User story: Oleksandr's secret to winning 7 out of 15 hackathons

What does it take to win nearly half of the hackathons you enter? Oleksandr has the answer. With 15 hackathons and an impressive seven wins under his belt, he shares some insight into his hackathon process. But his journey isn't your typical tech tale. 

Discover how this former marketing major turned data analyst turned hackathon champion consistently turns heads (and wins prizes!) in the competitive world of hackathons.

What sparked your interest in coding and hackathons?

I never thought I'd be a programmer. I studied Business and Marketing, and I always pictured software engineers as math whiz kids—not me! 

My coding journey started out of necessity. I was stuck with mind-numbing, repetitive tasks at work, so I learned VBA to automate them. It was tough, but that first taste of writing code to solve a problem? Addictive.  

That led me to data analysis, where I picked up SQL and Python (shoutout to Hugo Bowne-Anderson's awesome Python course). I landed a data analyst job in 2021, but imposter syndrome was real. It felt like I wasn’t programming “properly” since I didn’t study computer science at university. Over time and with each successful project, that feeling started to fade.

Hackathons? I used to think they were for genius computer wizards. But in 2023, I tried a Streamlit hackathon, and I was hooked! Now I've done about 15, winning prizes in seven. Turns out you don't need a CS degree to hack. Just curiosity and a willingness to learn.

You've clearly found a winning formula at hackathons! What keeps you coming back for more?

I love the feeling of unity—everyone is trying to come up with their own unique solution to the same problem while also embracing the spirit of competition. I've met some incredibly talented and supportive people at these events—the hackathon community is awesome. But let's be real: there's also that competitive fire! You want to create a project that will beat them all!

Hackathons are also a big deal at my new workplace, Okta. We have a company-wide hackathon on Devpost for Teams every year, and it's open to everyone, even if you don't code. It's a fantastic way to get creative and drive innovation within the company.

"One of the coolest things about hackathons is that they often introduce you to new tools and technologies," said Oleksandr.

Organizers or sponsors sometimes require you to use their stuff, which has led me to discover some real gems. I've built projects using things like the NVIDIA AI Workbench and the TiDB database—things I probably wouldn't have explored otherwise.

And, of course, the prizes are a definite perk! My first hackathon win took me to Vegas for a Snowflake conference. Not a bad way to get started!

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Let's talk tools! What are some of your go-to programming languages, frameworks, or software that you find essential for hackathons?

My tech stack is pretty straightforward, especially since I don't have a formal software engineering background. Python is my workhorse—I use it for both backend and frontend. For frontend, Streamlit is my absolute go-to (no surprise there, right?). I sometimes spice things up with custom CSS or JavaScript for extra features or a polished look.

AI is a big part of most of my hackathon projects. I like to keep things simple by calling API endpoints for model responses. I also rely on frameworks like LangChain or LlamaIndex for RAG and integrations. Both are great, but I've personally found LlamaIndex to be a bit more developer-friendly.

A few of my projects have been in the financial research space. For those, I've used the YahooQuery library, which gives you access to real-time data from Yahoo Finance. I'm also a big believer in trying out new tools. In one winning project, I actually used the DuckDuckGo API to grab recent news articles about a company and then ScrapeGraphAI to pull the article content. It's all about finding the right tool for the job.

When it comes to deployment, I usually go with the free Streamlit Community Cloud or Google Cloud Platform, using either Cloud Run or App Engine.

Can you walk us through your typical approach to a hackathon project, from brainstorming to final submission?

I usually spend about a week just thinking about different use cases for my project. I think about past frustrations at work or things I struggle with in daily life. I jot down about five project ideas and then start thinking about how I'd actually build them. Some ideas might be too ambitious or impossible with the time constraints, while others might be too common or already done. I usually go for the more ambitious idea, even if I'm not 100% sure how to implement it. 

"For me, the idea and its potential impact are the most important things. The tech stuff matters, but if the idea isn't good, the judges won't be impressed," said Oleksandr.

Once I have a solid idea, I start mapping out the app's architecture. What kind of database will I use? Where will the model be hosted? How will the code interact with everything? Where will it be deployed? Luckily, the hackathon requirements often guide these decisions, so I don't have to overthink it.

Then comes the fun part—building! I usually start with the backend logic, writing functions and modules. Once I have a basic structure, I create a rough front-end draft to see how it all works together. I spend a lot of time thinking about the user experience. 

"I try to put myself in the user's or judge's shoes: Is it intuitive? What would they expect to see here? Is anything missing? At the same time, I try to keep it simple and avoid over-engineering. Ideally, the app should solve one main problem with a few supporting features," said Oleksandr.

Once the app is working well, I switch gears to the submission process. Besides the documentation and README, I like to create a clean, visual architecture diagram in Canva. It helps the judges quickly understand how the app works and how everything fits together.

Finally, it's time for the demo video! I aim to submit everything a few days before the deadline so I have time to catch and fix any last-minute errors.

Hackathons can be intense! How do you manage your time and stay focused when the clock is ticking?

Hackathons are definitely intense, especially when you're juggling a full-time job. I usually try to dedicate a whole weekend to getting the core of the project built. Then, I'll refine it during weekday evenings. Long coding sessions require breaks, though. I'll go for a walk, hit the gym—anything to clear my head. Sometimes, just changing my environment helps, like working from a coffee shop or coworking space.

How do you make your project stand out to the judges, even if you're working with a limited timeframe?

Presentation is key for me. Judges are busy, so your demo video needs to grab their attention. I always write a script before recording, following a simple structure:

1. ‍Problem definition: Ideally backed by data to show why it's a real issue.‍
2. My solution: A brief description of the project and how it addresses the problem.‍
3. App demo: A walkthrough from the user's perspective.‍
4. Technical implementation: A high-level explanation of how the app is built.‍
5. Closing: A recap of the solution and its significance.

For the video itself, I use ElevenLabs to generate voiceovers and iMovie for editing. It adds a level of polish and professionalism. I've learned that the video and documentation process can take a while, so I set aside a full day just for that.

What's the biggest lesson you've learned from participating in hackathons?

It may sound cliché, but I’ve learned that nothing is impossible! For those just starting out, my best advice is to just start building. Online courses are great, but once you’re past the basics, you need hands-on experience creating real projects—and hackathons are the perfect place for that.

For developers looking to level up, I’d emphasize the importance of a strong idea, user experience, and presentation. Be mindful of over-engineering—you definitely don’t need a logging feature for your hackathon app!

What are your future hacking aspirations?

I'm really interested in AI agents. I haven't had much time to play around with them yet, but I think they have huge potential for building super powerful and intelligent apps.

Multimodal LLMs like Google's Gemini are also exciting. The fact that these models can "understand" video content opens up a whole new world of possibilities.

And you'll definitely see me at another Devpost hackathon soon, either solo or with a team!

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