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Session: CockroachDB - Zero to Hero | Build Session Speaker: Rob Reid, Technical Evangelist, Cockroach Labs

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This FAQ was compiled from the live Q&A during the build session. Didn't attend live? Watch the full recording here →

Resources from the session:

• Session code (CockroachDB setup, chat memory demo, and vector embeddings demo): crdb_ai_zero_to_hero on GitHub
• The slide deck: Google Slides
• Find more CockroachDB demo videos: explore.cockroachlabs.com
• Join the Cockroach Labs community Slack (look for the #hackathons channel — but all public channels are open to you too!): cockroachlabs.com/join-community

Getting Started

What's the fastest way to get CockroachDB running for this hackathon? Use whatever's most comfortable for you — there's no single "correct" path. Options, from simplest to most involved:

• Run a single CockroachDB node locally on your laptop (cockroach start-single-node)
• Run it on a single EC2 instance / bare metal on AWS
• Use CockroachDB Cloud's managed Basic tier, which starts free and is serverless (scales to zero)

You do not need an AWS profile to get started — only an OpenAI API key and a Cockroach API key.

Do I need a multi-node cluster, or is a single node okay for my submission? A single node is fine. You won't be penalized for it. Start small and only add nodes (or go multi-region) if your specific demo scenario actually needs it — e.g., if you want to show geographic distribution or resilience.

Should I use Terraform, the Cloud API, or something else to set up my cluster? Depends on your fluency. Rob uses Terraform (docs are solid, and he pairs it with Claude Code), but the Cloud API and CockroachDB Cloud console work just as well. Pick whichever gets you moving fastest.

Do I need to manage the database myself, or is there a managed option? Both are supported. If your team doesn't want to take on DBA-style responsibilities, CockroachDB's managed service handles that for you. If you want full control, self-hosting on AWS is equally valid.

Which cloud provider should I choose when creating my cluster? Choose AWS — CockroachDB also supports GCP and Azure, but this hackathon is CockroachDB × AWS, so AWS is the expected choice for your submission.

Hackathon Judging & Requirements