DEV Community: Jess Lee

Winner Announcement Delayed for the Google I/O 2026 Writing Challenge

Jess Lee — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 16:45:54 +0000

Hey all, we have a quick update for everyone who participated in the Google I/O Writing Challenge.

We were thrilled by the number of posts that came in. Your takes on Google I/O 2026 were thoughtful, creative, and hard to rank. As a result, we need a bit more time to review all submissions before making our final decisions.

We'll be back with the winner announcement by June 11. Thank you so much for your patience, and for the effort you put into your writing.

In the meantime, consider entering one of our ongoing challenges:

Revive old projects using GitHub Copilot

Jess Lee for The DEV Team

May 21

Join the GitHub Finish-Up-A-Thon Challenge: $3,000 Prize Pool!

#githubchallenge #devchallenge #githubcopilot

750

Comments 104

3 min read

Themes of Pride, Juneteenth, and Alan Turing

Jess Lee for The DEV Team

Jun 3

Join the June Solstice Game Jam: $1,000 in prizes!

#devchallenge #gamechallenge #gamedev

125

Comments 13

4 min read

Join the June Solstice Game Jam: $1,000 in prizes!

Jess Lee — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 20:22:10 +0000

We're excited to kick off the June Solstice Game Jam, running from June 3 through June 21 and ending right on the solstice itself!

Whether you're in the northern hemisphere marking the longest day of the year or in the southern hemisphere observing the shortest, the solstice is a global moment of transition. June is also a profound month for identity, history and community in the U.S. and across the world.

We are celebrating authenticity and LGBTQIA+ history with Pride month, which also happens to be the birth month of Alan Turing – the famous computer scientist behind the “Turing Test” for artificial intelligence who was persecuted for being gay. June also marks Juneteenth, a day to celebrate an important milestone towards the freedom and liberation of Black Americans. It’s a time dedicated to reflection, honoring resilience, and amplifying Black joy.

But June isn't only about deep history! This month brings the electric teamwork and high stakes of the World Cup, bringing the entire planet together in the spirit of play. And if sports aren't your thing, June also serves up delightfully specific celebrations like International Sushi Day and National Flip-Flop Day.

Whether you want to build something deeply meaningful or delightfully goofy, this jam is your canvas. We’ve got some great prizes for five lucky winners.

Let's get to it.

Our Prompt

The June solstice arrives on June 21 — the longest day of the year for half the world, and the shortest for the other half. Build a game inspired by the solstice or any other June celebration: think Pride, Juneteenth, light and darkness, the passage of time, and anything else that comes to mind.

Our theme is intentionally broad to allow room for your creativity to shine. Please interpret this prompt however you'd like. A platformer where daylight is your resource? A puzzle game that resets at midnight? A narrative about reaching a turning point? Any angle is fair game!

Additional Prize Categories

Best Ode to Alan Turing: We're thinking algorithms, code breaking, and artificial intelligence. Honor the father of modern computing in your game's mechanics, narrative, or design.
Best Google AI Usage: Tell us how you leveraged Google AI for this submission. Did you build with Antigravity, experiment in Google AI Studio, or use the Gemini CLI? Or is there a Google AI product embedded in your build such as the Gemini API or any Google Cloud product such as Cloud Run? Tell us all about your experience!

Judging Criteria

All submissions will be judged on the following:

Relevance to Theme: Does the game clearly connect to the June solstice or celebration themes?
Creativity: Is the concept original or is it an interesting take on a familiar idea?
Technical Execution: Is the game functional, well-built, and playable?
Writing Quality: Is the submission post clearly written and engaging?
Use of Prize Category (optional): If pursuing a prize category, does the submission meaningfully engage with it?

Prizes

We’ll select three winners for the overall prompt, and one winner for each additional prize category. Our five total winners will each receive:

$200 USD
DEV++ Membership
Exclusive DEV Badge

All participants with a valid submission will receive a completion badge.

How To Participate

Build a game and publish a post on DEV using the submission template below. Your post should include a demo video of your game and provide an overview of how you built it.

June Solstice Game Jam Submission Template

Please review our judging criteria, rules, guidelines, and FAQ page before submitting so you understand our participation guidelines and official contest rules such as eligibility requirements.

Important Dates

June 3: June Solstice Game Jam begins!
June 21: Submissions due at 11:59 PM PDT
July 9: Winners Announced

Questions about the challenge? Drop them in the comments below.

Good luck and happy building!

Want to work with me? We're hiring a Community Program Manager at DEV!

