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blind spotNon-Trivial (opens in a new tab)

Nobody’s building this. That’s the point.

Registration opens 9 Nov

Everyone is building the same app. Build the one nobody is.

Find a problem that matters. Prove nobody’s working on it. Build the fix in 24 hours.

Neglected is the theme.Importance is the bar.

A problem nobody works on that doesn’t matter is just obscure.

Every entry ships working code and answers three questions, in this order.

  1. 01

    Why does this matter?

    Importance

    Argued, not assumed.

  2. 02

    Who else is working on it?

    Neglectedness

    Tell us what you looked for and found.

  3. 03

    Why is 24 hours enough?

    Tractability

    Small, working, next step named.

Why neglected?

You’re early. Pick a field that’s early too.

Your most important work is probably still years away. The fields that will need people then are emerging now. Get there early and be one of the first, instead of following what’s already popular.

Your work goes further where few are looking.

In a crowded field, one more person changes little. In a neglected one, you might be the only one.

But neglected isn’t enough.

It still has to matter, and you still have to build something that works. Importance, neglectedness and the build are all scored.

Importance comes first.

Four projects, two questions. Only one hits both.

  1. A data registry for a rare disease with no standard

    Neglected: YesImportant: Yes

    This is the target.

Most entries are decided before anyone writes code.

Problem choice and honest scoping beat polish.

Weak submission

“Climate change”

Strong submission

“Researchers hand-copy X from PDFs because nobody publishes it as data”

Ten places to start looking.

These zones are pre-researched: we’ve checked the neglect. Pick one, or take the wildcard and make your own case.

Importance first. Then everything else.

The gate question, word for word
“Has this team made a defensible case that the problem matters? If their tool worked perfectly and were widely adopted, would the world be meaningfully better?”

Entries that clear the gate are judged on

Importance
Would solving this make the world meaningfully better? Make the case. This matters most.
Neglectedness
Who else is working on it? Tell us what you looked for and what you found missing.
Build
Does it work? A rough tool that does the job beats a polished idea that doesn’t.
Honesty
Do your claims match your evidence? Say what it can’t do yet.

Tiebreak: would this exist if you hadn’t built it?

Built in 24 hours. Provably.

  1. 01

    A kickoff phrase

    We reveal it by email and on Discord when the event starts. Your project must connect to it in some way, so it can only be built after kickoff.

  2. 02

    A fresh public repo

    Start a new project after kickoff and keep its full history.

  3. 03

    A short demo video

    In 2-3 minutes, show it working and say who else is working on the problem.

Teams of 1 to 4
Come with your team. We don’t match teammates.
AI is welcome
Just say which tools you used.
Declare old code
Allowed, but only new work is scored. Hiding it disqualifies.
Not just git
Replit and Colab count too.

New to coding?

AI tools are encouraged. Pick a small problem and get it working.

Can’t code at all?

Team up with a friend who codes. Researching the problem is half the work.

Dates and prizes.

Fully online, and finished before Non-Trivial’s fellowship deadlines.

in prizes
$1,000in prizes$500, $300 and $200 for the top 3 teams
hours
24hoursFrom kickoff to submission
people per team
1-4people per teamSolo is fine. Bring your own team

Key dates

All times are Anywhere on Earth (AoE), which is UTC-12.

  1. Mon 9 November, 00:00 AoERegistration opens
  2. Wed 9 December, 23:59 AoERegistration closes
  3. Sat 12 December, 06:00 AoEKickoff: the phrase is revealed by email and on Discord. Your project must connect to it
  4. Sun 13 December, 06:00 AoESubmissions close: your repo link and a 2-3 minute demo video

Winners also get guaranteed admission to Non-Trivial’s Research Fellowship Program.

Who. Ages 14-20, before university.

Teams. 1 to 4 people, formed before you register.

Posting about it? Tag it:

#BlindSpot2026

Supported by

The fellowship behind it

awarded in scholarships and prizes since 2022
$400k+awarded in scholarships and prizes since 2022
of alumni at Ivy League or top-10 universities*
50%+of alumni at Ivy League or top-10 universities*
scholarships for fellows
$10kscholarships for fellows
fees: the fellowship is free
$0fees: the fellowship is free

Figures from non-trivial.org. *June 2026 alumni data, 137 alumni, Times Higher Education 2025 rankings.

Run by Non-Trivial alumni. Want to help us reach more teenagers? We’d love to hear from you.

Partner enquiries open soon.

Visit non-trivial.org (opens in a new tab)

Questions.

The full rules, judging guide and starter templates go up before kickoff.

  • Anyone aged 14-20 who hasn’t started university yet. That’s the same rule as Non-Trivial’s fellowship.

  • No. AI tools are encouraged, and every team needs someone to research the problem.

  • 1 to 4 people, or just you. Form your team before you register: we don’t match people into teams.

  • From Mon 9 November (00:00 AoE) to Wed 9 December (23:59 AoE), through a short form on this page.

  • Through a submission form by 06:00 AoE on Sun 13 December: your public repo link and a 2-3 minute demo video showing it working.

  • Yes. Tell us which tools you used and how.

  • $500, $300 and $200 for the top 3 teams. Winners also get guaranteed admission to Non-Trivial’s Research Fellowship Program.

  • Yes, if you declare it. Only what you build during the event is scored.

  • Yes, if the idea could help somewhere else too.

  • A research fellowship for teenagers working on the world’s most pressing problems.