Meet Zack Akil, Senior Machine Learning Engineer & Developer Advocate, Google

Zack Akil is a senior machine learning engineer & developer advocate at Google specializing in practical AI. He spends most of his time building experimental Machine Learning applications - often inspired by his many random hobbies - that help and inspire other developers to build with ML in unique and better ways.

In this episode, we discussed how and why Google conducts internal hackathons and what they aim to achieve. We explored why it's particularly beneficial to organize hackathons when groundbreaking new technologies emerge. There are many advantages to quickly setting up hackathons to explore potential uses for these technologies. Building an organization around new technology takes time, so a hackathon is an ideal format to see what happens when you invite everyone to participate and contribute their ideas and development efforts.

Zack has also virtually won every hackathon he has participated in—truly remarkable! In this podcast, he reveals his very concrete winning strategies.

We also discussed development velocity in general and what can be done to increase it.

Meet Ran Ribenzaft, Co-Founder and CTO at Epsagon

Ran is the co-founder and CTO of Epsagon, an innovative company that was acquired by Cisco for $500 million. Recognized by Forbes 30 Under 30 and an AWS Serverless Hero, Ran is a passionate developer, influential leader, and dedicated mentor to early-stage founders. He provides actionable advice for starting a business through his podcast, drawing on his extensive experience and insights.

We talked about Ran's incredible journey with Epsagon, his involvement in hackathons with major companies like Cisco, and in open hackathons across Israel focusing on cybersecurity. He also shares his invaluable insights and the three "must-know" tips for accelerating development velocity.

Ran's own pod: https://open.spotify.com/show/7vC4mEgUTKe7BJNzdHBvPo 

Meet Jacky Teng, CEO, Smart G Tech

Jacky is an award-winning technologist and entrepreneur with a diverse background in AI, VR, and mobile development. As one of the top 100 developers in Southeast Asia, Jacky’s journey started with a deep interest in technology during childhood, which led him to his current role at Smart G Tech, where he leads innovative projects in cancer research AI, CRM solutions, and mental health apps. Jacky is also known for his active participation in hackathons, where his creative solutions have garnered attention. He has completed notable projects such as AgendaGenie, an AI-powered meeting management system, SkinV, a health-focused app, and various other AI systems that reflect his passion for solving real-world problems through technology.

In this episode, we discussed the Slingshot Singapore Competition, Global Entrepreneur Cup, Kaggle Competition, and Y Combinator Hackathons. We explored how hackathons like these can serve as a catalyst for startups, providing a platform where you can meet potential teammates and investors, as well as receive valuable feedback on your ideas.

Slingshot Singapore. Slingshot is a global startup competition hosted by Enterprise Singapore. It aims to discover and support innovative startups by connecting them with investors, mentors, and industry partners. The competition focuses on various sectors, promoting entrepreneurship and technological advancement in Singapore.

The Global Entrepreneur Cup is an international competition that brings together aspiring entrepreneurs from around the world. It offers a platform for startups to showcase their ideas, gain exposure, and compete for investment opportunities. Participants benefit from mentorship and networking with industry leaders.

Kaggle Competition is a popular platform for data science and machine learning competitions. It hosts a variety of challenges where participants can work with real-world data sets, collaborate with others, and showcase their skills. Competitions range from beginner-friendly to advanced levels, making it an excellent resource for learning and improvement.

Y Combinator is a renowned startup accelerator that provides funding, mentorship, and resources to early-stage startups. Through its seed funding and intensive programs, Y Combinator helps entrepreneurs turn their ideas into successful businesses. The organization runs regular funding cycles and has a strong alumni network.

Meet Sethu Pavan, Software Engineer at Microsoft.

Sethu develops and maintains high-performance, scalable systems that serve tens of millions of end users.

In this episode, we dive into his experiences with hackathons at universities and big companies like JP Morgan. Seth has an impressive track record of winning hackathons and takes us through three specific events. He also shares his winning strategies, giving us all his secrets to success in this exciting episode!

Some online recordings with Sethu: 

Online hackathon - https://devpost.com/software/something-ukx6q7

Tech Talk IRL - https://youtu.be/4oLIPfB_9RY?t=3132

Meet Tengiz Tutisani, Senior Director and Head of Architecture and IT Operations at Bright Horizons

Bright Horizons is known worldwide for its high-quality education and childcare services.

