1. Create a Github repository

Before you can even start your project, you’ll need an account Github, a platform where you can store your code, track changes over time, and share code with others.

You can follow our guide for creating a Github repository here.

2. Setup Hackatime

We use Hackatime to track the time you spend coding.

Not sure how to setup Hackatime or having any issues with Hackatime? Follow this guide.

3. Build project + devlog

Your next step is to build your project. You can either complete a Mission, or create a custom project.

Throughout your project make sure you are doing good git commits. What makes a git commit good? Find out here.

You will also need to complete devlogs throughout your project. These are just short (or sometimes long!) updates about what you’ve been doing with your project. The better the devlogs, the better your project will be rated. Find out more about devlogs here.

4. Ship your project

Once you’ve finished building your project you need to ship it.

Not sure what shipping is? Take a look at this resource.

Ready to ship your project, but not sure where to start? You can find out how to ship your exact project type here.

5. Rate

Before you can unlock your Stardust, you need to rate other people’s projects (and they need to rate yours too!). When rating a project you will need to assess 4 key aspects:

• Originality — how distinct is the project from common projects?
• Technicality — how much effort did you put into the implementation?
• Usability — could someone actually use it? Did they enjoy using it?
• Storytelling — how well did you document the development journey through devlogs, documentation, commit messages, and your README?

Remember: Someone has worked hard on this project, you need to rate it fairly. You wouldn’t like it if someone unfairly rated your project.

6. Spend your Stardust in the shop

Once you get Stardust, you can spend it in the shop to get awesome rewards!