Seven Minds, One Team: How Collaboration and Good Vibes Powered an Award-Winning AI Hackathon Project

What surprised you the most during the Hackathon about the tools, your teammates, or yourself?

When it comes to the team, I wasn’t surprised at how good everyone was at coding, but I was blown away by how supportive and cooperative everyone was. The energy was electric, and I never imagined we’d be able to achieve as much as we in such a relaxed, fun, and friendly atmosphere.

On a more practical note – I was surprised by how sometimes simple tools can help a lot. Specifically the “grill-me” skill is nothing more than a short text prompt under-the-hood, but it was instrumental in helping us develop our app in a correct, robust way. 

Which song best represents your personality?

Pure pleasure seeker – Moloko

I saw Roisin Murphy live recently and this song is one I play often. I like how upbeat it is and it motivates me to focus on the fun aspects of life.

What did your team learn about building AI systems that you didn’t expect before the hackathon?

I learned how to orchestrate AI agents with LangGraph, and what really clicked was how much it comes down to reliable agent-to-agent communication. Once we tightened the coupling between agents, we massively cut down on hallucinations and response accuracy – and I’ll be honest, I was blown away by how powerful the stuff you can build this way is.

But the biggest thing I took away wasn’t technical at all, nothing technical gets done without teamwork. My team was six absolute superstars, and that made the whole thing so much easier to learn and build.

What’s one thing your colleagues might be surprised to learn about you?

People are usually surprised when I tell them I’m into filming and photography. I’ve actually shot festivals, student conferences, a few ads, that kind of thing. But realistically? It’s probably the sheer number of terrible jokes I can produce in a single workday.

Which tool, framework, or technology helped you the most during development?

Without a doubt – Claude (Anthropic). It was the backbone of our multi-agent system. Claude handled the heavy lifting when it came to understanding context, structuring content, and maintaining coherence across agents. But what impressed me most wasn’t just the technology,  it was the volume of knowledge I gained throughout the development process. Coming in with some gaps in my understanding of AI-powered applications, I was lucky to have teammates who patiently and generously explained everything I needed without hesitation. So while Claude deserves credit for the technical heavy lifting, a huge kudos goes to my team as well – they made the whole experience as valuable as the end result.

If you weren’t a QA, what career would you choose and why?

Honestly? I’d open a beach bar and spend my days mixing cocktails with my feet in the sand. Quality assurance of a different kind – making sure every drink meets the highest standards before it reaches the customer. Come to think of it, the skill set transfers surprisingly well: attention to detail, stress testing under pressure, and knowing exactly when something just doesn’t pass the vibe check.

How did your team organize roles and responsibilities under pressure?

We were surprisingly good at organizing ourselves under pressure. Since we already knew each other’s strengths, everyone naturally picked up the tasks they were best at. Jovan did a fantastic job leading the team and distributing the work in a way that kept everyone productive without stepping on each other’s toes. Most importantly, there was a lot of trust – once someone took ownership of a task, the rest of us let them do their thing without micromanaging. That trust made us move much faster as a team.

What’s a skill or hobby you’d love to learn if you had more time?

Playing a musical instrument. It’s been on my list for years.

Looking back, what would you do differently if you were to participate again?

I would definitely get more sleep before the hackathon, haha! Kidding aside, I think I could think outside the box a little more, it might have added some additional value to the end product.

What’s a personal achievement outside of work that you’re really proud of?

Since I am new to the company, I am really proud of the teamwork we built during that short period of time. I had a chance to work with some amazing people and learn from them.

What surprised you the most during the Hackathon about the tools, your teammates, or yourself?

Two things surprised me. The first was how far AI tools have come  and just how much a single team can accomplish when they use them well, in such a short amount of time. The second was my teammates: I didn’t expect anyone to stay that cheerful under that kind of pressure, running on so little sleep.

Which song best represents your personality?

I think the song that fits me best is Fly Away by Lenny Kravitz but I think my teammates would say The Imperial March.

What motivated you to join the Hackathon, and how did it feel working in such an intense, collaborative environment?

I’ve always loved building things, so hackathons are my natural habitat. Tackling a complex problem with a passionate team is the kind of challenge I keep showing up for. The adrenaline and excitement kept me running all night, no caffeine required.

Which fictional character do you think would thrive in your role?

Eric Foreman from House. In a team full of specialists, he excels at connecting different perspectives, challenging assumptions and keeping everyone aligned on the bigger picture.