🚀 From Noob to 3rd Prize: My First Hackathon XP at ARIFA HACKATHON 2025
Okay fam, let’s be real. Walking into my first hackathon felt like logging into an unknown Wi-Fi with “Are you sure you want to continue? Y/N” vibes. Nervous? Hell yeah. Excited? Double that.
But ARIFA HACKATHON 2025 – கடற்களம் wasn’t just another tech meetup. It was a full-on arena where geeks, coders, engineers, med folks, and even management wizards came together to throw ideas like packets flying across a chaotic network.
And guess what? I didn’t just survive… I snagged the 3rd prize 🏆. Not bad for a first-timer, huh? 😎
💡 What I Learned (aka patch notes for my brain)
- Team Leadership: Turns out leading a squad is harder than managing a Kali Linux VM with 2GB RAM. But I figured it out.
- Presentation Skills: Explaining tech to non-tech people = like running
nc -lvnp 4444and hoping someone actually connects. - Problem Solving: Hackathons are basically CTFs IRL. You either solve or you crash and burn. I solved.
🕶️ The Hacker Loot – StartupTN Smart Card
Now here’s the cool part. Along with the prize, I scored the StartupTN Smart Card. Think of it as a cheat code for startups in Tamil Nadu:
- Discounts on legal, compliance, finance, and IT/software stuff
- Marketing boosts without burning your crypto stash
- Basically, less stress, more building
If you’re a builder, this card is like running sudo in the startup world. Total game-changer.
🌟 Why This Hackathon Hit Different
Most hackathons are like speed dating for code. But this one? It was about creativity, guts, and vibes. The organizers (AIIC + StartupTN) didn’t just throw an event, they opened a portal for young hackers and innovators to level up.
And for me? This was my origin story. From nervous first-timer to standing on stage with a prize, the XP boost was real. Next time, I’m aiming for root access — aka 1st place.
⚡ Question for you Cyber fellows: What was YOUR first hackathon like? Did you crash the system or walk away with root privileges?