of the radar and sharing this with the community. It really means a lot 💙

I'd love for this section to keep growing.

If you've come across an opportunity, fellowship, grant, hackathon, conference, community, resource, or anything else you think more people should know about, feel free to share it in the comments.

If I feature it in a future edition, I'll always make sure to credit you. If you discovered it, that recognition belongs to you.

One small request: If you're sharing an opportunity, please avoid posting raw URLs directly in the comments. DEV sometimes filters them before I get a chance to see them.

A short description alongside the link makes it much easier for me to review and potentially feature it in a future edition.

💙 Reader Updates

One of my favorite parts of this series is seeing where the opportunities end up. This section is all about celebrating those stories.

⭐ This Week's Reader Spotlight

One of my favorite moments this week came from @anhmtk, who shared that they discovered OpenAI Build Week through Dev Opportunity Radar and were able to submit before the deadline.

They built AgentShare Live-Tester for the Developer Tools track, an OpenClaw workspace agent, and even shared one of the biggest lessons they learned while building. They found that Prompt Caching becomes much more cost-effective once the static prompt exceeds roughly 1,024 tokens, making autonomous agent workflows much cheaper to run.

If you're curious about what they built, you can also check out their Devpost submission.

Seeing readers discover an opportunity, build something, and then come back to share what they learned is exactly what I hoped this series would become.

I always enjoy when readers come back to share not just what they built, but what they learned along the way. Those little lessons often end up helping other developers too.

Thank you, @anhmtk, for sharing your journey and for letting me feature it here. Wishing you the very best with the judging. I'll be rooting for you!

💬 Share Your Story

I'd love for this section to keep growing over time.

If you discovered an opportunity through Dev Opportunity Radar, applied to something, joined a community, attended an event, or simply found a resource you hadn't seen before, I'd genuinely love to hear about it.

You don't need to have been accepted or have a big success story to share. Sometimes simply discovering the right opportunity at the right time is already a win.

I hope this section gradually becomes a place where we can celebrate those stories together, one update at a time.

👋 Until Next Friday

Before I go, I just want to say thank you.

The goal has always been simple:

Help people discover opportunities they otherwise might have missed.

Thanks to all of you, it feels like we're doing exactly that.

Thank you for reading, for sharing, and for helping make this our radar, not just mine.

I'll be back next Friday with more opportunities, resources, and Community Finds.

Until then, take care, and I hope you discover something amazing this week 💙

🌐 Dev Opportunity Radar Website

👉 Website

I also wrote a short post about why I built the website and the journey behind it.

👉 Website Launch Post

Dev Opportunity Radar #8: $100K OpenAI Build Week, $12K AI Fellowship, Founder Residency & Free AI Dev Course

Hemapriya Kanagala — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 17:11:03 +0000

TL;DR

Welcome back to Dev Opportunity Radar.

This is a weekly series where I share opportunities, resources, communities, and interesting finds that I come across, with the goal of helping people discover things they might otherwise miss.

This week's edition features OpenAI Build Week, the AIAF Fellowship 2026, The Residency for ambitious deep-tech founders, and AI Dev Tools Zoomcamp, a free hands-on course on AI-native software engineering.

Before we dive in, I wanted to share a small milestone. Dev Opportunity Radar now has its own website 🎉

It makes it easier to browse previous editions, search past opportunities, and explore Community Finds and Reader Updates. I also wrote a short post about why I built it. You'll find links to both at the end of this article.

If you've discovered something through the radar, I'd love to hear about it. With your permission, I may feature your experience in a future 💙 Reader Updates section.

And if you've come across an opportunity, resource, community, program, or event that deserves more attention, feel free to share it in the comments.

If I feature one of your Community Finds in a future edition, I'll always make sure to credit you. If you discovered it, that recognition belongs to you.