Jess Lee — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 18:56:57 +0000

Hey friends 👋

As the title suggests, we are hiring!

If you've been with us for a little while, I'm sure you've seen our uptick in community initiatives since Major League Hacking (MLH) acquired DEV earlier this year. We've been working hard behind the scenes to bring new opportunities to the community and give a fresh spin to previous programs.

We're now at a point where we need help optimizing and scaling up everything we do, while ensuring the platform remains a special place. That said, we are looking to hire a full-time, remote Community Program Manager based in the United States that cares deeply about community.

Below is a brief overview of the role and skills we're looking for, but here's the full job description and application for anyone that wants to jump right in:

Community Program Manager Job Application

Job Overview

Key Responsibilities

You will...

Develop and grow our community moderator programs
Run DEV Challenges A-Z, plus other fun events
Oversee our community support operations
And more!

Important Skills

You are someone who...

Effectively communicates with both internal and external stakeholders
Can't help but be detailed oriented (sorry, I am pedantic)
Uses AI to gain efficiency
Knows how to work autonomously and manages up

Benefits

You'll receive...

Competitive salary ($80-110k)
Stock options
Medical, dental, vision benefits and 401K
Unlimited PTO
Travel opportunities

Questions about the role? Drop them in the comments below!

What was your win this week?

Jess Lee — Fri, 29 May 2026 13:00:00 +0000

👋👋👋👋
Looking back on your week -- what was something you're proud of?
All wins count -- big or small 🎉

Examples of 'wins' include:

Getting a promotion!
Starting a new project
Fixing a tricky bug
Went outside on purpose (sunlight is real, apparently) 🚶

Happy Friday!

Winner Announcement Delayed for the Gemma 4 Challenge

Jess Lee — Thu, 28 May 2026 19:30:48 +0000

Hey all, we have a quick update for everyone who participated in the Gemma 4 Challenge.

We were blown away by the volume of submissions we received. This was one of our largest participation rates to date, and we want to make sure every build and post gets the careful review it deserves.

As a result, we're taking a bit more time to make our final decisions. We'll be back with the winner announcement by June 18. Thank you so much for your patience, and for putting so much effort into your projects and posts.

In the meantime, consider entering one of our ongoing challenges:

Jess Lee for The DEV Team

May 15

Join the Hermes Agent Challenge: $1,000 in Prizes!

#hermesagentchallenge #devchallenge #agents

149

Comments 26

4 min read

Revive old projects using GitHub Copilot

Jess Lee for The DEV Team

May 21

Join the GitHub Finish-Up-A-Thon Challenge: $3,000 Prize Pool!

#githubchallenge #devchallenge #githubcopilot

557

Comments 73

3 min read

What was your win this week!?

Jess Lee — Fri, 22 May 2026 13:00:00 +0000

👋👋👋👋
Looking back on your week -- what was something you're proud of?
All wins count -- big or small 🎉

Examples of 'wins' include:

Getting a promotion!
Starting a new project
Fixing a tricky bug
Learned something new (even from a random YouTube rabbit hole)📚

Happy Friday!

Join the GitHub Finish-Up-A-Thon Challenge: $3,000 Prize Pool!

Jess Lee — Thu, 21 May 2026 17:33:15 +0000

We're thrilled to announce our newest challenge with GitHub!

Running through June 7, the GitHub Finish-Up-A-Thon Challenge invites you to finally give that abandoned side project, challenge submission, or hackathon creation the love it deserves. GitHub is looking for ways to empower builders to finish what they started, and this challenge is the first step.

There's a $3,000 prize pool on the line for those of you who are up to the challenge. Ten winners will be selected and will also receive a DEV++ membership along with an exclusive winner badge.

Read on to learn more.

Our Prompt

Your mandate is to revive and finish a project you started but never completed.

You built something cool under pressure, likely with too little sleep and not enough time. Now it's your chance to pick it back up, add some polish, and share it with the world.

The most important aspect? Show us your before and after, and how GitHub Copilot helped you get there.

Judging Criteria

All qualified entries will be judged based on the following criteria:

Use of underlying technology
Usability and User Experience
Originality and Creativity
Completion Arc: Is there a clear before and after journey?

Prizes

Ten Winners will each receive:

$300 USD
DEV++ Membership
Exclusive DEV Badge

All Participants with a valid submission will receive a completion badge on their DEV profile.

How To Participate

In order to participate, share your revived project and publish a post using the submission template below.

