OpenAI 2026 hackathon

Ilham

An infinite, local-first mood board that turns references into inspiration with auto organize and vague search.

Solo project by reu teelf · 0 likes · 0 comments

Archive position — measured, not model output

0 likes on Devpost

2,264 of the 7,856 archived projects have more likes, and 5,592 share exactly 0 — so this project's #4,604 place in the like-ranked listing is a tie-break inside that group, not a ranking.

Projects (log scale)

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1k
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Likes on Devpost. ▲ marks this project's group.

Show the figures
LikesProjectsShare of archive
05,59271.2%
11,75822.4%
22853.6%
3–41321.7%
5–9751.0%
10+140.2%
Devpost like counts for all 7,856 archived projects, captured when this archive was built.

Executive Summary

What the company appears to be

Ilham is a self-reported local-first mood board tool built for visual idea collection and organization. The author describes it as an infinite canvas where users can drop, paste, and manipulate images, with optional AI-powered features like semantic search and auto-organization using Gemini.

What changed

The project was submitted to the OpenAI 2026 hackathon on Devpost. It is described as a working prototype built in a short timeframe, not yet a commercial product or platform with users or revenue.

Single most important open question

Is there any evidence of user adoption, feedback loops, or traction beyond the author’s own development and submission?

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What The Product Actually Is

The description states:

  • Ilham is an infinite mood board for collecting images.
  • Users can drop or paste images, move them around, resize, rotate, add labels, extract color palettes, and export results.
  • It saves the board locally in the browser using IndexedDB.
  • With a Gemini API key, it supports image description, text-based search, and grouping of similar references.
  • The UI is built with React, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, and Vite.
  • Image handling uses React Konva for canvas rendering.
  • AI features are optional; core functionality works without an API key.

Inference The product is a browser-based tool designed to support visual ideation and curation, not a full-fledged SaaS platform or marketplace.

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Positioning & Claim Evolution

The description states:

  • Ilham is described as “an infinite, local-first mood board that turns references into inspiration with auto organize and vague search.”
  • The name comes from the Arabic word for inspiration.
  • It is positioned as a tool to collect and explore visual ideas, not just store them.

Inference The positioning appears to be focused on personal or creative use cases, emphasizing local-first design and AI-assisted organization. No claims about enterprise adoption or B2B targeting are evident.

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Target Customer & ICP

The description states:

  • The author draws and uses mood boards, suggesting a personal or creative user base.
  • It is described as a tool for collecting visual references and exploring ideas.

Inference The target customer appears to be individual creatives (designers, artists, researchers) who work with visual inspiration. No evidence of a defined ICP beyond this self-reported use case.

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Business Model & Pricing Evidence

The description states:

  • The tool is local-first and saves data in the browser.
  • AI features are optional and require a Gemini API key.
  • No pricing, monetization or business model details are provided.

Inference There is no evidence of any commercial model, pricing structure, or revenue streams. The tool appears to be a prototype with no indication of monetization.

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Technical & Delivery Signals

The description states:

  • Built with React, TypeScript, Vite, Tailwind CSS, shadcn/Base UI, and React Konva.
  • Uses IndexedDB for local storage.
  • Gemini API is used for image captions and embeddings.
  • Semantic search uses cosine similarity; grouping runs in a Web Worker.
  • Undo/redo, export, labels, color palettes, and drag-and-drop are implemented.

Inference The technical stack suggests a modern frontend tool built with performance and responsiveness in mind. The use of Web Workers and IndexedDB indicates some attention to UX and data handling.

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Traction & Maturity Signals

The description states:

  • It was built for a hackathon (OpenAI 2026).
  • The author calls it a “working, local-first mood board instead of a static demo.”
  • Accomplishments include image drop/paste, selection, resize, rotation, color palettes, labels, export, undo/redo.
  • It supports AI features but is functional without them.

Inference There is no evidence of user adoption, customer feedback, or product-market fit beyond the author’s own development. The tool is described as a prototype with no traction data.

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Competitive Context

The description states:

  • No mention of competitors or market positioning.
  • The author focuses on personal use and local-first design.

Inference No evidence of competitive analysis, market share, or direct competitors is provided. The tool appears to be a niche solution for visual ideation with no known market context.

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Key Risks & Red Flags

The description states:

  • It is a hackathon project submitted to Devpost.
  • No revenue, customers, or traction data are available.
  • AI features are optional and rely on external API keys.

Inference Key risks include lack of commercial viability, no user base, and dependency on external APIs for core functionality. The tool is not yet a product with market traction.

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Diligence Questions To Ask The Founders

  1. What is the intended user journey beyond personal use?
  2. Are there any plans to monetize or scale beyond the prototype?
  3. How does the team plan to handle data portability or migration if users want to move from local storage?
  4. Is there any feedback from early users or a test group?
  5. What is the long-term vision for AI integration and its role in the product?

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Investment/Partnership Verdict

The description states:

  • Ilham is a hackathon submission, not a commercial product.
  • No evidence of revenue, customers, or traction exists.

Inference There is no basis to recommend investment or partnership at this stage. The project is in an early prototype phase with no demonstrated market demand or business model. It may be a promising idea for future development but lacks the signals needed for due-diligence readiness.

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Source

Submitted to the OpenAI 2026 hackathon on Devpost. Project home on DevPost.

The analysis above was generated by a language model from the project's own one-line description. It is not independent research and contains no verified traction, revenue or customer data.