⚡ Quick Answer
In four live days, 20 to 23 October 2026, the Apps Built With AI Build-A-Thon takes you from an app idea to a working app, without writing code, and gives you a shot at a share of $7,000 in cash prizes. It is free to join, sessions start at 2pm ET (11am PT, 7pm London), and the optional paid tickets shown afterward are not required to attend. Our score: 8.3/10, and a clear yes if you have an idea you keep putting off.
You have the idea. Maybe it has been sitting in your notes for months, and every time you open it the same thought shows up: “but I can’t code.” The Apps Built With AI Build-A-Thon exists to end that thought.
Over four live days, non-technical people go from a problem to a working app, then to a landing page, then to their first users, with no developer, no code and no all-nighters. It is free, it starts on 20 October, and the sessions are live, so the date is real.
This Apps Built With AI Build-A-Thon review covers the schedule, the speakers, the prizes and why we think it is worth your four sessions.
Free to register · Live sessions · 20 to 23 October
What Is the Apps Built With AI Build-A-Thon?
A build-a-thon is a hackathon for people who do not write code. Instead of a weekend of programming, you spend a few focused live hours a day building something real with AI, then show it at the end. The Apps Built With AI Build-A-Thon runs that format over four days, 20 to 23 October 2026, and you join online from anywhere.
The organizers put the idea in one line: “You don’t need another course about building. You need a moment to build.” Each day has a single job, and by Friday the goal is a live app with a landing page and a plan for its first users.
Why It Is Worth Your Four Days
Most people never ship the app because there is no moment where they are supposed to. This event creates that moment. The organizers promise everyone who takes part will leave with:
- A first working version of an app, built by you with AI and no code
- A landing page and a clear way to explain it, so a stranger understands what it does
- A plan for your first 100 users, using the organizers’ playbook
- Live feedback from the community when you pitch
- A shot at the prizes, a share of $7,000 in cash
You do it live, alongside other people who are doing it too, and the deadline does the motivating for you.
Who Is Hosting It?
The host is Justin Burns, founder of the Miestro platform. On the registration page he says he previously built and sold a software platform with more than 30,000 customers, and that he now runs a stack of apps built with no code and no tech team.
The Four Days
Each day builds on the one before, so you are never starting from zero:
- Day 1, Choose and Build Your First Version (Tuesday 20 October): turn a problem into working software with no code, and leave with a real, running app
- Day 2, Make It Sellable (Wednesday 21 October): naming, positioning and a landing page, so a stranger understands what your app does
- Day 3, Launch and Get Your First 100 Users (Thursday 22 October): go live, work through the organizers’ 100-user playbook, and pitch for the prizes
- Day 4, Tech Founder Scaling Secrets (Friday 23 October): paid marketing and partnership strategies for growing what you built
If you can only make one session, make it day 3. That is where the live pitch happens, and where an app on your screen becomes an app other people can use.
The Speakers
Five speakers are confirmed, with two surprise guests still to be announced. Their roles, as the organizers describe them:
- Michael Tucker, marketing agency founder and virtual-events strategist
- Coach K, grant funding and capital strategist
- Jason Long, software entrepreneur
- Jason Bell, AI systems architect and revenue strategist
- Sevyn Buffins, social media and AI content creator
These are people who build, sell and market for a living, which is exactly who you want in the room at an event about building. Two more guest speakers will be announced closer to the date.
The $7,000 in Prizes
On top of everything else, there is real money on the table: a share of $7,000 in cash prizes. On day 3 you present what you built live to the community, collect feedback and compete for your share. The organizers have not published the split between winners yet.
Win or not, you leave with the part that matters most: an app that exists and a plan for the people who will use it.
What Time Does It Start Where You Live?
Every session starts at the same moment worldwide. Here is what that looks like locally:
| City | Daily start time |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 11:00 am |
| New York | 2:00 pm |
| London | 7:00 pm |
| Dubai | 10:00 pm |
| Delhi | 11:30 pm |
| Singapore | 2:00 am |
It fits the Americas and evenings in Europe especially well. The sessions are live (“be present” is the organizers’ own instruction), so mark the four days in your calendar now.
