Jul 1 • General discussion
My First AI-Powered Hackathon: Building a SaaS in Days (Key Learnings Inside)
Hey everyone! 👋
Just finished my first hackathon with bolt.new and wanted to share some real insights about fullstack development with AI coding tools.
What I Built
Portfolio Builder - A SaaS that helps developers, designers, freelancers, and creatives create professional portfolios in minutes.
Tech Stack:
- Next.js + TypeScript
- Supabase (backend)
- Tailwind CSS + Shadcn UI
- Deployed on Netlify
The Honest Truth About AI-Assisted Development
The Good:
- Bolt.new's AI coding acceleration is legit - what used to take days happened in hours
- The free tokens removed the "cost anxiety" of experimenting
- AI handles boilerplate and repetitive tasks incredibly well
- You can focus on the actual problem-solving and user experience
What I Learned:
- AI amplifies your existing skills - it doesn't replace knowing fundamentals
- Decision fatigue is real - having complete creative control is both liberating and overwhelming
- Procrastination happens even with great tools - I registered early but didn't start for 3 weeks 😅
- The "just see what happens" mindset works - sometimes you need to jump in without overthinking
Key Takeaways for Fellow Devs
For experienced developers:
- AI coding tools don't make you lazy - they make you more strategic
- You still need to architect, debug, and make critical decisions
- The speed boost lets you iterate and experiment more freely
For anyone on the fence about hackathons:
- Just do it. Seriously.
- You'll learn something about yourself and your development process
- The time constraint forces you to cut through perfectionism
The Reality Check
Even with AI assistance, building a complete SaaS still requires:
- Understanding your users and their problems
- Making smart architectural decisions
- Debugging when things inevitably break
- Having a clear MVP vision
The AI handles the "how" much better, but you still own the "what" and "why."
Demo
Check out what I built: https://youtu.be/waU6fOQCERY
Have you tried AI-powered development tools? What's been your experience with balancing AI assistance and core development skills?
Would love to hear your thoughts and answer any questions about the process!
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My First AI-Powered Hackathon: Building a SaaS in Days (Key Learnings Inside)
skool.com/universityofcode
You'll get Exclusive Lessons & Content, Badass Community Support & More here to elevate as a Dev!
Leaderboard (30-day)
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