Congrats to the winners, the craft on those projects is impressive.
I’d like to add a constructive note on transparency. The brief listed four criteria: problem-solving impact, owner-effort reduction, craft and storytelling. My entry (Suds & Scissors, a booking system for a solo mobile dog groomer in Portland) focused on the first two: an AI texting assistant that turns “can you fit my doodle in?” into a booked, deposit-backed slot, plus automated reminders, waitlist refills and no-show protection.
I’m not questioning anyone’s effort or the winners’ quality. It would just help everyone improve if Contra shared a short note on how the criteria were weighted, and maybe brief feedback for finalists. That would make future challenges feel worth the investment for newer members too.