Frontend & Beyond: How to Win an AI Hackathon in 48 Hours

In this talk, Andriy Kostenko, a Full-Stack Software Engineer, will share the exact strategy he used to win an AI hackathon — from choosing the right idea and tech stack to building a fast MVP and delivering a demo judges remember.

Rather than focusing on perfect architecture, this session reveals how to prioritize speed, clarity, and impact, using modern AI tools and a streamlined stack.

• Date: Tuesday, April 28, 2026
• Time: 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM MST
• Location: Calgary Public Library - Memorial Park, Meeting Room 2

When you arrive, just let the front desk librarian know you're attending the meetup in Meeting Room 2. They'll unlock the door and point you in the right direction!

• The Winning Mindset: Why most developers fail at hackathons and how to approach them strategically
• The Tech Stack That Wins: Using FastAPI, React/Next.js, and modern AI models to build fast prototypes
• The 48-Hour Execution Plan: A realistic timeline for turning an idea into a working demo
• Building a Strong MVP: Why one impressive feature beats a large unfinished product
• Demo Strategy: How to design a presentation that impresses judges and stands out

• Fast MVP architecture for hackathons
• Integrating AI models into real applications
• Vision models and practical AI use cases
• Building APIs quickly with FastAPI
• Rapid UI development with React
• Designing demos that create a “wow” moment

• Developers interested in AI hackathons
• Engineers who want to prototype AI products quickly
• Startup builders looking to validate ideas fast
• Anyone curious about real-world AI development workflows

A public repository will be provided for attendees to build upon and use in their own projects.

Stick around after the session to network with fellow developers interested in containerization, security, and modern development workflows.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

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Host or Publisher Frontend & Beyond