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Ready for Monad Blitz SF

· 5 min read
J.
J.
Founder & Creator

Tomorrow, December 6th, marks something special for me. I'll be participating in Monad Blitz SF #18, and honestly, I'm a mix of excited and nervous about pulling this off in just 11 hours.

Gratitude to the Hosts​

First, I want to thank the entire Monad team and the organizers of Monad Blitz SF #18 for creating this opportunity. Events like this don't just bring developers together—they create space for people like me to show what we're capable of, regardless of our past.

The Monad community's commitment to innovation and inclusivity is inspiring. Thank you for believing that great ideas can come from anywhere, from anyone.

The Challenge​

Building MACHUPS—a complete AI-powered brand generation platform—from scratch in 11 hours is ambitious. No, it's more than ambitious—it's borderline crazy. But that's exactly why I'm doing it.

I'm nervous. I won't lie about that. There are so many moving pieces:

  • Claude AI integration for brand analysis
  • Logo generation with HTML/CSS
  • Design token systems (W3C DTCG compliant)
  • 30+ React components
  • Smart contract deployment on Monad
  • NFT minting for certificates
  • Complete documentation with Docusaurus

Can I pull this off? The honest answer is: I don't know. But I've spent the last week planning every detail, writing ~20,000 words of documentation, creating 12 workflow diagrams, and designing the complete architecture.

The NFT Certificate​

Every brand generated with MACHUPS will receive a commemorative NFT certificate on Monad. This isn't just a technical feature—it's symbolic.

MACHUPS NFT Certificate

This certificate represents:

  • Authenticity - Proof of creation at Monad Blitz SF #18
  • Ownership - On-chain provenance of your brand
  • Achievement - A permanent record of innovation

But for me personally, it represents something more: a second chance.

Technology as a Path Forward​

I'm a justice-impacted person. That's not something I often lead with, but it's part of my story. Technology has always been my creative outlet, my way of finding my spot in life when traditional paths were closed to me.

While I was inside, I couldn't code. But I could think, plan, dream. I studied algorithms in my head, designed systems on paper, and promised myself that when I got out, I'd build something meaningful.

MACHUPS is that promise kept.

Redefining What's Possible​

Tomorrow, I'm not just building an app. I'm challenging what it means to be justice-impacted in tech.

Too often, people with criminal records are written off. We're told our mistakes define us, that we can't be trusted with complex work, that we should be grateful for whatever opportunities we get.

I reject that narrative.

Justice-impacted individuals aren't just capable of working in tech—we can innovate in tech. We can build production-ready systems. We can compete in hackathons. We can contribute meaningfully to the ecosystem.

We just need the chance.

Why This Matters​

Events like Monad Blitz SF #18 are crucial because they judge ideas, not backgrounds. They evaluate what you build, not where you've been.

That's the world I want to help create:

  • Where a formerly incarcerated developer can build an AI platform
  • Where your commit history matters more than your criminal history
  • Where innovation is open to everyone

The Plan​

Tomorrow at 11:30 AM PST, I start. By 10:30 PM PST, I need to have:

  • A working brand generation platform
  • Live documentation at docs.machups.com
  • Smart contracts deployed on Monad Mainnet
  • NFT certificates minting successfully
  • A 3-minute demo ready

11 hours to go from zero to production.

I've planned it down to the hour:

  • H0-3: Foundation (AI integration, logo generation, design tokens)
  • H3-7: Core features (components, documentation, exports)
  • H7-9: Blockchain (smart contract, NFT minting)
  • H9-11: Polish, deploy, demo

My Hope​

If you're reading this and you're justice-impacted, formerly incarcerated, or facing barriers to entry in tech—know that you belong here.

Your past doesn't define your potential. Your creativity, your problem-solving, your unique perspective—these are assets, not liabilities.

Technology has always been a positive force in my life. It gave me purpose when I felt purposeless. It gave me a future when I couldn't see one. It gave me a community when I felt alone.

And now, maybe it can be that for someone else too.

Tomorrow​

Tomorrow, I'll be nervous. My hands might shake when I start coding. I'll probably hit bugs that make me question everything. There will be moments when I think I can't finish in time.

But I'll keep building. Because that's what we do.

We take our second chances and we build something meaningful.

Join Me​

If you want to follow along tomorrow:

And if you're at Monad Blitz SF #18—come say hi. I'd love to meet you.

To the Monad team and organizers: Thank you for creating space for builders like me. See you tomorrow.

To everyone else: Wish me luck. I'm going to need it. 🚀

— J.

Building MACHUPS | Monad Blitz SF #18 | December 6, 2025

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