GitHub Finish-Up-A-Thon Challenge Submission Template

Please review our judging criteria, rules, guidelines, and FAQ page before submitting so you understand our participation guidelines and official contest rules such as eligibility requirements.

Important Dates

May 21: GitHub Finish-Up-A-Thon Challenge begins!
June 7: Submissions due at 11:59 PM PST
June 18: Winners Announced

We can't wait to see what you finally ship! Questions about the challenge? Ask them below.

Good luck and happy building!

Tune in and Join the Google I/O 2026 Writing Challenge: $1,000 in Prizes!!

Jess Lee — Tue, 19 May 2026 16:23:47 +0000

Update: Winner Announcement Delayed

Jess Lee for The DEV Team

Jun 4

Winner Announcement Delayed for the Google I/O 2026 Writing Challenge

#devchallenge #googleiochallenge

Comments 2

1 min read

Google I/O 2026 is here! Join us today and tomorrow (May 19 & 20) as we livestream Google's keynotes and sessions right on DEV. Plus, we’re launching a new writing challenge right alongside the event!

Running through May 24, the Google I/O Writing Challenge invites you to dive into the announcements as they drop, then experiment and write about what has you most excited from this year's releases, keynotes, and sessions.

Tune In to Google I/O 2026

Catch everything as it unfolds live here on DEV, May 19 and 20:

📺 Google Keynote: Live today (May 19) at 10:00 AM PT
👩‍💻 Developer Keynote: Today (May 19) at 1:30 PM PT
🤖 What's New in Google AI: Today (May 19) at 3:30 PM PT
🔥 What's New in Firebase: Today (May 19) at 4:30 PM PT
💙 What's New in Flutter: Tomorrow (May 20) at 10:00 AM PT
☁️ Google Cloud Live from I/O: Tomorrow (May 20) at 1:00 PM PT

Note: If you miss the livestreams you will be able to watch the recorded keynotes on YouTube.

Our Prompt

Explore the Google I/O 2026 announcements and pick the release, update, or livestream session that speaks to you, and tell us about it.

We encourage you to play around with any new products (if applicable) to form your opinions, but even if you're in the "reading the docs" phase, we want your take. Share your highlights and critiques with us!

Google I/O Challenge Submission Template

Your submission might look like:

A hands-on tutorial or walkthrough of something you tried
A written reflection on an announcement or keynote point and what it means for developers
An opinion piece on the update you think is most underrated or overlooked
A first-look or "getting started" guide for a new tool or feature

The most compelling submissions will go beyond summary to offer a genuine perspective for the community.

Judging Criteria

Clarity & Quality: Is it well-written, engaging, and easy to follow?
Usefulness: Will the community learn something or be inspired by reading it?
Depth & Insight: Does it go beyond surface-level summary to offer a genuine perspective?

Prizes

Five winners will each receive:

$200 USD
DEV++ Membership
Exclusive DEV badge

All participants with a valid submission will receive a completion badge.

How To Participate

Explore the Google I/O 2026 announcements, then publish a post on DEV using the submission template provided above.

Please review our judging criteria, rules, guidelines, and FAQ page before submitting so you understand our participation guidelines and official contest rules such as eligibility requirements.

Important Dates

May 19: Google I/O Writing Challenge begins
May 20: Google I/O wraps
May 24: Submissions due at 11:59 PM PDT
June 4: Winners Announced

We can't wait to read what you discover. Questions about the challenge? Ask them below.

Good luck and happy writing!

Join the Hermes Agent Challenge: $1,000 in Prizes!

Jess Lee — Fri, 15 May 2026 16:06:18 +0000

If you've been watching the space, Hermes Agent probably needs no introduction. For everyone else, this is the open source agentic system that's been quietly turning heads as an option worth knowing. Built to run on your own infrastructure, Hermes Agent is capable of planning, tool use, and multi-step reasoning across complex tasks.

Running through May 31, the Hermes Agent Challenge is your chance to dig in firsthand. Whether you're already running Hermes Agent locally or you're curious what the buzz is about, this is the moment to build something real and show the community what's possible.

Whether you love to build or love to write, there's a prompt for you and $1,000 prizes up for grabs!

Let's get to it!

Our Prompts

Build With Hermes Agent

Your mandate is to build something useful or creative with Hermes Agent and share it with the community.

The possibilities are endless — you can build anything from an automated research pipeline to a multi-tool productivity assistant to a creative agentic experiment. What matters is that Hermes Agent is doing real work at the heart of your project.

Build With Hermes Agent Submission Template

The strongest submissions will incorporate Hermes Agent into their build in a meaningful way.

