am I underqualified for a hackathon?
Posted by n4v4rmind@reddit | learnprogramming | View on Reddit | 6 comments
I desperately need someone's opinion because I'm literally loosing my mind.
so, a few weeks ago I applied for a pretty big hackathon in development of AI agents. I filled out a huge google form, described my past experiences, linked my github and linkedin and literally forgot about it. and today I received an acceptance letter from them (the event is in 4 days).
the thing is, I've never actually deployed a serious project apart from my mini-projects for The Odin Project and side projects I built for fun. mind you, I'm currently diving into React, having never even taken a single lesson on node.js ðŸ˜
the closest experience to actually building an MVP in a team that I have is making a (fairly crappy) ios app for a summer bootcamp.
it's not like I lied anywhere during the application, and I specifically indicated that I'd like to take the role of a software engineer or UX/UI designer and not that of the ML engineer. however, the scale of the event just drives me nuts. the fact that I know very vaguely about the building process of AI agents doesn't help either.
what would you say? should I attend anyway (because the opportunity, even in terms of networking, seems huge), or do I opt out and try to improve myself before attending smth of this scale? I've been struggling the entire day and I figured people here might have some advice or shared feelings. would genuinely appreciate any advice on what to do, because the fear of majorly embarrassing myself is real
skysparko@reddit
You’re not underqualified, you’re exactly who hackathons are for.
Nobody expects polished skills, they expect you to learn fast. Most people there are figuring things out as they go.
Focus on:
You’ll gain way more by attending than waiting to feel ready.
If you’re unsure what to build, break it into small features. That’s much easier than thinking about the whole MVP. I had the same issue and used platforms like skillron.com for structured practice, it helps with that mindset.
RyPlayZz@reddit
Honestly you’re probably overthinking it a bit. Hackathons aren’t really about being the most qualified person in the room, they’re more like crash courses in figuring stuff out fast.
I went to one feeling totally out of my depth and still ended up learning a ton (and meeting some cool people). Worst case you struggle a bit, best case you surprise yourself.
mandzeete@reddit
You have absolutely nothing to lose by participating in that hackathon. You as might place last in the ranking, might not be able to build a functioning prototype, might have issues with setting up your local environment, or something else. But it will still be an experience for you.
You'll try something you haven't done before. Either successfully or not. But you'll learn about such concept.
You'll get connections or an opportunity to get connections.
You'll see how the hackathons are like.
If it is in person hackathon then you'll get some snacks and such.
If you succeed then you can add another project into your Github (unless the hackathon is closed-sourced).
SourceControlled@reddit
Definitely go for it! The point is to step out of your comfort zone and try something.Â
Being out of your comfort zone and trying new things around other folks can be hard, but there will be lots of people feeling the same way and you will learn a lot from it.Â
The goal isn't always to succeed the first time, but to let yourself explore and grow! So try some new ideas and see what comes out of it!Â
DrShocker@reddit
Just give it a try. Failing is half the fun :)
illuminarias@reddit
Attend anyways. Part of the experience is learning on the spot. Even if you fail tremendously, you will meet people and gain new experience.