⚡ Quick Scan
🔄 Still Open From Previous Editions
📍This Week's Opportunities
- 📌 OpenAI Build Week
- 📌 AIAF Fellowship 2026
- 📌 The Residency
📚 Resources Worth Checking Out
- AI Dev Tools Zoomcamp
🌟 Community Finds
- CALEC Volunteer and Internship Opportunities
💙 Reader Updates
👋 Until Next Friday
🌐 Dev Opportunity Radar Website

⚡ Quick Scan

Opportunities

Opportunity	Organization	Type	Deadline
OpenAI Build Week	OpenAI × Devpost	AI Hackathon	July 22
AIAF Fellowship 2026	AIAF × AE Studio	AI Research Fellowship	August 17
The Residency	The Residency	Deep-Tech Founder Residency	July 31

Resource Highlight

Resource	Type
AI Dev Tools Zoomcamp	Free, hands-on course on AI-native software engineering using modern AI developer tools and coding agents (Live cohort starts August 31)

Community Find

Shared By	Find	Type	Format
Francis (@francistrdev)	CALEC Volunteer & Internship Opportunities	Volunteer & Internship Opportunities	Remote

📝 A quick note: I spend a lot of time researching and verifying every opportunity before featuring it in Dev Opportunity Radar. However, deadlines, eligibility, program details, and application requirements can change after publication. Before applying, please take a few minutes to check the official program page for the latest information and confirm that you're eligible.

🔄 Still Open From Previous Editions

Before we get into this week's opportunities, here are a few from previous editions that are still accepting applications.

Opportunity	Organization	Type	Deadline	Featured In
FR8	FR8	Builder Residency	Rolling	Edition #2
Anthropic Fellows Program	Anthropic	AI Research Fellowship	Rolling	Edition #4
Sentient Open Source AGI Grant Program	Sentient Foundation	AI Grant & Investment	Rolling	Edition #6
Solo Grants	Solo Grants	Microgrant for Solo Builders	Rolling	Edition #7
Claude for Open Source	Anthropic	Open Source Program	Rolling	Edition #7

📍 This Week's Opportunities

Here are a few opportunities I came across this week that I thought were worth sharing.

📌 OpenAI Build Week

Who it's for: Developers, builders, students, and teams interested in creating AI-powered applications using GPT-5.6 and Codex. Whether you're building a consumer app, developer tool, workflow, or educational project, there's a track for a wide range of ideas.

What stands out: OpenAI Build Week is a global online hackathon centered around building with GPT-5.6 and Codex, the coding agent now available in ChatGPT. Participants receive free Codex credits (subject to the registration timeline), build a working project, and submit it across one of four tracks: Apps for Your Life, Work & Productivity, Developer Tools, or Education.

I wanted to include this because it isn't just another hackathon with cash prizes. It's an opportunity to experiment with OpenAI's latest developer tools, build something end-to-end, and showcase your work to engineers and product teams working on the platform itself.

Another thing I like is that submissions require more than just working code. Participants are encouraged to explain their technical decisions, document how they used Codex and GPT-5.6, provide a public repository, and include a demo video, making it a great exercise in both engineering and communication.

Tracks: Apps for Your Life, Work & Productivity, Developer Tools, Education

Prize Pool: $100,000

Who can participate: Eligible participants from supported countries and territories who have reached the legal age of majority in their country of residence.

Submission Deadline: July 22, 2026

🔗 Learn More & Register

📌 AIAF Fellowship 2026

Who it's for: Developers, researchers, graduate students, and independent ML practitioners with a strong technical background who are interested in AI alignment research. Applicants should be comfortable implementing machine learning experiments, working independently, and have demonstrated research experience through projects, papers, hackathons, or similar work.

What stands out: The AIAF Fellowship is an 8-week, fully remote, full-time research program run by AIAF in partnership with AE Studio. Selected fellows receive a $12,000 stipend, cloud compute resources, mentorship from experienced AI alignment researchers, and the opportunity to work on real technical research problems rather than predefined coursework.

