The Hackathon That Nearly Broke Us

In 2022, I attended my very first hackathon—a state-level competition called Sentinel Hack 2.0.

We were second-year college students with zero experience, an outdated laptop, and a naive confidence that we could just “figure it out” as we went. We had no clue what a hackathon actually demanded.

What followed was pure chaos—a rollercoaster of confusion, panic, brainstorming, and quick thinking. But by the end, we walked out with something incredible:

• A project idea we named Brisk Steer.
• A handful of hard-earned lessons in teamwork, problem-solving, and quick innovation.
• And memories that still make me laugh to this day.

Here’s the story of how we turned a near disaster into something meaningful.

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Why We Signed Up

We first heard about Sentinel Hack 2.0 when the organizing team visited our college. It was a 24-hour hackathon. Coding non-stop for an entire day sounded like an adventure—how hard could it be, right?

We didn’t have any big plans or goals. We weren’t aiming to win. We just thought:

“Let’s go, code as much as we can, and have fun.”

But here’s what no one tells you: hackathons aren’t just about writing code. They’re about solving real problems, innovating on the fly, and learning how to work under real pressure.

We were about to find that out the hard way.

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Our Big Mistake

We entered the hackathon feeling pretty good. We had prepared an encryption algorithm beforehand, so we thought we were all set.

When the judges came around for the first evaluation, we proudly explained our work. That’s when one of them asked:

“What improvement does this provide over existing industry standards?”

Boom. Silence.

We froze. None of us had an answer.

We had no idea that hackathons were about building something new or improving an existing solution.

The judges weren’t mean about it—they gave us 3 hours to come up with a new idea. But in that moment, we felt embarrassed, nervous, and completely clueless.

Giving up wasn’t an option, though. So we huddled together, started throwing out ideas, and hoped something would stick.

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How Brisk Steer Was Born

As we brainstormed, we focused on real-world problems. That’s when it hit us:

In heavy traffic, rescue vehicle sirens get lost in the chaos.

Drivers struggle to figure out where the ambulance is coming from and where it’s heading.

If you’ve ever been in a traffic jam in a big city like Bangalore, you know what I’m talking about. Frustrated honking, crowded roads, and an ambulance siren lost somewhere in the noise. In those situations, every second matters.

That frustration sparked the idea of Brisk Steer:

• A system to help clear traffic for rescue vehicles like ambulances and fire trucks.
• A navigation app for rescue drivers to find the best route.
• Hardware installed on traffic lights to alert drivers about the direction of the incoming rescue vehicle.

We couldn’t believe we came up with something this promising under such pressure. It was a mix of quick thinking, real-world frustration, and a whole lot of teamwork.

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Limited Resources, Unlimited Effort

Now that we had the idea, the next challenge was building a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) in the few hours we had left.

Our Tools and Limitations

• My Dell Vostro 1015—a laptop so old it overheated and lagged at the worst times.
• also another couple of slightly good laptops 3 to be precise
• A Raspberry Pi 4 I happened to have lying around. (Honestly, I had tried using it as a replacement for my laptop because it was faster!)

The Execution

Our MVP was basic:

• The app would send a signal to the Raspberry Pi.
• The Raspberry Pi would simulate the traffic lights showing the direction of the rescue vehicle.

Connecting the Raspberry Pi to my laptop wasn’t easy. We hit roadblocks, panicked, and at times wondered if we could even make it work. But somehow, through combined effort and pure determination, we pulled it off.

Was it perfect? No.

But it worked well enough for a demo.

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What the Judges Said

When we presented Brisk Steer to the judges, they had mixed feedback.

On the one hand, they appreciated our quick thinking and loved the potential of the idea. On the other hand, they raised valid concerns:

• How would this scale in a city?
• Wouldn’t installing hardware on traffic lights be expensive and complicated?

They were right, of course. But for us, hearing positive feedback on the idea itself was a huge win.

We didn’t have all the answers yet—but we had proven to ourselves that we could come up with something innovative, even under pressure.

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What We Learned

We didn’t win the hackathon, but honestly, that didn’t matter. Here’s what we walked away with:

1. Quick Thinking Matters

In just 3 hours, we went from clueless to having a working MVP. We learned how to brainstorm fast, identify a problem, and create a solution on the spot.

2. Teamwork Is Everything

We split tasks, collaborated equally, and supported each other when things got tough. As the team leader, I realized how important it is to work together, especially under pressure.

3. Constraints Push Innovation

With limited time, old hardware, and no prior experience, we were forced to get creative. Sometimes, those constraints are what lead to the best ideas.

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To Anyone “Not Ready” for a Hackathon

If you’re nervous about attending a hackathon, here’s my advice:

• Just show up. Don’t worry about winning or being “ready.” The experience itself is the real prize.
• Leave your ego behind. You don’t need to know everything. Hackathons are about learning.
• Go with friends. It’s a memory you’ll cherish—coding, laughing, and staying up all night together.

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Looking Back

Since that hackathon, I haven’t revisited Brisk Steer. But recently, I’ve been thinking about refining it and publishing it as an open-source solution. Who knows? Maybe it can help solve a real-world problem someday.

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From Mistakes to Memories

That first hackathon taught me so much. We started off with no plan, made mistakes, and struggled through the night. But by the end, we walked out with:

• An innovative idea.
• Lessons in teamwork, quick thinking, and resilience.
• And memories I’ll never forget.

Hackathons aren’t just competitions—they’re opportunities to learn, grow, and challenge yourself. If you ever get a chance to attend one, here’s all you need to do:

Show up, give it your best, and enjoy the ride.

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Have you ever solved a problem under pressure? I’d love to hear your story—share it in the comments below!