Say what it's worth
From the room
A great product isn't enough if nobody understands why they need it. Matt on communicating impact, not features.
The day
9 AM
Build
Idea to working app, live, with coaches and AI experts on the floor
1 PM
Launch
Landing page, payments on, pitch polished
5 PM
Showcase
Doors open until 6 PM — Nashville walks the floor and sees your demo
This is for you if…
You've had the idea for a year.
Founder in a Day is for people who are done waiting.
- You have an app idea you've never started, because you can't build it yourself.
- You've been waiting on a developer, a budget, or a technical co-founder.
- You've made things before but never charged anyone for them.
- You want something real built by the end of the day, not a business plan.
No coding experience required. Seriously — most people here have none.
One day. One app. For sale.
Most hackathons end with a demo. This one ends with a price tag.
Nine hours, nine to six. You'll build a real, working app with AI, put it on a real website, put a price on it, and pitch it to a room full of Nashville — with coaches and AI experts in the room to help you get past whatever's blocking you. No pitch decks. No prototypes. No 'someday.'
Coaches and AI experts in the room to help you overcome your challenges.
The takeaway
What you walk out with at 6 PM
- A real app. Not a mockup — something people can actually use.
- A live website. On the internet at its own address, that anyone can visit.
- A price on it. A real offer, and a way for people to pay you that works for you.
- A pitch you've delivered. You demoed it to a room of real people, not a jury.
- The footage. Photos and video of the day you became a founder.
- People who helped. Coaches and AI experts who worked through your problems with you, not at you.
And a real shot at the thing this whole day is built around: getting your idea out of your head and in front of people. What happens next is yours to go earn.
When your app goes live — the bell rings.
Live board · every founder tracked from idea to shipped
Streamed live
Streamed live on YouTube
The whole day, broadcast. Hourly check-ins, a public board, and every bell rung for an app that goes live — witnessed by the internet. Can't make Nashville? Watch free from anywhere — drop your email and we'll send you the link.
The part no other hackathon has
At 5 PM, Nashville walks in.
The doors open to the public and the room fills up. Members, founders, friends, and neighbors come through to see what got built that day. You'll demo what you made to real people and get real reactions — and if someone wants to buy it, nothing's stopping them.
Not building? Come look.
The Showcase is free and open to Nashville, 5 PM until close at 6 PM — walk the floor, meet 50 brand-new founders, and see what a day can build.
Tickets
Get your seat
The full day, 9 AM to 6 PM — coaches and AI experts in the room, meals all day, and your shot at ringing the bell.
Prices rise as the room fills. The first 15 seats are the cheapest they'll ever be.
General Admission
$100
Only 2 seats left at $100 — then the price goes to $150
37 of 50 seats still available
Seats 1–15Current$100
Seats 16–30$150
Seats 31–50$199
Meet the coaches
You won't be figuring it out alone.
Coaches and members from Music City Work Club work the floor all day — product, code, marketing, pricing, and the pitch. Here they are, in their own words.
Not sure yet? Read the questions everyone asks
Questions
Before you ask
I can't code. Is this actually for me?
Yes, and you're the majority. AI writes the code now — that's what vibe coding means. Your job is deciding what app to build and who to sell it to. There'll be coaches and AI experts in the room all day to help you overcome whatever you run into.
I don't have an idea yet.
Come anyway. The first hour is for choosing one, and we'll help you pick something small enough to finish and real enough to sell.
What if I don't finish?
Plenty of people won't have a polished product by 6, and that's fine. You'll leave with more built than you had at 9, a clearer idea of what you're making, coaches who helped you get there, and a room of people who saw it.
What do I build it with?
AI coding tools — you'll use your own account. We'll send setup instructions before the day so you arrive ready to build, not fighting a signup screen.
What do I need to bring?
A laptop, a charger, and something you've been meaning to start. Meals and coffee are covered all day.
Is it really all day?
Nine to six. Come and go if you need to, but the people who stay through the 5 PM showcase get the most out of it.
Who's behind this?
Music City Work Club, a private business club in The Nations, hosted by Robert Hartline with EOS Worldwide. Production by Honeypod Studios.
Presented with
- Music City Work Club
- Robert Hartline · EOS Worldwide
- Honeypod Studios