Background of the Hackathon

This blog is the penned-down version of the 1-month long experience of Google Cloud Dev Jam Hackathon 2020.

I got a mail from TechGig about Google Cloud Dev Jam in May 2020. It was the same time when I was taking online courses on Google Cloud some of them are mentioned below:

• Smart Analytics, Machine Learning, and AI on Google Cloud
• Building Batch Data Pipelines on Google Cloud
• Google Cloud Big Data and Machine Learning Fundamentals
• Modernizing Data Lakes and Data Warehouses with Google Cloud

While all this was not enough I got into the TCS Digital Garage team and I started building the web and the backend of this new product called TCS ClickFit, and Guess what? I was using Google Cloud services in this too. I was using a bunch of different services like Cloud Function, Cloud Storage, FireStore, Google CDN, Vision AI, AutoML, Dialogflow and many more.

So, no doubt this was the right time for me to take part in Google Cloud Dev Jam. So, I registered for this 8-month-long program.

I have previously used Firebase and a few services and also deployed websites in different hosting platforms. But, I first understood the basics of any cloud technology during this phase.

Now, Here is how I was learning during the program:

• I was attending webinars & online assessments as a part of the program in TechGig.
• I was getting hands-on experience in Quicklabs and also within the org. - My Public Profile
• I started mentoring peers in TCS and upskilling developers with Google Cloud Skills

I was putting in really good effort every month to be at the Top of the leaderboard in Google Cloud Dev Jam

Google Cloud Dev Jam Hackathon 2020

The Hackathon was a part of this 8-month program. It started on 14th Jul 2020 and ended on 13th Sept 2020. It was about creating some innovative MVP and we should use Google Cloud Services.

Now, I reached out to my friend 👩🏻‍💻 Poulami Saha. She was also a part of the program and we teamed up together.

The name of the team was ✨ Cloud Burst

"I know this is not a great name 😅"

Product Idea: Doc Buddy

We know several individuals dealing with health conditions like diabetes, high cholesterol, and blood pressure. The global COVID-19 situation also highlighted the need for better medical record management. These observations inspired us to conceptualize "Doc Buddy", a product that would empower users to track their medical history, visualize vital health parameters through informative graphs, and set medication reminders.

User Research

To make Doc Buddy impactful, we conducted thorough user research. Interacting with individuals managing chronic conditions, we gained insights into their medical needs, testing frequencies, and report analysis. This empathetic approach allowed us to fine-tune our product concept to address real-world challenges.

Hackathon Rounds:

The Google Cloud Dev Jam Hackathon consisted of three intense rounds:

Round 1: Idea Selection

We presented the problem we aimed to solve with Doc Buddy and outlined our proposed solution to the judges.

Round 2: Prototype Selection & Feedback

Armed with our prototype, we eagerly sought feedback from judges and potential users in Round 2 of the Google Cloud Dev Jam Hackathon 2020. This crucial phase provided us with invaluable insights that propelled our product, DocBuddy, to new heights. Throughout this round, we maintained regular communication with the Google Team, benefiting from their guidance and resources. An exciting perk was gaining access to the alpha version of Google Chat, allowing us to enhance collaboration and explore cutting-edge tools.

A recurring concern was the resemblance of DocBuddy to an existing platform, Practo. To set ourselves apart, we brainstormed innovative ideas to distinguish our product significantly. As a result, we introduced a game-changing feature – the ability to upload medicine bills and prescriptions to set medication reminders using Vision AI. This enhancement empowered users to seamlessly manage their medication schedules, ensuring timely and accurate dosages.

Round 3: Final Presentation & Prototype

We made it to the final among the top 6 finalists in India.

In the final round, we submitted the below presentation with access to the repos and Google Cloud project

GitHub Repos.:

• Doc-Buddy Front-End
• Doc-Buddy Back-End

The Presentation

Problem Statement

Product Idea: Doc Buddy

Learning

While we didn't win the Hackathon. At the end of the program. I was in 19th position on the leaderboard out of 89000+ people. That was a great outcome. Plus, It was fun and a good learning experience.

Achievements

Apart from learning, I meet some Awesome developers and mentors.

Links to LinkedIn posts of all the achievements:

• TechGig: 6th rank in Application Development GCP
• Qwiklabs: Cloud Hero
• Qwiklabs Quest: Google Cloud Essential Quest and Google Cloud's Operations Suite Quest.
• Qwiklabs Quest: Building websites in Google Cloud
• TechGig: Winner in Google Cloud Dve Jam Round 1
• TechGig: 5th rank in Architecting with GKE
• 1st Box of Goodies
• 2nd Box of Goodies