Mini Virtual Hackathon Recap – Lessons, Innovations, and What’s Next!
The latest mini virtual hackathon wrapped up, and the results speak for themselves—an explosion of creativity, collaboration, and rapid prototyping that led to some truly exciting developments!
Highlights from the Hackathon:
Project Launched: Barracks Lawyer - A tool designed to streamline legal guidance in military contexts, leveraging AI to analyze cases and provide structured responses.
Code Repository: GitHub Repo - Open-source and growing!
- 50+ commits
- 4 branches
- ~400 lines of code made it to the codebase
Contributions: Multiple commits refining the UI, enhancing automation, and improving deployment workflows.
Insights from Sundai Club: Jon and Lea from Sundai Club shared their strategies for rapid AI product development and lean iteration, drawing from their 12 AI Hacks initiative.
What Made This Hackathon Special?
Fast Iteration, Real Progress – The focus was on quick builds over perfection. Small tweaks (e.g., improving dark mode visibility, refining prompts, and optimizing deployment) led to big usability gains.
Practical AI Deployment – The hackathon wasn’t just about coding; it was about applying AI in ways that solve tangible problems.
Community-Led Innovation – From refining GitHub workflows to optimizing responses from AI models, this was a hands-on opportunity for participants to gain experience in real-world AI deployments.
Lessons from Sundai Club & Takeaways for Future Sprints
Jon and Lea shared valuable insights on lean execution and how focusing on shipping fast leads to better, more refined products over time:
Ship Weekly (No Matter What) – Progress beats perfection every time.
Ship Ugly – Early feedback is more valuable than polishing in isolation.
Build for Real Users – Projects gain traction when they solve actual pain points.
Create Reusable Components – Small wins today become powerful building blocks tomorrow.
Missed This One? Stay Tuned for the Next!
This hackathon was a testament to what a focused group of developers can achieve in a short time . Whether you’re into AI, automation, or just love building cool things, there’s a place for you in future sprints. Join the community, stay involved, and let’s build something amazing together. 
Got ideas for the next one? Drop them in the comments! 