Welcome to HackerNoon’s Projects of the Week, where we spotlight standout projects from the Proof of Usefulness Hackathon, HackerNoon’s competition designed to measure what actually matters: real utility over hype.
Each week, we’ll highlight projects that demonstrate clear usefulness, technical execution, and real-world impact - backed by data, not buzzwords.
This week, we’re excited to share three projects that have proven their utility by solving concrete problems for real users:
Want to see your own project spotlighted here?
Join the Proof of Usefulness Hackathon to get on our radar.
Meet the Projects of The Week
Meet Black Market SSP
BlackMarket SSP tracks black market and official currency exchange rates, plus daily petroleum production in South Sudan.
The project addresses a specific, high-utility problem in South Sudan regarding currency instability and petroleum tracking.
Black Market SSP exists because currency instability and the gap between official and parallel rates in South Sudan create an urgent need for transparent, real-time financial information for everyday citizens.
Proof of Usefulness score: +60 / 1000
Meet CutePetPal
CutePetPal is an all-in-one pet care app that helps owners manage pet profiles, track health, set reminders for feeding, meds, and vet visits, and get emergency alerts.
It keeps pets’ information organized, monitors wellbeing, and ensures timely care with smart notifications and insights.
This project brings value to pet owners who want to keep their pets healthy, safe, and well cared for. It is especially useful for busy individuals or families who may forget feeding times, medication schedules, or vet appointments, as the app provides smart reminders and health tracking.
Proof of Usefulness score: +23 / 1000
Meet SudoDocs
SudoDocs is a documentation-as-a-code tool that acts as a "unit test" for documentation by connecting to Git repositories and Jira to detect when code changes differ from existing docs.
It use Google Vertex AI (Gemini) to analyze semantic drift in code diffs and automatically drafts accurate updates, ensuring your documentation never lags behind production code.
SudoDocs serves product teams to quickly validate OpenAPI specifications and automatically correct the mistakes in it. This allows technical writers, product owners, and software developers leverage the best documentation for their product.
SudoDocs exists because rapid release cycles are outpacing manual documentation updates, creating a critical need for automated solutions that treat documentation as code.
Proof of Usefulness score: +70 / 1000
You Too Can Get Scored
What is Proof of Usefulness?
It's our answer to a web drowning in vaporware and empty promises. We evaluate projects based on:
▪️ Real user adoption
▪️ Sustainable revenue
▪️ Technical stability
▪️ Genuine utility
Projects score from -100 to +1000. Top scorers compete for**$20K in cash and $130K+ in software credits.**
You’ll be in good company. The hackathon is backed by teams who ship production software for a living -
P.S. The clock is ticking - Only 3 months and 3 prize rounds remaining! Don't leave money on the table - get in early!
What happens when you submit:
1. Get your free Proof of Usefulness score instantly
2. Your submission becomes a HackerNoon article (published within days)
3. Compete for monthly prizes
4. All participants get rewards
Complete guide on how to submit here.
Thanks for building useful things!
P.S. Submissions roll monthly through June 2026. Get in early!