Google Cloud NEXT '26 Writing Challenge: Dive In For Up To $1K!

Google Cloud NEXT '26 is just around the corner — and with it comes the Writing Challenge, a golden opportunity for developers, engineers, and tech writers to share their knowledge, grow their audience, and earn up to $1,000 in rewards.

In this step-by-step guide, I’ll walk you through how to participate, what to write about, and how to structure a winning technical tutorial — complete with real code examples and best practices. Whether you're new to Dev.to or a seasoned writer, this challenge is your chance to shine.

✅ What Is the Google Cloud NEXT '26 Writing Challenge?

Google Cloud invites the developer community to publish original, technical articles on Dev.to using the #googlecloud tag during the challenge period (typically March–April 2026).

🏆 Rewards:

• Top 10 writers: $1,000 each
• 100 featured writers: Swag, recognition, and exposure
• All valid entries get entered into a raffle for additional prizes

Articles must be:

• Original and technical
• Published on Dev.to
• Tagged with #googlecloud
• Focused on Google Cloud Platform (GCP) tools, services, or use cases

🚀 Step 1: Pick a Beginner-Friendly GCP Topic

Choose a topic that solves a real problem and teaches something actionable. Here’s a winning formula:

"How to [do X] on GCP using [service] in [number] steps"

🔥 Hot Topic Ideas:

• Deploy a Flask app on Cloud Run
• Automate backups with Cloud Functions + Cloud Storage
• Set up a serverless API with Cloud Endpoints
• Monitor apps using Cloud Logging and Error Reporting
• Build a CI/CD pipeline with Cloud Build

🧰 Step 2: Set Up Your GCP Environment

1. Create a GCP Project

Go to https://console.cloud.google.com and:

• Create a new project (e.g., flask-on-cloudrun-2026)
• Enable billing (required for Cloud Run)

2. Enable Required APIs

Run in Cloud Shell or locally with gcloud:

gcloud services enable run.googleapis.com \
                  containerregistry.googleapis.com

💻 Step 3: Build a Simple Flask App

Create a new directory and add these files:

main.py

from flask import Flask

app = Flask(__name__)

@app.route('/')
def hello():
    return '<h1>Hello from Google Cloud Run!</h1>'

@app.route('/health')
def health():
    return {'status': 'ok'}, 200

if __name__ == '__main__':
    app.run(host='0.0.0.0', port=8080)

requirements.txt

Flask==2.3.3

Dockerfile

# Use Python 3.11 slim image
FROM python:3.11-slim

# Install dependencies
WORKDIR /app
COPY requirements.txt .
RUN pip install --no-cache-dir -r requirements.txt

# Copy app code
COPY . .

# Run the app
CMD ["python", "main.py"]

📦 Step 4: Deploy to Cloud Run

1. Authenticate with GCP

gcloud auth login
gcloud config set project YOUR_PROJECT_ID

Replace YOUR_PROJECT_ID with your actual project ID.

2. Build and Push Container

gcloud builds submit --tag gcr.io/YOUR_PROJECT_ID/flask-hello .

This builds your Docker image and pushes it to Google Container Registry.

3. Deploy to Cloud Run

gcloud run deploy flask-hello \
  --image gcr.io/YOUR_PROJECT_ID/flask-hello \
  --platform managed \
  --region us-central1 \
  --allow-unauthenticated

💡 You’ll get a public URL like: https://flask-hello-xyz.a.run.app

📝 Step 5: Write Your Dev.to Article

Now it’s time to write! Use this structure:

📌 Title

How to Deploy a Flask App on Google Cloud Run in 5 Minutes

🧩 Intro

Explain why this matters:

"Serverless platforms like Cloud Run let you deploy apps without managing servers. In this guide, I’ll show you how to deploy a Flask app in minutes — perfect for APIs, microservices, or prototypes."

🛠️ Prerequisites

List what readers need:

• Google Cloud account
• gcloud CLI installed
• Basic Python knowledge

🔧 Step-by-Step Instructions

Use the code blocks and commands from above. Break it into numbered steps:

1. Set up GCP project
2. Write Flask app
3. Create Dockerfile
4. Deploy with gcloud

🖼️ Add Screenshots

• Cloud Run dashboard
• Terminal output
• Browser view of the app

🎯 Conclusion

"You’ve just deployed a scalable web app without touching a server. From here, you can add databases, connect to Cloud SQL, or secure your endpoint."

🏷️ Tags

Add these to your Dev.to post:
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☕ Professional