Write About Hermes Agent

Your mandate is to publish a post about Hermes Agent that educates, inspires, or sparks discussion. There's no single right format — what matters is that your post offers something genuine and useful to the community.

Not sure what to write about? Here are some ideas:

How-to guide: Walk through setting up and running Hermes Agent locally, connecting it to tools, or integrating it into a real project.
Comparison piece: Break down how Hermes Agent stacks up against other agentic frameworks and help readers decide when to reach for it.
Personal essay or opinion piece: Share your experience building with Hermes Agent, or make a case for something -- what does an open, capable agent system mean for the future of AI development?
Deep technical breakdown: Explore a specific capability like tool use, planning, or multi-step reasoning.

Write About Hermes Agent Submission Template

Note: If you are primarily showing off a project, please submit to the Build with Hermes Agent prompt instead! Each submission is only allowed to be eligible for one of the two categories.

Judging Criteria

Build With Hermes Agent submissions will be evaluated for:

Effective use of Hermes Agent's agentic capabilities
Technical implementation and code quality
Creativity and originality
Usability and user experience

Write About Hermes Agent submissions will be evaluated for:

Clarity and depth of explanation
Originality of perspective or insight
Practical value to the community
Quality of writing

Prizes

We’ll select four winners from each prompt.

Eight prompt winners will each receive:

$125 USD
DEV++ Membership
Exclusive DEV Badge

All participants with a valid submission will receive a completion badge.

Getting Started With Hermes Agent 🚀

Head to the Hermes Agent site to get started. From there you can explore the documentation, learn about its agentic capabilities, and find everything you need to hit the ground running.

GitHub Repo

NousResearch / hermes-agent

The agent that grows with you

Hermes Agent ☤

The self-improving AI agent built by Nous Research. It's the only agent with a built-in learning loop — it creates skills from experience, improves them during use, nudges itself to persist knowledge, searches its own past conversations, and builds a deepening model of who you are across sessions. Run it on a $5 VPS, a GPU cluster, or serverless infrastructure that costs nearly nothing when idle. It's not tied to your laptop — talk to it from Telegram while it works on a cloud VM.

Use any model you want — Nous Portal, OpenRouter (200+ models), NovitaAI (AI-native cloud for Model API, Agent Sandbox, and GPU Cloud), NVIDIA NIM (Nemotron), Xiaomi MiMo, z.ai/GLM, Kimi/Moonshot, MiniMax, Hugging Face, OpenAI, or your own endpoint. Switch with hermes model — no code changes, no lock-in.

A real terminal interface

Full TUI with multiline

…

View on GitHub

Helpful Links

How To Participate

In order to participate, you must publish a DEV post using the submission template associated with each prompt.

Please review our judging criteria, rules, guidelines, and FAQ page before submitting so you understand our participation guidelines and official contest rules such as eligibility requirements.

Important Dates

May 15: Hermes Agent Challenge begins!
May 31: Submissions due at 11:59 PM PDT
June 18: Winners Announced

Questions about the challenge? Drop them in the comments below.

Good luck and happy coding!!

DEV Community: Jess Lee

Winner Announcement Delayed for the Google I/O 2026 Writing Challenge

Join the June Solstice Game Jam: $1,000 in prizes!

Our Prompt

Additional Prize Categories

Judging Criteria

Prizes

How To Participate

Important Dates

Want to work with me? We're hiring a Community Program Manager at DEV!

Job Overview

Key Responsibilities

Important Skills

Benefits

Top 7 Featured DEV Posts of the Week

What was your win this week?

Winner Announcement Delayed for the Gemma 4 Challenge

Top 7 Featured DEV Posts of the Week

What was your win this week!?

Join the GitHub Finish-Up-A-Thon Challenge: $3,000 Prize Pool!

Our Prompt

Judging Criteria

Prizes

How To Participate

Important Dates

Tune in and Join the Google I/O 2026 Writing Challenge: $1,000 in Prizes!!

Tune In to Google I/O 2026

Our Prompt

Judging Criteria

Prizes

How To Participate

Important Dates

Top 7 Featured DEV Posts of the Week

Join the Hermes Agent Challenge: $1,000 in Prizes!

Our Prompts

Build With Hermes Agent

Write About Hermes Agent

Judging Criteria

Prizes

Getting Started With Hermes Agent 🚀

GitHub Repo

NousResearch / hermes-agent

The agent that grows with you

Hermes Agent ☤

Helpful Links

How To Participate

Important Dates