Step 1 of 5

Setup your tools

Three things to install before event day. Each takes 2-3 minutes. If anything fails, screenshot the error and bring it to event day — we'll fix it together in the first 10 minutes.

Sign up for Vercel (free)

Vercel is the platform that hosts the tools you'll build. Free for everything we'll do on event day.

Go to vercel.com/signup
Sign up with email or your Google account
Choose the Hobby (Free) plan
You don't need to create a project yet — just having the account is enough

Done — I have a Vercel account

Install Node.js

Node.js is what runs the Vercel CLI. Without it, deployments fail.

Go to nodejs.org
Download the LTS version for your operating system (Mac or Windows)
Run the installer (accept all defaults)
Verify: Open Terminal (Mac) or Command Prompt (Windows). Type node -v and hit Enter. You should see a version number like v20.18.0. If you see “command not found,” reinstall.

Done — Node.js is installed

Install Vercel CLI

The Vercel CLI is the tool Claude Code uses to deploy your projects.

Open Terminal (Mac) or Command Prompt (Windows)
Type: npm install -g vercel
Hit Enter and wait for it to finish (1-2 minutes)
Verify: Type vercel --version. You should see a version number like 36.x.x.

Done — Vercel CLI is installed

Pro tip: If you're on a work computer with restricted permissions, you may get errors during install. If so, run with admin privileges (Windows: right-click Command Prompt → “Run as administrator”; Mac: prefix the command with sudo).