Tengiz is a veteran tech leader with over 20 years of experience driving innovation at both startups and large companies. He's skilled in software development, technology leadership, and has a strong background in entrepreneurship. Tengiz has also written a book called “Effective Software Development for the Enterprise.” When he’s not working, he enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, and practicing meditation.

In this episode, we cover several exciting topics. First, we dive into Tengiz's initial hackathon experience in Ukraine. Next, we explore how Dell organizes their hackathons, which often lead to new features in production and new patents. We also discuss how venture capital firms can leverage hackathons among their portfolio companies to accelerate product launches. This process involves understanding what customers want, organizing a hackathon to flesh out ideas, selecting the best concepts, and securing customer investments in these initiatives. Towards the end of our conversation, we also touch on the benefits of meditation.

Meet Suman Debnath, Principal Developer Advocate for Machine Learning at AWS.

Suman has spoken at over 100 global events and meetups across multiple countries and has directed the AWS Developer Community expansion in India. He has also served as a judge at numerous hackathons.

In this podcast, we discuss the differences between open-ended hackathons and client-based hackathons. We delve into the elevator pitch at the end of the hackathon, discussing how to structure it. We also talk extensively about evaluating presentations, the challenges involved, and how judging teams sometimes change their minds after discussions. Additionally, we touch on large AI communities, with over 400,000 members, organizing hackathons open to anyone eager to learn more about AI.

Meet Ricardo Sueiras, Principal Developer Advocate at AWS.

Ricardo assists developers in exploring innovative methods to construct software. He develops code and workshops that showcase how generative AI coding assistants, like Amazon Q Developer, can help developers work more efficiently, experiment with new ideas, and maintain focus. He also disseminates his work and insights through his blog, GitHub, and speaking engagements worldwide.

In this episode, we explored how Ricardo assembled one of the first hackathon playbooks at AWS and its development over time. How do you incorporate the AWS principle of WORKING BACKWARDS into your hackathon planning? What are the potential desired outcomes of a hackathon? How can you enhance the likelihood that the innovations not only address real-world issues but also progress to production? How do you engage stakeholders from client companies who are eager to see the demos at the conclusion of the hackathon? How do you ensure that developers, who put in significant effort, are acknowledged and valued?

Meet Sushant Hiray, Senior Director of Machine Learning at RingCentral

RingCentral is a three-billion-dollar company offering cloud-based solutions for businesses, including video conferencing, voice calls, SMS, and other communication services.

In this episode, we discuss how Sushant's victory at a hackathon became the starting point for his startup, which was later acquired by RingCentral. We also explore how hackathons are evolving into a key format for launching new businesses. Much like the 'Idol' contest was a new way to generate superstars, could hackathons, where potential customers and venture capitalists participate, be the next big thing for producing successful startups? I was so inspired after our conversation I could barely fall a sleep that night! 

Meet Yash Sharma, Senior Software Developer at Google NYC!

At Google, he is currently building a Gen AI platform that enhances observability across all Google products. Previously, he served as the Tech Lead for Search Experiments, helping to transform search in the era of Gen AI. Additionally, he initiated a Health AI project exploring AI's capacity to diagnose complex medical cases. He has authored a paper on this topic, published on the Google Blog and submitted to Nature.

In this episode we discussed his fascinating journey to Google NYC, his early hackathon experiences which had a significant positive impact on his career, and the vibrant hackathon culture he has witnessed at both Microsoft and Google. We also delve into some of the innovative products that have emerged from these companies' internal hackathons.

Meet Andrei-Alexandru Tulbure, Head of AI at StockRx

Andrei-Alexandru is a seasoned AI engineer and PhD student. He leads the AI team at StockRx, where he oversees projects in document processing, demand forecasting, and data analytics. His research has been presented internationally and has also led to practical AI solutions in areas like defect detection and sales analytics.

In this episode, we talk a lot about the personal benefits of participating in many hackathons when you are young and what it takes to win. By participating in numerous hackathons, you'll encounter a wide range of scenarios that mirror workplace challenges. This exposure gives you a wealth of reference experiences, so even though you may be new to the workforce, you'll already have a familiarity with similar situations. We also talked about what makes a good team? How do you ensure all participants work together with great spirit?