Life After Code

Code generation is solved. What happens next is the challenge.
Life After Code
is the GitLab Transcend Hackathon. Build agents and flows that take over the rest of the DevSecOps lifecycle: code review, security scanning, testing, compliance, deployment, monitoring, and more. You pick how much control you hand over. Then you show us how far your automation goes.
Why join?
Use agents,flows, triggers, and MCP servers - as many features of the
GitLab Duo Agent Platform
and see how much of your software development lifecycle you can automate.
Compete for
$45,000 in cash
.
Get your work in front of judges from GitLab, Google, and Anthropic.
Get Started
Register
for the hackathon here on Devpost
Start GitLab Transcend Hackathon contributor onboarding
(5 minutes, plus about 24 hours for approval)
Build your first agent
with the Duo Agent Platform quickstart (45 minutes)
Read the two Paths below and pick yours
, then browse the
DevSecOps lifecycle stages
and plan how many your agents and flows can reach (30 minutes)
Watch the Build Session
with Missy Davies and Dennis Meister on Oct 9, 10am ET. It’ll be a live walkthrough of GitLab Duo Agent Platform automating what happens after the code is written.

Requirements
What to Build
Pick one Path. Then build a project that fits one of three levels of autonomy.
Every project must use
GitLab Duo Agent Platform
features, such as
agents
,
flows
, or
MCP clients
.
Path A: Start Fresh
Build a
new
AI-powered project on GitLab that shows agentic automation of the post-code lifecycle. You create the app, the CI/CD pipeline, and the automation from scratch. Your project must be new work, created for this hackathon. Deployment is optional. Deploy on Google Cloud to be eligible for up to 0.2 bonus points.
Existing projects are not allowedd for this track.
Path B: Bring Your Own
Take an existing MIT-licensed open-source project. It can be yours or a fork. Import it to GitLab, build the AI-powered post-code automation around it, and deploy it. You must build the automation and deploy the project on or after October 5th. Deploy anywhere. Deploy on Google Cloud to be eligible for up to 0.2 bonus points. Read the Official Rules for details.
Choose your level of autonomy
Assisted:
You approve every step. Your agents and flows propose actions and wait for your go-ahead before they proceed. You stay in the loop at every stage.
Example: An agent reviews your MR and flags a security vulnerability. It suggests a fix and waits for you to approve before committing. Then it runs the pipeline and waits for you to approve the deployment.
Supervised
: You approve the outcome, not the individual steps. Your agents execute a multi-step workflow on their own, clearing gates and making decisions along the way. You review the end result, not every individual action.
Example: You push code. Agents handle code review, fix a failing pipeline, remediate a security finding, and deploy to staging. You get a summary and approve the production deployment.
Hands-off:
You set the intent and walk away. A full loop from code to production with no human in the middle. You push code or create an issue, and the next time you check in, it's live.
Example: You create an issue. Agents review it, create 1+ MRs, run security scans, fix what they find, merge when everything passes, deploy to staging, validate, promote to production, and post a summary on the original issue. You touched nothing.
**The examples above are here to get you thinking. We expect submissions that go well beyond them.
Prizes for every level of autonomy.
Cover as many lifecycle stages as you can
This is the heart of the challenge. Build automation that reaches across GitLab’s
DevSecOps lifecycle
, not just one corner of it. There are nine stages:
plan
·
create
·
verify
·
package
·
secure
·
release
·
configure
·
monitor
·
govern
You do not have to use every feature inside a stage. Touching the stage counts.
Prizes for the Most Stages Covered
Bonus points for deploying on Google Cloud
Deployment is only a requirement for Path B
. Deploy anywhere you like. Google Cloud is not required for either Path.
If you deploy on Google Cloud, your project is eligible for up to 0.2 bonus points

Judging Criteria
Technological Implementation
How thoroughly and skillfully does the project use GitLab to automate the post-code DevSecOps lifecycle? Does the code and pipeline config reflect genuine effort and a working, non-trivial implementation?
Design
Does the project deliver a complete, coherent end-to-end workflow, not just a technical proof of concept?
Potential Impact
Does the project make a credible, specific case for solving a real problem for a real audience — and does the solution actually address that problem based on what's demonstrated?
Innovation / Idea
How creative and novel is the concept and how inventively does it apply agentic automation compared to existing concepts?
Presentation
Does the video clearly demonstrate the automation running end-to-end? Does it communicate what problem is solved, who it's for, and why it matters? Is the overall presentation easy to follow?