I wanted to include this because fellowships focused on AI alignment are still relatively uncommon, especially ones that combine structured mentorship, industry-style research practices, and financial support. Rather than completing isolated exercises, fellows contribute to active research directions alongside dedicated research managers and experienced researchers.

Another thing I like is that the program places a strong emphasis on producing tangible research outputs. Each team works toward publishing a LessWrong post and, where appropriate, a research paper, before presenting their work during a Demo Day at the end of the fellowship.

Stipend: $12,000

Duration: 8 weeks (Full-time)

Format: Fully remote (Hybrid Demo Day in Los Angeles with travel covered for attendees)

Who can apply: Applicants from any country with strong machine learning skills and a genuine interest in technical AI alignment research.

Application Deadline: August 17, 2026 (AoE)

🔗 Learn More | 🔗 Apply

📌 The Residency

Who it's for: Founders, researchers, and ambitious builders working on deep-tech ideas who want to spend several months focused full-time on building alongside a community of like-minded people. Applicants should be ready to commit full-time, as the residency is not designed to be completed alongside school or a full-time job.

What stands out: The Residency is a 3-month, in-person founder residency that provides housing, coworking space, mentorship, and a community of builders so participants can focus entirely on their projects. The upcoming Fall 2026 cohort also includes up to $50,000 in compute credits, legal and immigration support, wellness resources, and a dedicated venture partner.

I wanted to include this because it's designed around something many founders struggle with: finding uninterrupted time to build. Instead of offering only funding or mentorship, the residency aims to remove many of the practical distractions by taking care of housing and day-to-day logistics while surrounding participants with other ambitious builders.

Another thing I like is its emphasis on community. Beyond mentorship and resources, the program encourages collaboration through shared living, weekly coaching sessions, Demo Day, and introductions to experienced founders and investors. It feels less like a traditional accelerator and more like an environment built for people who want to spend a season going all-in on a difficult problem.

Duration: Approximately 3 months

Format: In person

What's included: Housing, coworking space, mentorship, up to $50,000 in compute credits, legal and immigration support, wellness resources, and Demo Day opportunities.

Who can apply: Founders, researchers, and builders working on ambitious deep-tech projects.

Application Deadline: July 31, 2026

🔗 Learn More | 🔗 Apply

📚 Resources Worth Checking Out

Not every useful find comes with an application deadline.

Here's one resource worth checking out this week.

AI Dev Tools Zoomcamp

Who it's for: Developers, software engineers, data professionals, and technical students who already have basic programming experience and want to learn how to use modern AI coding tools as part of a disciplined software development workflow.

What stands out: AI Dev Tools Zoomcamp is a free, hands-on course that focuses on practical AI-assisted software engineering. Rather than teaching prompt engineering or model training, it covers real development workflows, from planning and coding to testing, deployment, security, and CI/CD, using modern AI developer tools and coding agents.

I wanted to include this because it takes a very practical approach to AI-assisted development. Instead of treating AI as a replacement for software engineering, the course emphasizes using AI responsibly while maintaining engineering discipline through code reviews, testing, documentation, and deployment.

Another thing I like is that you can complete the course in two different ways. You can learn at your own pace using all of the free materials, or join the live cohort, which starts August 31, 2026.

The live cohort doesn't mean sitting through live lectures. The lessons are still pre-recorded. What makes it different is the structured experience: shared deadlines, graded homework, peer review, a leaderboard, community support, and eligibility for a certificate after completing the final project. If you're someone who learns better with accountability and a community of learners, the live cohort offers a more engaging experience than simply watching videos on your own.

By the end of the course, you'll build and deploy your own AI-assisted software project while learning modern development practices around coding agents, MCP, testing, Docker, CI/CD, deployment, security, and documentation.

Cost: Free

Format: Online

Live Cohort Starts: August 31, 2026

Best for: Developers who want practical experience using AI coding tools in real software engineering workflows.

