On HackTCNJ 2024
The past weekend was a whirlwind of coding, learning, and teamwork at HackTCNJ 2024. It was my first hackathon experience, and I'm still processing the rollercoaster of emotions and insights that came with it.
Firstly, I quickly understood how different in person hackathons were from the virtual competitions I had taken part in prior to this. After trying both USACO and PClassic it occured to me that I had no inherent interest in solving algorithmic problems; it feels too far removed from the actual importance of programming and innovation; rather feels like a math test. Even though these competitions are highly prestigious, hackathons are far more applicable to the business world and my interest in programming as there is significantly more room for innovation.
The hackathon felt very immersive and was very motivating. I am very enthusiastic about Major League Hacking in general and appreciated the environment they provided with free food, conducive workspace, and no costs to participants even though the event was held in person.
The chief benefit of hackathons is the networking, in my opinion. I met the Rutgers Student Linux User Group president at the hackathon and we discussed Linux, FOSS, and the like. I met groups who built various sorts of projects: a radar, an AI webcam-based mouse, a 2d game with physics, a truth table generator... A huge variety of people from different backgrounds making a variety of different projects.
Prior to the event, my team and I decided to tackle a seemingly insurmountable challenge: building an operating system from scratch. In hindsight, it was an overly ambitious project for a hackathon, but we managed to make some progress, including creating a VGA driver, porting parts of libc, and delving into memory management.
Throughout this project, I was reminded once again of the importance of perseverance and embracing the slow, incremental improvements that come with tackling complex problems which was a theme that resonated from my 3d renderer project, as well. It's easy to feel discouraged when progress seems slow, but each small step forward is a testament to our growing understanding and skill.
As we worked on our OS, I couldn't help but notice that the winning teams had taken a different approach. They focused on solving specific, real-world problems rather than attempting to build something as complex as an operating system. For instance, the winning high school team created an innovative solution called "Expand-A-Conda," which used the pre-existing NVIDIA MIT-B5 model to detect earthquake survivors and deploy a simple, expanding plastic bag to help locate them.
It's worth noting that the Expand-A-Conda team didn't develop their own AI model; instead, they leveraged an existing one and combined it with a relatively straightforward hardware component. This illustrates the power of focusing on practical problem-solving rather than striving for technical complexity for its own sake.
This experience taught me the value of focusing on problem-solving and applying existing skills to create practical solutions. While our OS project was impressive in its technical complexity, it lacked the immediate impact and relevance that the winning projects demonstrated.
Looking back, I realize that this lesson is applicable not only to hackathons but also to the broader world of entrepreneurship and innovation. Teams that identify and address pressing problems are more likely to gain traction and succeed than those that focus solely on pushing the boundaries of technology for its own sake.
As I prepare for my next hackathon, CJCP Hacks, I'm eager to apply these insights and work on a project that balances technical complexity with real-world relevance. My team and I have already started planning our strategy, and I'm excited to see what we can create in just 12 hours.
In the meantime, I'll be working on improving my website and addressing some technical issues, such as the date formatting problem I've encountered with BashBlog on Alpine Linux. Despite these challenges, I remain optimistic and excited about the opportunities that lie ahead.
Tags: growth, coding, waste-of-time, reflection