Imagine a tool where you describe your problem and get a solution built for you.
No, this isn't AI or a new "no code" tool.
Today we're introducing Bounties, a marketplace where you get to work with the top creators on Replit and bring your software ideas to life!
Why Bounties on Replit?
You have a backlog of potential million-dollar ideas sitting in your notes app or project management tool right now. The problem? There is simply not enough time to build and ship them all.
Sure, there are outsourcing and contracting platforms out there. But they require too much time to vet talent, especially if all you need is something simple that you can edit and host later.
Where can you find a vetted, talented network of developers to kickstart a project? What if all you need is a specific feature using new tech (e.g. GPT-3, Solidity) you haven't learned yet?
Hacker Talent of the Replit Community
At Replit, creators have built everything from Minecraft remixes to AI art gallery websites. Additionally, several of the most prolific Replit community members have gone on to join the Replit team as engineers.
With Bounties, this same network of Replit creators can bring your ideas to life!
Last week, we quietly rolled out Bounties to our community, and we've started to see some great results. Here are some of the best use cases that we've seen for Bounties...
Side project kickstarters
We've all been there - you have a great idea you've thought about deeply and might even have doodles for how the screens will look.
With Bounties, you can make sure a vetted hacker can take your mocks and make them a reality. Here are a couple of our favorite full stack Bounties so far:
A GPT-3 bot that replies to Tweets with the most appropriate Radiohead lyric.
A restaurant tracker app to keep track of all the restaurants visited in NYC.
Feature-specific Bounties
Let's say you're part of the top 1% of disciplined devs to begin coding your side project. But, there's one feature that you just don't know how to implement yet.
With Bounties, you can import your code into a Repl and have a specialized Bounty Hunter build the feature for you just like https://replit.com/@triptych did in asking for a Stripe-gated page here.
Maintaining documentation
Like a lot of other developer-facing companies, Replit has a lot of written documentation to maintain.
We've recently launched some major updates to our Workspace (e.g. Filetree & Splits) so we're using this Bounty to make sure all our docs are up-to-date!
Building a tool for growth
India is one of the fastest-growing geographies for Replit. We have some exciting ideas coming up so our India Growth Lead https://replit.com/@anshul requested a dedicated landing page to host all India-related announcements here.
Building an internal tool like Deel
We reached out to a list of our professional community members to see if anyone else would be interested in tapping into the talent of the Replit community.
We got some eager responses and creative requests! One of the first Bounties was requested by Owen Yin who works on the Content team at Deel.
Owen needed an internal website to index the contents of the company blog and allow the content team to search it using the Algolia API.
Prolific Replit community member and moderator https://replit.com/@RayhanADev answered the Bounty, was approved to start work and jumped into action. With the help of Ghostwriter, Ray finished the site in 7 days, all on Replit! The content team at Deel continues to use the site daily.
Check out the full case study with Deel here.
Feedback on Bounties Experience
"Overwhelmingly positive, Ray was professional and enthusiastic about the project. Read the deliverable, worked async, and knocked it out of the park — perfect for a remote team like ours. Exceeded all expectations. Easy to set up and host on Replit too."
Owen Yin / Content at Deel
If you need a tool built but have some more questions about Bounties, email [email protected] to get started in under 15 minutes!
How to post a Bounty
If you've read this far, you're probably ready to post your first Bounty! Start by heading to the Bounties page on Replit and clicking Create a Bounty.
Give your Bounty a clear and creative title. Make sure it communicates directly to the best hackers on Replit and creates excitement so that they click through and read more about your Bounty.
After your title, fill out:
- Target Date of Completion
- Email (or Discord username) for communication
- A clear description of the project to be built
You'll need to contribute some Cycles to your Bounty. The recommended amount of Cycles can be calculated with the following formula:
Number of est. hours of work * 3,500 Cycles = Amount of Cycles for Bounty
Cycles are Replit's virtual currency used by the community to exchange value and buy Power Ups like Boosts, Always On, and Ghostwriter.
Creators will soon be able to apply to cash out their earned Cycles into their local currency. However, we are still working on this feature and it will be available soon.
Once you have sufficient Cycles, post your Bounty and wait for the applications to roll in!
Click on the Accept Application button once you're ready to choose a Bounty Hunter to work on your project.
From here, the creator starts work and will submit deliverables in the private Discussions tab. You can also request changes to the project from your Bounty Hunter. And if you ever need help with anything, you can always contact our support team.
Once you're happy with the work, press Accept Work! The ownership of the Repl will be transferred to you and the creator will receive their Cycles Bounty.
For a dedicated and up-to-date breakdown of how to post a Bounty, be sure to refer to our docs here.
How to apply to a Bounty
If you are a hacker looking to become Cycles rich on Replit, apply to become a Bounty Hunter here!
Once you are approved, you'll be able to apply to Bounties by leaving a brief description of why you're the right person for the job.
For more details on the Bounty Hunter program, check out our docs here.
Happy Hunting!
