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Join with your event code — one tap, zero friction
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Swipe through builders — scores compatibility based on skills, projects, and goals
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See who matched with you
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Chat with matches, available intros break the ice so conversations start faster
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Browse workshops, RSVP, and see who else is going to find your people before you arrive to find a companion
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Post a help request with urgency tags to get matched with someone who has the exact skill you need
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Find teammates or offer your skills, message anyone directly to start collaborating
Inspiration
I'm attending Build Week alone, and my goal isn't just to show up but also to find people I can build and ship real products with long after the event ends. A room full of AI builders, engineers, and founders is the perfect place to find future co-founders and collaborators. But with 500+ attendees across 5 days, how do you find the right people? I built BuilderMatch so nobody has to leave that to chance.
What it does
BuilderMatch lets AABW 2026 attendees create a builder profile (project, AI stack, skills offered/needed) and swipe through other builders ranked by a 10-signal compatibility engine. Mutual interest creates a match, unlocking real-time chat. Shareable profile links with QR codes bridge the digital and in-person experience.
How we built it
React 19 + TypeScript frontend with Zustand for state, Supabase for the backend (PostgreSQL, anonymous auth, real-time subscriptions), and Vercel for deployment. The match engine runs client-side, scoring candidates across project domain, skill complementarity, AI stack overlap, schedule availability, and 6 other weighted signals. The UI is wrapped in a phone frame on desktop and goes full-screen on mobile for a native app feel.
Challenges we ran into
Designing zero-friction onboarding that captures enough profile data (8 steps, 35+ fields) without feeling like a form. Preventing duplicate matches when both users swipe simultaneously from different devices. Making real-time messaging work reliably with Supabase's realtime subscriptions across anonymous sessions that have no email or password.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
The matching algorithm genuinely surfaces relevant people, not just check if two builders use the same tools, it finds complementary pairs (you need a designer, they need a backend engineer). The entire app works with zero signup friction: enter an event code, build your profile, start swiping. No email, no password, no OAuth. Session persists across reloads automatically.
What we learned
Anonymous auth is powerful for event apps — zero signup friction while still maintaining persistent sessions and row-level security. Client-side matching keeps the architecture simple and the scoring logic transparent. Supabase's real-time subscriptions made live messaging surprisingly straightforward to implement.
What's next for BuilderMatch
Post-event follow-up features so connections don't die after the conference. Team formation for multi-person projects — not just 1:1 matches but assembling full hackathon squads. Integration with event platforms for live session check-ins and schedule-aware matching. And expanding beyond AABW to other builder events and hackathons.
Built With
- postgresql
- react
- supabase
- tailwind
- typescript
- vercel
- vite
- zustand
