User story: Inside Gaurav's 11-year journey on Devpost

Here’s why Gaurav, a long-time Devpost user, has actively participated in hackathons for 11 years.

Paulina Cardenas

Digital Marketing Specialist at Devpost

Since 2009 we’ve had the honor of witnessing some remarkable developer journeys. Today, we bring you a candid conversation with Gaurav, a cherished Devpost user who has been a part of our vibrant community for an impressive 11 years!

Read on to discover how Devpost played a role in shaping Gaurav’s career journey and uncover the valuable insights gained from over a decade of innovation, collaboration, and growth.

Can you take us back to when you first joined Devpost 11 years ago? What inspired you to become a part of the platform?

I was big on competitive programming. Devpost hosted some amazing hackathons and contests with marquee brands, really good prizes, and a strong pool of developers from all over the world competing against each other. In that sense, it was an opportunity to compete against the best, polish my skills, and make some good money on the side.

How has Devpost contributed to your personal growth as a developer?

Devpost has been a huge influence in the early part of my career—competing against the best developers in the world as well as teaming up and making friends from across so many countries. It opened up my mind to the world of possibilities that exist beyond conventional software development jobs.

What did the experience of winning and losing hackathons teach you?

I always say, "As a competitive programmer, you either win or you learn." And on Devpost, I had my fair share of learnings as well as wins. Each experience was a new learning—you learn from others’ submissions as well as learning how to get better yourself.

How has Devpost played a role in keeping your passion for coding alive?

There are days when you want to code because it's your passion. You don't want to be doing something just because it's a part of your 9-5 job. In that sense, Devpost gave me a lot of freedom and flexibility to pick hackathons that I wanted to participate in. I believe when you follow your passion, everything adds up.

A photo of Gaurav with a quote from him saying, "As a competitive programmer, you either win or learn." — Gaurav shares the biggest lesson he learned from hackathons.

When I started as a Devpost user, I had no idea of where it would eventually lead me. It ingrained a community feeling in me early on in my career which eventually helped me become a part of several amazing communities, such as the Salesforce MVP community.

Devpost is a valuable platform that allows developers to polish their skills, put them to the test against the best of the best in the world, and also make some good money. Overall, it will help you improve your skills as a developer and make you better at what you do.

As an OG user, what advice would you give to new developers joining Devpost today?

Take it one day at a time. It is easy to get intimidated, and it is common to feel lost, but you'll get better with time if you focus on continuing your learning and taking it one day at a time. When I started my journey on Devpost, I lost the first few challenges and I felt I didn't belong here. Over time, I started realizing and correcting my mistakes, I started winning challenges and since then, I never looked back.

We're absolutely thrilled to have been such a pivotal part of your journey, Gaurav! Inspiring stories like yours fuel our passion for powering a platform where developers can build great software. Together, we can continue adding to the narrative of innovation, growth, and boundless possibilities.

Inspired to join a hackathon? Check out our open challenges here.