🔗 Learn More | 🔗 Live Cohort Registration

🌟 Community Finds

One of my favorite things about this series has been seeing people share opportunities, communities, and resources that others might not have discovered otherwise.

CALEC Volunteer and Internship Opportunities

🔗 Francis' post

🔗 CALEC Volunteer & Internship Opportunities | 🔗 Edition #6

Thank you to Francis (@francistrdev) for thinking of the radar and sharing this with the community. It really means a lot 💙

I'd love for this section to keep growing.

If you've come across an opportunity, fellowship, grant, hackathon, conference, community, resource, or anything else you think more people should know about, feel free to share it in the comments.

If I feature it in a future edition, I'll always make sure to credit you. If you discovered it, that recognition belongs to you.

One small request: If you're sharing an opportunity, please avoid posting raw URLs directly in the comments. DEV sometimes filters them before I get a chance to see them.

A short description alongside the link makes it much easier for me to review and potentially feature it in a future edition.

💙 Reader Updates

I'm looking forward to this section gradually growing over time, and I'd still love to hear from you.

One of my favorite parts of writing Dev Opportunity Radar has been hearing from people who discovered something they otherwise might have missed.

You don't need to have been accepted or have a big success story to share. Sometimes simply discovering the right opportunity at the right time is already a win.

I hope this section gradually becomes a place where we can celebrate those stories together, one update at a time.

👋 Until Next Friday

Before I go, I just want to say thank you.

When I published the very first edition of Dev Opportunity Radar, I simply hoped it would help a few people discover opportunities they might otherwise have missed.

Eight editions later, the series has grown into something I never imagined when I published that first edition. What started as a weekly series has gradually grown into a community project, and this week, that journey reached another small milestone with the launch of the Dev Opportunity Radar website.

That milestone wouldn't have happened without this community.

From the very beginning, you've shared opportunities, suggested resources, contributed Community Finds, celebrated each other's wins, and encouraged me to keep the series going. Every comment, suggestion, and kind message has helped shape Dev Opportunity Radar into what it is today.

I also want to say a special thank you to the DEV Community. This series has always been supported by the community here, and without that support, it simply wouldn't exist in the way it does today. Whether you've been here since the first edition or just discovered the series today, thank you for being part of the journey. It truly means a lot.

One of my favorite things about this series is seeing it become more collaborative with every edition. Community Finds and Reader Updates remind me that this isn't just about sharing opportunities. It's about celebrating discoveries, learning from one another, and helping more people discover things they might otherwise have missed.

The goal of this series hasn't changed:

Help people discover opportunities they otherwise might have missed.

My hope is that, with every edition, we help a few more people discover the opportunity that could make a difference for them.

Thank you for reading, for sharing, and for helping make this our radar, not just mine.

Here's to many more editions, many more opportunities, and many more people discovering them.

I'll be back next Friday with more opportunities, resources, and Community Finds.

See you next Friday 👋

🌐 Dev Opportunity Radar Website

👉 Website

I also wrote a short post about why I built the website and the journey behind it.

👉 Website Launch Post

[CLOSED] Want to Volunteer with me as a Full-Stack Developer? Join me at CALEC!

FrancisTRᴅᴇᴠ — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 19:11:00 +0000

Posting is now closed. Tagging you here @hemapriya_kanagala to update the DEV opportunity Radar Series.

Hey everyone!

I don't want to steal @hemapriya_kanagala series. This is more of a DEV opportunity breaking news.

I am currently volunteering at CALEC as a Full-Stack Developer in QA Test and we are seeking more Full-Stack Developers to join us on this project. We are planning on releasing Phase 1 of the project before 2027!

If you are a type of person who is a Full-Stack Developer, takes initiative, organized and wanting to continue to gain more experience in this niche, we would love to have you on board!

Volunteer at CALEC as a Full-Stack Developer Today!

Apply Now!

