This hackathon taught me far more than just building a project. During the event, I learned how to manage code properly, work with production thinking, and focus on building something that creates real impact for customers.
We built an e-commerce solution, and through that I learned how to showcase products clearly, structure the user journey, and integrate payments in a practical way. I also learned the value of teamwork, handling deadlines, and staying calm under pressure.
Another big learning was exploring AI in our workflow. We experimented with how AI can speed up ideation and problem-solving, and how to use it as a support tool while still making good engineering decisions.
Beyond technical skills, I learned how to explain ideas clearly, present confidently, and behave professionally in front of judges.
Like any real project, we also faced multiple challenges during the hackathon. We dealt with merge conflicts, production breaks during deployment, slow response in some flows, and less responsive UI on a few screens, along with many other small issues that tested our patience and teamwork. Working through these problems taught us how to debug faster, communicate better, and make quick decisions under pressure.
We worked as a team, and each person handled key parts of the project. Frontend and deployment were managed by Jay Vegad, while backend development and the AI model were managed by Hemang Baldha.
You can see our live project here: rajwadiposhak.jayvegad.xyz
Winning was a proud moment, but the real reward was everything I learned through the process. This experience gave me confidence to keep building, keep learning, and take on bigger challenges.