Since I’m a hackathon junkie, I thought I would post about some interesting hackathon/challenges I come across. I originally heard about FinCapDev on ChallengePost over a year ago. The premise is pretty simple, submit a proposal for a mobile app to help Americans save money and/or make better financial decisions. And yes, it’s not the most logical thing to help people save money by requiring them to have a mobile device to use your app. I thought they should have made it open to web apps which I think would be more accessible (at least you can get on the Internet for free at a library). Anyways, while I might disagree with the rules, I do think the goal is noble and if even a small handful of users benefit from the apps, then it’s worthwhile. I applied for the 2013 competition, but didn’t make the cut. My idea was to build an online school for people to access through their phones that would try to teach financial basics through short videos/lessons with quizzes to see how well people understood the material. The app could also provide a way for users to interact with others in similar situations trying to improve their financial situation. I thought it was a good idea, but apparently it wasn’t good enough for the judges. Anyways, they just started accepting submissions for their 2014 competition. If you’re picked as a finalist, you can get $7,500 to build your app and present it in front of a panel of judges for a grand prize of $50,000. You also get access to experts and SDKs/APIs if you’re chosen as a finalist. I’m still looking for a team, so if you have an idea or want to help me, send me a tweet at @SolChea.