Build 2026 x ByteAsk (YC F26): Open-Source Challenge

Build 2026 x ByteAsk (YC F26): Open-Source Challenge | $30,000 in Rewards US$30,000 in ByteAsk rewards. ₹20,000 in cash prizes. Fellowship opportunities for standout contributors. Build with ByteAsk. Not another demo. This two-week online challenge runs from 28 September to 11 October 2026, ahead of Build 2026—a 24-hour hackathon planned at IIT Guwahati on 24–25 October. Pick an eligible public GitHub repository, make a useful contribution using ByteAsk, and open a pull request with your team. Build something the maintainer would actually want. The top 10 entrants receive direct interviews for ByteAsk’s paid, remote open-source fellowship. Event page - https://hackyard.org/build2026/byteask Format Fully Online: Participate from anywhere. Team-Based: Register your team, and any registered team member can open the PR. Duration: Runs 28 September – 11 October 2026. Deadline: PR submissions close on 11 October at 11:59 PM IST. Selection: Winners are selected before 24 October. Results & Presentations: Results are shared with participants before Build 2026, and finalists may be invited to present on stage if the event is held as planned. Process: Step 1 – Register: Sign up with a personal email at https://forms.gle/Bd4hufWjJzeCxZAj8. After registering, ByteAsk emails you a unique Pro code and setup instructions. Step 2 – Build: Choose an eligible public GitHub repository with at least 100 stars that your team does not own. Use ByteAsk and have a registered team member open the pull request during the challenge window. Step 3 – Submit: Send each PR through the submission form at https://forms.gle/5KTw1xEiahChgtvHA with the PR URL and your team's ByteAsk account email. You may submit more than one PR, but only one valid PR per team counts for challenge milestones. Each PR can be credited to one team only. Eligibility Open to Everyone: Students, working professionals, and teams are all welcome. Email Requirement: Registration must use a personal email address. Submission Window: The PR must be opened during the challenge window (28 September – 11 October 2026) by a registered member of your team. Repository Criteria: The repository must be public on GitHub, have at least 100 stars, and must not be owned by your team. Rules Disclosure Rules: Do not mention ByteAsk in an open PR until it merges except when the repository's contribution or AI-assistance rules require disclosure. Always follow the repository's own rules first. Social Media & Video: A team video about your work may be posted at any time and may tag ByteAsk, but must not link an open PR. Quality Standards: Low-effort, spam, or misleading PRs may be penalised or excluded. Disqualification Criteria: A PR is ineligible if the repository maintainer closes it as spam, AI-generated, or low-effort, or blocks the submitting account. Maintainer Respect: The repository maintainer always decides whether to accept your PR. Respect their time and their review process. Judging Evaluation Criteria: ByteAsk evaluates entries on PR outcomes, maintainer engagement, community interest, and ByteAsk usage. Core Principle: Quality beats quantity. One meaningful, merged contribution outweighs ten shallow ones. Prizes and Access Award / Perk Details 1st Place ₹10,000 2nd Place ₹7,000 3rd Place ₹3,000 Fellowship Interviews Top 10 entrants receive direct interviews for ByteAsk's paid remote open-source fellowship. Selected fellows work on real open-source contributions with a stipend of ₹30,000 per month, initially for three months, plus a ByteAsk subscription. (Note: An interview does not guarantee an offer, ByteAsk shares contract terms directly with selected candidates.) ByteAsk Pro Access Every registrant who redeems their unique code and completes one ByteAsk session of 3–4 prompts receives the $20 ByteAsk Pro plan. Timeline Date Event / Milestone 28 September 2026 Challenge opens, registration live 11 October 2026, 11:59 PM IST PR submissions close, Pro codes expire Before 24 October 2026 Winners selected and results shared 24–25 October 2026 Build 2026, planned at IIT Guwahati