My Hackathon Journey: From First Attempt to Multiple Podium Finishes

Introduction

Hackathons are one of the most intense environments for software engineers. Within a limited timeframe, teams must brainstorm ideas, design systems, build working prototypes, and present their solutions convincingly.

For me, hackathons became more than competitions. They became a training ground for engineering, teamwork, product thinking, and public speaking.

My journey started with a small hackathon in my hometown and gradually evolved into competing across multiple college-hosted hackathons, learning new technologies, collaborating with talented teammates, and achieving podium finishes along the way.

Hackathon Timeline

My First Hackathon: Janakpur (Dec 7-8, 2025)

My hackathon journey began in Janakpur, my hometown. It was a 24-hour hackathon, and at that time my technical stack was limited to:

• React for frontend
• Node.js for backend
• MySQL for database

I joined the event mainly out of curiosity and excitement.

During the competition, I quickly realized that many teams were building projects that integrated AI and Large Language Models (LLMs). Compared to them, my skill set felt limited.

Although I did not win, this experience sparked something much more valuable: a strong motivation to level up my skills in full-stack development and AI/ML.

Sometimes, losing is the best motivation to improve.

Trikode Hackathon: First Podium Finish

My second hackathon was Trikode Hackathon, organized by Softwarica College, where I study Software Engineering.

The hackathon had a unique team structure requiring six members:

• 2 Ethical Hackers
• 2 AI Engineers
• 2 Software Engineers

In this competition, I worked as both a frontend and backend developer.

Unlike my first hackathon, I was more prepared. I used Django for backend development, allowing us to build a more structured and scalable system.

Our efforts paid off as our team secured 1st Runner-Up, winning NPR 30,000 in prize money.

This hackathon also exposed me to working closely with AI engineers and cybersecurity students, expanding my understanding beyond traditional web development.

Navya Dristi Hackathon: Expanding into AI

The Navya Dristi Hackathon, organized by Cosmos College, was a 36-hour competition with 24 participating teams.

By this time, my role had evolved. Instead of only working on backend systems, I also contributed as an AI engineer.

My responsibilities included:

• Backend development
• Integrating AI components into the system

Our team represented Softwarica College, and after intense development and collaboration, we secured 2nd Runner-Up.

This experience marked a significant shift for me as I started combining backend engineering with AI-powered solutions.

CodeYatra 2.0: Learning Product Thinking

The next challenge was CodeYatra 2.0, organized by Himalaya College of Engineering, a 48-hour hackathon with 29 competing teams.

For this event, I decided to experiment with Rust for backend development because of its performance and memory-safety advantages.

Our project was technically strong and reached the final round.

However, we did not win.

The reason wasn't technical. It was communication.

Our pitch focused heavily on engineering details, while the judges came primarily from business backgrounds. Because of this, the core value of our project wasn't communicated effectively.

This experience taught me an important lesson:

Building a great product is not enough. You must also communicate its value clearly.

Sandbox 3.0: The Pitching Challenge

My fifth hackathon was Sandbox 3.0, organized by St. Xavier's College, another 48-hour competition with 26 teams.

In this event, I worked as:

• Backend developer using Rust
• Contributor to the machine learning pipeline

My contributions included:

• Preparing datasets
• Training models
• Integrating ML components into the system

The theme of our project focused on cybersecurity and digital safety.

One of the biggest challenges in this hackathon was the pitching constraint. Teams were given only 3 minutes to present their idea and demonstrate the product.

Communicating a full technical system within such a short time required extreme clarity and focus.

Although we didn't win, the experience significantly improved my ability to present technical ideas concisely.

Technology Stack Evolution

Across these hackathons, my technical skills evolved rapidly.

Hackathons pushed me to learn new technologies quickly and apply them under real constraints.

The Biggest Lesson: Pitching Matters

One of the most important lessons from my hackathon journey is this:

If you cannot effectively present your product, building it alone is not enough.

A strong product must be accompanied by a clear and compelling story that communicates its value to the audience.

Because of this realization, becoming a skilled technical presenter and product pitcher has become one of my personal goals.

Beyond Coding: Personal Growth

Hackathons helped me grow not only as an engineer but also as a communicator and collaborator.

Through these experiences, I developed:

• Strong team collaboration skills
• The ability to work under tight deadlines
• Confidence in public speaking and pitching
• The ability to explain complex ideas clearly

From brainstorming ideas to presenting solutions in front of large audiences, hackathons shaped my confidence as both a developer and a speaker.

Conclusion

My hackathon journey began with a simple attempt in my hometown and gradually evolved into multiple competitions, podium finishes, and valuable lessons.

Each hackathon pushed me to learn faster, think deeper, and communicate better.

More than the prizes, the real value came from the skills, experiences, and growth gained along the way.

And this journey is only getting started.