MUGVN×MongoDB×Datadog

MUGVN Hackathon 2026

Real-time Operations

Build your own application that can detect and resolve incidents on its own, with MongoDB and Datadog.

Register your team Read the rules
Submission deadline
31/10
Team size
1–3 people
Prize value
USD 1,500
service.latency.p95, api-prod OK
Monitoring operational metrics…
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Organized by
Sponsors

The Challenge

Open challenge: you choose the problem and the domain. The only requirement is to build an application that uses MongoDB as its data platform and Datadog to observe, detect and resolve operational issues. It can be a web app, API, background service, data pipeline, IoT system, e-commerce, fintech, game, internal tool… whatever you like. Your submission must demonstrate a complete operational scenario — from the moment it arises to the moment it is resolved — based on real data from your system.

  1. 1. Detect

    Know before your users do

    Monitors and alerts catch failures, degradations or significant operational risks.

  2. 2. Investigate

    Find the root cause

    Correlate metrics, logs, traces and operational context to pinpoint the problem.

  3. 3. Respond

    Resolve and prove it

    Fix the issue, then show with data that the system is back to normal.

A few suggested directions, not required:

  • Web app / API with real traffic to monitor
  • E-commerce, ordering, payments
  • Fintech, e-wallets, fraud detection
  • Data pipelines or event-driven systems
  • IoT device systems and telemetry
  • Game backends, logistics, internal tools…

Minimum Technical Requirements

Submissions that do not meet all of the required criteria below will not advance to judging.

MongoDB

Required

  • MongoDB is the primary operational data platform of the application
  • A sound data model and efficient data access patterns
  • Aggregation Pipeline to analyze data for your use case
  • Your use of MongoDB must be tightly tied to the operational problem you chose

Recommended (depending on your use case)

  • Time Series Collections for sensor data, telemetry or time-series data
  • Window functions to analyze trends or behavior
  • expireAfterSeconds to manage data lifecycle and retention
  • Change Streams, Atlas Search, Vector Search, geospatial queries, event-driven processing, or other relevant MongoDB features

Datadog

Required

  • At least one dashboard that shows operational signals and system health
  • At least one monitor or alert tied to a meaningful failure, degradation or operational risk
  • At least one additional capability: Log Management, APM, Distributed Tracing, RUM, Anomaly Detection or Agent Observability
  • Correlate metrics, logs, traces and operational context to support detection, investigation or resolution

Advanced options

  • AI Observability and Agent Observability are encouraged but not required

Timeline

All times are in Vietnam time (ICT, UTC+7).

  1. 25/09

    Registration opens

    Register your team via the official form and the rules are published.

  2. 12/10 & 13/10

    Lunch & Learn: Datadog and MongoDB workshops

    Two separate online sessions.

  3. 12/10, 23:59

    Team registration closes

    Teams that register after this time will not receive the submission link.

  4. 17/10 – 31/10

    MVP build period

    Product development time. Datadog trial accounts are activated during this period.

  5. 31/10, 23:59

    Submission deadline

    Submissions after this time will not be judged.

  6. 01/11 – 04/11

    Preliminary judging

    The judging panel reviews all valid submissions. Tentative

  7. 05/11

    Announcement of the 8 finalist teams

    The list is posted on the fanpage and emailed to team leads. Tentative

  8. 08/11

    Online finals & awards ceremony

    Teams present to the judging panel and results are announced during the session. Tentative; exact time to be updated

Lunch & Learn on 12/10 and 13/10

Two online sessions to help you master the required features before you start building. The join link will be emailed to registered teams.

Jackson Nguyen, MongoDB

MongoDB workshop

Jackson Nguyen, MongoDB

Time Series Collections, Aggregation Pipeline and data lifecycle management.

12:00 – 13:00 (GMT+7), Tuesday 13/10/2026

Bang Truong, Datadog

Datadog workshop

Bang Truong, Datadog

Dashboards, monitors and how to correlate metrics, logs and traces.

12:00 – 13:00 (GMT+7), Monday 12/10/2026

Prizes

A total prize pool worth USD 1,500 co-sponsored by MongoDB and Datadog, of which VND 30,000,000 in cash is awarded to the top three teams at the finals, with the remainder going to trophies, gifts and awards-ceremony costs.

First prize

15,000,000VND

Second prize

10,000,000VND

Third prize

5,000,000VND

🎁 Bonus: Lots of gifts from MongoDB & Datadog

Beyond the cash prizes, all 8 finalist teams receive plenty of exclusive gifts from MongoDB and Datadog (tees, stickers, accessories and tech swag). The organizers will contact teams to arrange delivery.

🎓 A chance to earn a MongoDB certification exam voucher

Standout teams and individuals get a chance to earn a MongoDB certification exam voucher (MongoDB Associate Developer / DBA) — a great way to validate your skills and stand out to employers. Limited quantity; details announced by the organizers.

A submission includes

  • Project name and problem description
  • Team information and point of contact
  • Solution and application architecture
  • Data architecture and data model on MongoDB
  • Observability architecture on Datadog
  • Source code repository and setup instructions
  • README: environment requirements, deployment, configuration, testing steps
  • A working MVP or an accessible demo
  • Demo video
  • Finals presentation slides
  • Description of the incident or operational scenario demonstrated
  • Disclosure of reused components, external datasets and AI tools used

The repository may be private if you grant access to the judge account provided by the organizers. See the rules for details.

Judging criteria

  • Creativity — 30%: originality of the idea and how MongoDB/Datadog are used
  • Technical — 30%: architecture, MongoDB implementation and Datadog observability
  • Impact — 30%: business/operational value and a complete detect–investigate–resolve flow
  • Presentation — 10%: quality of the MVP, documentation, demo video and the pitch

This rubric applies at the finals, consistent with the previous Mini Hackathon. Tie-breaks are decided by the judging panel.

Frequently asked questions

Who can take part?

Anyone aged 18 or older who is legally eligible to participate where they live and has a work email to sign up for the Datadog trial. Employees of the organizers, MongoDB, Datadog and their immediate family members are not eligible to win prizes.

What is the maximum team size?

From 1 to 3 people. Each team designates a team lead as the point of contact and prize recipient.

Why is a work email required?

Datadog requires a work email to activate the trial account. The organizers only share with Datadog the information necessary for activation.

Can I use existing code, templates or libraries?

Yes, as long as you comply with their licenses and disclose them clearly in your submission. The core of your solution must be built during the build period from 17/10 to 31/10.

Can I use AI tools to write code?

Yes, as long as you disclose the tools you used. The team must still understand and be able to explain its solution to the judging panel.

Can I use my company's real data?

No. Do not bring personal, confidential, production or regulated data into the hackathon environment. Use synthetic data or public datasets.

Who owns the project?

The team retains full ownership. MUGVN, MongoDB and Datadog may feature and showcase the projects that reach the finals.

Where can I get support?

Email [email protected]. Dedicated technical support channels for MongoDB and Datadog will be sent to registered teams.

Looking back at the May 2026 Mini Hackathon

The first MUGVN × MongoDB Mini Hackathon wrapped up with an online finals on 06/06/2026 — the foundation for bringing back an even bigger edition.

120+
registrations
2
Lunch & Learn workshops
7
finalist teams
The MUGVN community at the May 2026 Mini Hackathon MUGVN community meetup, May 2026

Visit the May 2026 Mini Hackathon site →

Form your team and register before 23:59 on 12/10/2026

Two weeks to build a system that can detect its own incidents, with two Lunch & Learn sessions from MongoDB and Datadog experts before you start.

Register your team