Build It Anyway: Signal Hunt with Apify | SF Tech Week Hackathon for Non-Technical Builders
about this event
No code, no problem. Build an AI agent that finds what matters on the web.
Is this you? Are you a founder trying to handle your first sales leads and keep track of competitors at the same time? Are you in sales, trying to sell based on social signals but stuck scrolling LinkedIn by hand? Are you a GTM person who wants warm leads, not another cold list? Are you a marketer trying to keep up with what competitors post and which creators are taking off? Do you run an e-commerce brand and want to know the moment a competitor drops prices or gets a wave of bad reviews? If you said yes to any of these, this hackathon is for you. Never written a line of code? Even better, that's who we built it for.
What happens on the day: In one day you'll build an AI agent that pulls live data from the web with Apify and does the work you're doing by hand now. We start with a live demo of a real signal agent built for sales work, so you see what's possible before you begin. After that you pick a track and build, with support in the room the whole time. By 3 PM you'll have a working agent to demo and keep using at work.
Build It Anyway started at Toronto Tech Week, where 80 first-time builders shipped working products in one evening. Now we're bringing it to SF with the European Startup Embassy, so you'll be building alongside European founders and the local SF community.
Pick your track — Social signal-based selling: Turn hiring, funding, leadership changes and social activity into leads that are ready to contact. Example: an agent that watches your target accounts every week and flags who's ready to buy. E-commerce and pricing intelligence: Track competitor prices, stock and reviews, and act when something changes. Example: an alert when a competitor cuts prices or gets hit with bad reviews. Marketing intelligence: Find influencers, track what competitors are posting and spot trends early. Example: a weekly brief on what competitors posted and which creators are rising in your niche.
Schedule: 9:30 AM | Doors open and check-in. 10:00 AM | Welcome from Build It Anyway and ESE. 10:10 AM | Tracks and rules. 10:20 AM | Kickoff demo: a live signal agent built for real sales work. 10:30 AM | Build time with in-room support. 1:00 PM | Demos and judging. 2:30 PM | Winners announced. 3:00 PM | Close.
Prizes: Gift cards for the top teams, plus a gift card for the most creative post about the event (tag Apify and #BuildItAnyway).
Location: ESE (European Startup Embassy), 461 Bryant St, San Francisco, CA 94107. Date: Friday, October 9, 2026, 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM PT. Hosted by Build It Anyway and ESE. Powered by Apify. Community partner: Build Club (https://www.buildclub.ai), the world's most collaborative AI community.
tracks
Social Signal-Based Selling
Turn hiring, funding, leadership changes and social activity into leads that are ready to contact. Example: an agent that watches your target accounts every week and flags who's ready to buy.
E-Commerce and Pricing Intelligence
Track competitor prices, stock and reviews, and act when something changes. Example: an alert when a competitor cuts prices or gets hit with bad reviews.
Marketing Intelligence
Find influencers, track what competitors are posting and spot trends early. Example: a weekly brief on what competitors posted and which creators are rising in your niche.
when
Build It Anyway: Signal Hunt with Apify | SF Tech Week Hackathon for Non-Technical Builders
Doors open and check-in at 9:30 AM; welcome, tracks and rules, kickoff demo, build time with in-room support, demos and judging, winners announced, close at 3:00 PM.
◍ ESE (European Startup Embassy), 461 Bryant St, San Francisco, CA 94107tickets
| tickets | price | Fee | Status | description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Entry | Free | Free | Available | Free admission to the one-day AI Hackathon; registration required. |
prizes
| # | PRIZE | price |
|---|---|---|
| Top Teams | Gift cards | TBA |
| Most Creative Post About the Event | Gift card (tag Apify and #BuildItAnyway) | TBA |