Challenge 1: Sign Up for Backboard and Claim Your Promo Code

Global Hack Week: Agent Week | Backboard.io

Time needed: about 3 minutes
Difficulty: Super easy. If you can make an email account, you can do this.
What you need: A computer with a web browser and an email address.

WALKTHROUGH VIDEO AVAILABLE HERE

What is Backboard, and why do you care?

This week you are going to build AI agents. An agent is an AI that does not just chat. It remembers things, uses tools, and gets work done for you.

Backboard.io is the platform you will build on. Here is the short version of what it gives you:

One API key, 17,000+ AI models. All the major frontier models (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, xAI, and more) plus thousands of open-source models, all behind one door. You pick the model per message and switch anytime. Already have your own API key from a model provider? You can bring your own key (BYOK) and use it through Backboard too.
Memory that actually works. Backboard’s memory is ranked #1 on LoCoMo and LongMemEval, the two big benchmarks for AI memory. Your agent will remember stuff between conversations.
Built-in RAG (document search), tool calling, web search, image generation, and voice. Things that normally take days of glue code are just a parameter.
Stateful threads. Backboard stores your conversations server-side, so your agent picks up where it left off.

Everything you build in Challenges 4, 5, and 6 sits on top of this. So step one is simple: get an account.

Step 1: Register and claim your promo code (one step!)

Hackers get their own front door. Do NOT use the normal signup page. Use the hackathon one:

Open your browser and go to https://app.backboard.io/hackathon
Fill in the registration form with your email (or any sign-in option shown, like Google).
When the form asks for a promo code, enter: GLOBALMLH2
Type it exactly as shown: all caps, no spaces. Registration and claiming your code happen together, all in one step. No hunting through settings later.
If Backboard sends you a verification email, open your inbox and click the link inside. Check spam if you do not see it after a minute.
You should now be looking at the Backboard Dashboard. It might show you a quick welcome tour. Feel free to click through it.

No credit card needed. Registering with the code starts you with:

$5 in memory credits. These power Backboard’s memory features, the part that lets your agents remember things.
$10 in inference credits. Inference is the “thinking” part, the actual model calls. This is your fuel for chatting with models and running the agents you will build this week.

Both balances live in your account from the moment you register. You can check them anytime in the dashboard’s billing / credits area.

Two more things worth knowing about your new account:

All the major frontier models are on the platform. OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, xAI, and more, plus thousands of open-source models. One account, every model, switch whenever you want.
You can bring your own API key (BYOK). If you already have a key from a model provider, you can plug it in and route your inference through it instead of using inference credits.

Stuck? Ask in the Global Hack Week Discord and a Backboard team member or fellow hacker will help you out.

Step 2: Create your API key

An API key is like a password that lets code talk to your Backboard account. You will need it for Challenges 4, 5, and 6, so grab it now.

In the dashboard, go to Settings → API Keys.
Click Create New API Key.
Copy the key immediately and save it somewhere safe (a notes app or password manager). Backboard shows it only once. If you lose it, no stress, just create a new one.

Two rules about API keys:

Never share your key, post it in Discord, or commit it to GitHub.
Never put it in frontend code where visitors can see it.

Step 3: Poke around (optional but fun)

You are done with the required part. If you have 5 extra minutes, click through the dashboard. There is a built-in chat where you can talk to models right now, a model library with thousands of options, and a memory page that fills up as you chat. Challenge 2 is a full guided tour, so consider this a sneak peek.

Want to read ahead? The docs live at . The Quickstart and Dashboard pages are the best places to start.

How to complete this challenge

Submit a screenshot showing your Backboard dashboard after registering (your credit balances visible is perfect).

Do NOT include your API key in the screenshot. If it is visible, crop it out.

Troubleshooting

Problem	Fix
Verification email never arrived	Check spam. Still nothing? Try signing up again or use a different email provider.
Promo code says invalid	Make sure it is `GLOBALMLH2` with no spaces before or after. Codes are case-sensitive: use ALL CAPS.
Signed up on the regular page and missed the code	Register through app.backboard.io/hackathon, that is where the promo code field lives. Still stuck? Ask in the Global Hack Week Discord.
Cannot find the API Keys page	It is under Settings → API Keys in the dashboard at app.backboard.io.
Lost your API key	Create a new one from the same page. Old keys can be deleted.

Next up → Challenge 2: The Dashboard Walkthrough and Nash Demo. You will learn your way around Backboard and meet Nash, the multi-model chat app.