Welcome to the Hackathon 101 Workshop

Are you ready to go from zero to submission? Join the Google Developer Group at Eastern Michigan University for our very first event to learn everything you need to know about building a product to solve a real world problem. As the founder who runs the GDG, I am incredibly proud that we already have Google on campus through our group, and I am excited to share the exact strategies that have helped us win multiple hackathons.

What We Covered

• The Basics: We explored what a hackathon is and the differences between an 8 hour sprint and a marathon event.

• Winning Strategies: We emphasized that speed is greater than everything. It is not about writing perfect code; it is about showing a working vision and learning to focus on logic and functionality instead of syntax.

• Live AI Demo: We hosted a live 15 Minute Frontend Demo. We took an idea straight from the audience, used Google Gemini to design and refine the prompt, and built a complex frontend in under 20 minutes using agentic AI tools. It was the perfect way to showcase the power of Google tools and prove why you should USE AI to build fast!

• Upcoming Hackathons: We also looked ahead to future events to put these skills to work, including RocketHacks, GrizzHacks, and Hack Michigan.