My first time Hackathon experience — Part II
The journey had been a whirlwind of innovation and perseverance, but now stood the ultimate test: could we maintain our momentum and do well during the semifinals and finals. Join me as I recount the adrenaline-fueled saga of our semifinal and final battle at Mini Hackathon, organized by the Stat Circle of University of Colombo in collaboration with Octave.
The semifinal date arrived and our team was ready. We were briefed on the challenge and the dataset was about company X which is a major confectionery manufacturer in Sri Lanka, which operates manufacturing facilities in the Western Province and distributes its products through a network of distributors. We were given 4 hours time and two parts to solve.
- Problem Statement 01: Provide the distributor wise sale quantity targets for the month of June 2023.
- Problem Statement 02: Cluster the outlets based on their demographics
We divided the parts among ourselves. We got to work by reading the information provided twice and jotted down the important information that needs to be considered and started brainstorming on techniques to use. Once we had a rough outline, we started to code.
While all of us were comfortable with R programming language, we knew python is more user-friendly and computationally more efficient. Hence we did some coding in R and then continued onto python for the clustering part.
Before we knew it, they announced that we had half an hour to go. Since we were expected to present our findings to the judges, we started jotting down the key points we needed to convey. We briefed each other on the techniques we had tried and what had worked. Confident in our efforts, we felt ready.
When the time was up, we were asked to go to a room where we shared our code on the projector screen and walked through the steps and techniques we used. The panel of judges asked several questions, which we answered to the best of our ability. Overall, the judges seemed satisfied with our solution.
Despite this, we didn’t keep our hopes up for making it to the finals, wanting to avoid disappointment. We went for lunch and took some time to rest. Soon, there was a briefing for the Grand Finale, where the finalists would be announced.
It was a sweet surprise when ‘Team Jarvis’ was announced as one of the finalists. We were given around an hour to prepare our presentation slides, which needed to highlight our solution and include business initiatives based on it. Understanding that our audience would be primarily business-focused, we aimed to keep the slides simple, less technical, and more practical.
We quickly got to work on the Canva slides, each contributing information. We also divided the parts of the presentation among ourselves. Within minutes, we were asked to move to a hall where the judges were ready. They drew lots to determine the order of presentations, and we were the fourth team to present. As we listened to the first three groups, the pressure mounted. The judges’ questions were particularly tricky, so we knew we had to be clear and concise, while also standing out.
When it was our turn, we presented our findings and answered the questions. Although some answers could have been better, we knew we had done our best and were satisfied with our performance. Once all the teams had presented, we were told that we would have to wait 1–2 weeks for the results, which would be announced at the International Conference in Data Science.
The day of the conference arrived. Ruwinda and I, members of Team Jarvis, were the hosts for the day, though the results were not revealed to us beforehand. When the time came, the results were announced: we had placed as the 1st Runner-Up. We were ecstatic and overjoyed as we collected our trophy and certificates.
This was one of the best experiences of my life. Not only did I learn a lot throughout the process, but I also gained confidence in my skills. This was my first experience, but it definitely won’t be my last. I now know my strengths and what I need to improve and this journey has been instrumental in developing my skills.
As Sun Tzu famously said, “Opportunities multiply as they are seized.” Often, we miss out on opportunities or have regrets later because we were uncertain about our potential. Allowing ourselves to fail, learn, and grow is how we become better versions of ourselves. Take this as a sign to do something brave today! This journey has shown me the power of embracing opportunities and the endless possibilities that come with it and I hope this article has motivated you to do the same!
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