Starts 20 October · 4 live days · No coding needed
What to Expect When You Register
Registration is free and you do not need to know how to code. The live sessions use the organizers’ own Apps Built With AI platform, so you build inside their tool rather than assembling your own stack. Optional Gold and Platinum tickets are shown after you register and, according to the organizers, are not required to attend.
What You Get and What to Plan For
| ✅ What you get | 📅 What to plan for |
|---|---|
| Free registration, no coding needed | Four live sessions, so block the calendar |
| Hands-on: you build, not just watch | Prize split to be announced |
| A shot at $7,000 in cash prizes | Two guest speakers still to be revealed |
| A clear path from idea to first users | Late evening hours in Dubai and Delhi |
Is the Apps Built With AI Build-A-Thon Worth Your Time?
Score: 8.3 / 10
The score is high because it is free, practical and built around making something instead of watching someone else make it. It stops short of a 9 only because a few details, like the prize split and the last two speakers, are still to come, and the lineup is builders rather than big names.
Breaking that down by who is asking:
- Never coded and have an idea? Register. This is the format built for you
- Already building with AI tools every week? Take days 3 and 4, where launch and growth are the focus
- Cannot be live? Pick this one only if you can attend the sessions, since replays are not mentioned
Who Is It For?
This event is a strong fit if you:
- Have a problem you understand and want a first version of an app that solves it
- Are not technical and want to ship something without hiring a developer
- Learn by doing, and work better with a deadline and a community around you
This event is not for you if:
- You want to learn programming itself
- You cannot be live during the session hours in your time zone
- You already ship apps with AI tools and want advanced material
20 to 23 October · Free to register
Verdict
If you have ever said “I have an app idea, but,” this is a free way to stop saying it. Four live sessions, a deadline, a community building next to you and a shot at $7,000, for the price of an email address.
Registration is open now and the first session starts on 20 October 2026. Register today, put the four days in your calendar, and bring the idea.
Related Reading
If you are comparing events, our list of free AI summits in 2026 puts them side by side. To prepare, our step-by-step guide on how to build an app with AI without coding walks through the same path. If you want to compare tools first, see the best no-code AI app builders. Looking for something to build? Try our list of AI app ideas you can build and sell, or read vibe coding for beginners. And if building and selling is the goal, our guide to AI side hustles that actually work covers the wider picture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Apps Built With AI Build-A-Thon free?
Yes. Registration is free, and the organizers say the optional Gold and Platinum tickets shown after registration are not required to attend.
Is the Apps Built With AI Build-A-Thon worth it?
Yes, if you have an app idea and want a push to build it. It is free, the format is hands-on, and by day 4 you are meant to have a working first version, a landing page and a plan for your first users, plus a chance at a share of $7,000 in prizes.
When is the Apps Built With AI Build-A-Thon?
It runs live on four consecutive days, 20 to 23 October 2026 (Tuesday to Friday). Sessions start at 11am Pacific, 2pm Eastern and 7pm London time.
Do I need to know how to code to join the Apps Built With AI Build-A-Thon?
No. The organizers say it is designed for people who can explain a problem, even if they have never written code.
What is a build-a-thon?
A build-a-thon is a hackathon-style event where participants build something real in a short, structured window instead of only listening to talks. In this one, you build an app with AI over four live days and pitch it for a share of $7,000 in prizes.
What do you build at the Apps Built With AI Build-A-Thon?
A working first version of an app that solves a problem you understand, plus a landing page and a plan for your first 100 users, built over the four days with AI and without writing code.
Who are the Apps Built With AI Build-A-Thon speakers?
Five speakers are confirmed: Michael Tucker, Coach K, Jason Long, Jason Bell and Sevyn Buffins. Two more guest speakers are listed as coming soon. The host is Justin Burns.
How do the Apps Built With AI Build-A-Thon prizes work?
The organizers advertise a share of $7,000 in cash prizes. Participants present what they built live to the community on day 3 and compete for their share. The split between winners and the judging criteria are not published on the registration page.
Is the Apps Built With AI Build-A-Thon live or recorded?
Live. The organizers say to expect a few hours live each day and to be present. The registration page does not mention replays.
Sources & References
- Official Apps Built With AI Build-A-Thon registration page, details checked 2 October 2026
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How this review was made: we read the official page and checkout ourselves, verify prices, dates and recurring charges at the source, and never repeat a figure taken from another review site. Read our full review methodology and affiliate disclosure.