When the final minutes of the hackathon ticked away, Cursor & Friends didn’t hear their name called as one of the winners.
But what they did carry out of the room was something deeper than a prize – a set of experiences that stretched their skills, shifted their perspective, and reminded them what growth looks like when pressure is high and time is short.
The team built a working concept for Parkly, a smart parking-reservation app powered by AI tools like Cursor. But the real win was everything that happened behind the scenes: the late-night problem-solving, the failed attempts, the breakthroughs, the new skills, and the shared belief that challenges make people better.
This is the story of the lessons they found.
The Challenge Beyond the Code
Hackathons are meant to push limits – technical, mental, and collaborative.
Cursor & Friends entered with diverse backgrounds: front-end specialists, a QA engineer, a solution architect, and a technical consultant. Each came with different strengths, perspectives, and comfort zones.
But in just 48 hours, they discovered that the real challenge wasn’t just building software.
It was keeping momentum when AI misbehaved, when fatigue kicked in, and when the clock moved too fast.
And through that process, each team member walked away with their own insight – a piece of wisdom shaped by pressure.
Meet the Team and the Lessons They Carried Forward
Stefan Pejchinoski – Sr. Technical Consultant, Front-End Team
For Stefan, the hackathon was a powerful reminder that persistence beats panic.
There were moments when roadblocks felt impossible. AI outputs went sideways. Features broke. Time slipped away.
But each time they pushed through, something clicked.
He also stepped far outside his usual role – building the entire backend of the app, integrating everything, and making sure it worked under intense deadlines.
With the support of AI tools, he completed it in just a few hours.
“Finishing the backend so quickly – and making it stable – was a moment I’ll never forget. It proved to me how adaptable I can be.”
For Stefan, the win wasn’t the result.
It was the proof that persistence, collaboration, and courage to learn on the fly can turn pressure into momentum.
Mile Stefanovski – Solution Architect, Front-End Team
This hackathon had a special rule: use AI tools as much as possible.
But Mile quickly realized that AI isn’t magic – it’s a partner.
“AI is powerful, but it’s not a silver bullet. You still need teamwork, creativity, and persistence to get anywhere.”
What left the biggest impression on him wasn’t the code or the tools – it was the energy of the team.
“People join hackathons not for trophies, but to test themselves, learn something new, and grow under pressure. Whatever you gain from the experience always ends up being worth it.”
For Mile, the hackathon was a reminder that curiosity and enthusiasm matter as much as technical skill – and that showing up with the right attitude is already a small victory.
Ilija Markoski – QA Engineer
Ilija faced one of the hardest challenges: their AI model started hallucinating.
Confidently wrong answers appeared exactly where the team needed reliability.
Instead of abandoning the feature, Ilija built a rapid, experimental loop:
design test scenario → model fails → tweak prompt → add context → test again
“We were training the AI as much as we were building the app. That tight feedback loop was the only way to make the model behave.”
His proudest moment came from creating a structured “Rapid AI Validation” workflow during the final crunch.
This process uncovered a critical failure mode:
the AI would confidently fabricate data in edge-case situations – a flaw that could have ruined the demo.
He caught it. The team fixed it.
“Finding that issue and helping the team resolve it felt like a true achievement. Even in hackathons, AI-focused QA isn’t optional – it’s essential.”
Ilija walked away with a new insight:
In the world of AI, quality isn’t an afterthought – it’s part of innovation itself.
Blagoj Cvetkovski – Intermediate Technical Consultant, Front-End Team
For Blagoj, the biggest lesson was the power of quick coordination and mutual support.
“We didn’t have much time, but we learned how to divide responsibilities fast and help each other whenever someone got stuck.”
He also got hands-on experience with Cursor AI and discovered how much it can speed up building prototypes.
“AI tools helped us move faster and turn ideas into real features. It pushed us to be more creative in how we approached problems.”
His proudest moment?
Building a working concept of Parkly in such a short time – and doing it together.
“We left the hackathon more motivated and more skilled. Even without a win, we grew.”
Lessons That Connected the Team
Across different roles and different challenges, Cursor & Friends shared a few universal discoveries:
1. Persistence Creates Breakthroughs
Whether it’s debugging hallucinating AI or building entire components overnight, progress comes from staying in motion – especially when things get hard.
2. Teamwork Turns Pressure Into Progress
Supporting each other, adapting quickly, and trusting every person’s strengths was the reason Parkly came to life.
3. Creativity Is Born in Constraints
Limited time. New tools. Unexpected issues.
Exactly the ingredients that push people to think differently.
4. Winning Isn’t the Goal – Growth Is
The trophy is temporary.
The skills, confidence, and insights they gained will shape every project that comes next.
The Code That Connects Us
At ⋮IWConnect, challenges like hackathons are more than competitions.
They are spaces where curiosity grows, ideas shift, and people stretch beyond what they thought possible.
Cursor & Friends didn’t win on paper – but they left with something far more meaningful:
A deeper trust in each other, sharper skills, bolder creativity, and the confidence that every challenge is a chance to rise.
And that, in the long run, is the victory that matters most.