See you in the Interview! :D

If you want a TLDR on what we are looking for, read below! (Based on my preference with that as well)

About CALEC

CALEC is a mission-driven organization dedicated to advancing language education, literacy, and culturally responsive learning through innovative digital tools and programs. We design and support educational platforms and games that promote bilingual learning, reading engagement, and equitable access to education for diverse learners.

You will be great in this role if you are...

Currently or obtain a BS in Computer Science or related field.
Have some professional experience in Full-Stack is preferred. Otherwise, we would love to see your projects.
You are a person who takes initiative with minimal supervision.
You are a person who demonstrates leadership.
Experience using GitHub and understanding the use of Git.
Willing to work in a fast-paced environment for the September release.
Willing to learn new things!
You are a person who values in providing accessible education to people around the world.

Other Important Information

Must Commit 10+ hours per week.
The position is remote.

Apply Now! Any questions about the role? I would love to hear from you!

DEV Community: The DEVengers

Dev Opportunity Radar #18: $50K AI Hackathon, SheBuilds, Verci Fellowship, and Stanford CS336

Table of Contents

⚡ Quick Scan

Opportunities

Resource Highlight

Community Finds

🔄 Still Open From Previous Editions

📍 This Week's Opportunities

📌 Verci Fellowship

📌 Nebius x NVIDIA Global AI Hackathon

📌 SheBuilds on Lovable

📚 Resources Worth Checking Out

Stanford CS336: Language Modeling from Scratch

🌟 Community Finds

📌 Snapdragon AI Lab Build & Present Challenge

📌 SerpApi India Hackathon 2026

💙 Reader Updates

👋 Until Next Friday

🌐 Dev Opportunity Radar Website

Dev Opportunity Radar #17: $138K Amazon Hackathon, Stanford's Code in Place X, and Dev3Pack Hackathon

Table of Contents

⚡ Quick Scan

Opportunities

Resource Highlight

Community Finds

🔄 Still Open From Previous Editions

📍 This Week's Opportunities

📌 Code in Place X

📌 Build, Ship, Shape: Amazon Developer Hackathon

📌 Dev3Pack Hackathon

📚 Resources Worth Checking Out

Coding Interview University

🌟 Community Finds

Dogfood: 72-Hour Hackathon

💙 Reader Updates

👋 Until Next Friday

🌐 Dev Opportunity Radar Website

Dev Opportunity Radar #16: $15K AI Agent Hackathon, AI Education Fellowship, and AWS Student Rewards

Table of Contents

⚡ Quick Scan

Opportunities

Resource Highlight

🔄 Still Open From Previous Editions

📍 This Week's Opportunities

📌 AI for Education Fellowship

📌 AWS Student Rewards

📌 Multi-App AI Agent Hackathon

📚 Resources Worth Checking Out

Tech Interview Handbook

🌟 Community Finds

💙 Reader Updates

👋 Until Next Friday

🌐 Dev Opportunity Radar Website

Dev Opportunity Radar #15: HackerRank Orchestrate, Claude Campus Ambassadors & the Bharat Builds Tour

Table of Contents

⚡ Quick Scan

Opportunities

Resource Highlight

Community Finds

🔄 Still Open From Previous Editions

📍 This Week's Opportunities

📌 HackerRank Orchestrate

📌 Claude Campus Ambassador Program

📌 Bharat Builds Tour

📚 Resources Worth Checking Out

The System Design Primer

🌟 Community Finds

The NASA Space Apps Challenge

The Build with React Image Editor Challenge

💙 Reader Updates

👋 Until Next Friday

🌐 Dev Opportunity Radar Website

Dev Opportunity Radar #14: MLH Global Hack Week, $40K Agents for Humans Hackathon & Razorpay AI Buildathon

Table of Contents

⚡ Quick Scan

Opportunities

Resource Highlight

🔄 Still Open From Previous Editions

📍 This Week's Opportunities