Meet Pawel Czech, Co-Founder, New Native & lablab.ai

This episode is a must-listen for all business-driven AI builders! I had the great honor to interview Pawel Czech, the co-founder of New Native and lablab.ai. We discussed the origins of his ventures, the rapid growth they’ve achieved, and his inspiring vision. We delved into the dynamics and connections between AI hackathons and accelerator programs. Pawel is really driven by a vision to empower as many individuals as possible to use AI to create innovative companies, and it’s truly inspiring to hear him speak about these efforts. 

Meet Joanna Slupczewska, Partner & Marketing Manager at New Native (that owns the famous lablab.ai.)

In this episode, we talked about New Native and their initiatives like lablab.ai hackathons and the accelerator program, Lablab Next. We focused on the important topics of marketing and community building, specifically how to attract thousands of participants from around the world to these hackathons. We dove into various strategies and tools used:

• Newsletter: A vital tool for reaching out to potential participants.
• Content Creation: We discussed the large team involved in writing and producing tutorials and learning materials. 
• The Discord Channel: The main point of contact for participants, with dedicated channels for each hackathon.
• Matchmaking/Team Formation: A website that helps participants form teams effectively.
• Mentoring: The role of mentors in guiding participants through the hackathon process.
• Event Formats: The mix of online, hybrid, and onsite events to engage a global community.
• Social Media Marketing: An analysis of which platforms work best for promoting hackathons, including LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, Twitch, and others. We highlighted Twitch for its effectiveness in live streaming events.
• Certification: The importance of providing certificates to participants as a form of recognition and achievement.
• Feedback: The value of gathering feedback from participants and providing API feedback to tech partners.

Meet Amna Hassan—a skilled developer specializing in games, web, and AI. She also teaches and mentors at Stanford's Code in Place program. Amna has won numerous hackathons, including Harvard's 2024 CS50 Puzzle Day, and has competed in over 20 international hackathons. Additionally, she serves as a project administrator for SereniFy, an open-source app featured in Girlscript's Summer of Code Extended.

In this episode, we discuss her journey in the world of hackathons and strategies for winning them. We delve into specific events such as the Google Cloud AI Hackathon, Open Source Hackathon, and Harvard's 2024 CS50 Puzzle Day. We also explore how to plan and execute each phase of a hackathon, from the idea phase and prototyping to presentations, and what to consider at each stage.

Furthermore, we discuss various approaches to structuring the mentorship layer in a hackathon, and why one method stands out as the absolute best.

Resources: 
iCodeGuru: https://icode.guru/

Hack2Skill: https://vision.hack2skill.com/

Paul Graham AI Bot: https://lablab.ai/event/strawberry-reasoning-with-o1/guardians-of-the-galaxy/paul-graham-founder-mode-ai-app?review=true

Meet Payal Kumari, Full-stack Developer and Women Techmakers Ambassador.

Payal is a passionate full-stack developer and a distinguished Women Techmakers Ambassador, committed to empowering women in the tech industry. Recognized as a LinkedIn Top Voice and a Google WTM Ambassador, she actively guides the next generation of developers through impactful events and engaging content creation. Recently, Payal was a finalist at the Google Gen AI Exchange Hackathon '24, showcasing her expertise and innovation in AI.

In this episode, Payal discusses her experience reaching the finals in the Google Gen AI Exchange Hackathon '24. We explore the learning journey that comes with participating in hackathons—how each event is unique and teaches different skills. She shares insights on problem-solving, planning projects within tight deadlines, reaching out for help, presenting demos effectively, and keeping solutions simple. Payal also talks about the value of the connections made during these events, the importance of learning and growing, and how to handle rejections and feedback constructively.

Meet Abdul Qadeer, Data Scientist at Xclusive Trading.

Abdul Qadeer started his tech journey in Karachi by fixing a neighbor’s computer, which sparked his interest and led to a gold medal in his academic career. He is driven by a strong desire to make a positive impact. As a Machine Learning Engineer Abdul takes on challenges like a recent customer segmentation project, finding joy in solving real-world problems. He has also solved over 200 LeetCode problems!

In this episode, Abdul talks about winning his first hackathon at lablab.ai, where he competed against 3,000 participants and 300 teams. He shares the valuable lessons learned from participating in hackathons, such as teamwork, problem-solving, and rapid prototyping, and he speaks about the lasting friendships he has made.

Meet Mustafa Sherif – Co-Author of "DREAM, HACK, BUILD"

In this episode, we talked about:

• Hack for Earth's mission to address the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals through global hackathons, and how these events are structured to foster citizen-driven solutions.
• The comprehensive mentorship program at Hack for Earth, which enhances the hackathon experience by providing structured guidance through workshops and effective communication.
• The innovative approaches to team formation and communication across different time zones, ensuring all participants can effectively collaborate and contribute.
• Mustafa's insights on managing global hackathons, emphasizing the importance of clear communication and creating a collaborative environment that accommodates diverse participant needs.

Meet Abdeali Siyawala, Technical Product Manager at Siya Tech Ventures.

In this episode, we talked about:

• Abdeali's role in helping non-tech founders build and scale startups at Siya Tech Ventures., focusing on MVP development and product strategy.
• The dual business models at Siya Tech Ventures: time and material, and equity-based studio partnerships, tailored to assist startups from ideation through scaling.
• Hackathons as a platform for innovation and recruitment, coupled with his mentorship at lablab.ai, emphasizing AI's transformative role in product development.
• The critical importance of customer obsession and rapid feedback loops in achieving product-market fit and driving successful innovations.

Meet Theodoros Ampas, technical mentor at lablab.ai. 

Ampas is a tech mentor at Lablab.ai, an organization known for global AI online hackathons and a startup accelerator program. 
Hackathons have played a crucial role in his professional development, and in this episode he shares insights that can inspire others in the field. 

We discussed Ampas role in facilitating AI-focused hackathons and the accelerator program, lablab Next. He emphasized the importance of hackathons in professional development and shared insights on team formation and technical mentoring. lablab.ai hosts frequent hackathons, encouraging innovation in AI technologies with thematic challenges. Ampas highlighted the accelerator's focus on AI startups, offering mentorship and support to transform ideas into viable businesses. He also shared his personal journey and contributions to the community, including a Discord app for team collaboration.

Resources:
https://www.content-hive.net/
https://lablab.ai/
https://lablab.ai/next

Meet Nikita Kosolev, Lead Software Development Engineer at Mastercard.

Nikita's interest in technology was sparked by a curiosity about how things work, influenced by his father's background in computer science and a love for science fiction. Despite financial challenges, he pursued a career in tech, ultimately becoming a software development engineer at Mastercard.

In this episode we discussed various aspects of hackathons and their significance in fostering innovation and community engagement. Koselev shared his experiences with Mastercard's internal hackathons, emphasizing their role in inspiring creativity and potential product development. He also highlighted the importance of diversity in hackathon teams. Our conversation touched on the impact of AI in development, stressing the need for human skills and active listening to enhance development velocity. Koselev advised new developers to focus on community involvement and personal growth

Meet Jori Karvonen, Start-up mentor, lablabai, Helsinki University, Tech Nordic Advocates etc

Jori Karvonen mentors startups in incubator and accelerator programs across Europe, focusing on business strategy, product development, and securing funding. His passion for supporting startups stems from his own experiences as a founder and the support he received from local entrepreneurs and the Finnish government.

In this episode we talked a lot about lablab.ai. The organization is active in AI hackathons and accelerator programs, providing a platform for international mentors and participants to collaborate. The organization focuses on AI-driven solutions, offering a global network of experts to support startups in scaling and accessing investors.