The Beginning: 26 Hours to Build Something Amazing

When I heard about the Andinolabs Hackathon 2024, I knew this was my chance to push boundaries, collaborate with talented developers, and build something that could make a real difference. Little did I know that in just 26 hours, our team would create Price Wise - an AI-powered price comparison platform that would become one of my most technically challenging projects.

The Challenge: E-commerce Price Transparency

The problem was clear: online shoppers struggle to find the best deals across multiple platforms. Manually comparing prices is time-consuming and often leads to missed opportunities. We needed to create a solution that would:

Automatically track prices across different e-commerce sites
Provide real-time updates when prices change
Offer intelligent recommendations based on user preferences
Present data in a clean, user-friendly interface

The Team: Four Minds, One Vision

Our team of four brought diverse skills to the table:

Frontend Development (React.js & Next.js)
Backend Architecture (Node.js & Firebase)
Web Scraping & Automation (Playwright & Cheerio)
UI/UX Design (Tailwind CSS)

The beauty of hackathons lies in how quickly strangers can become collaborators, each contributing their expertise toward a common goal.

The Tech Stack: Choosing the Right Tools

Frontend: React.js + Next.js

We chose Next.js for its:

Server-side rendering for better SEO
Built-in API routes for seamless backend integration
Optimized performance out of the box

Backend: Node.js + Firebase

Firebase provided:

Real-time database for instant price updates
Authentication for user management
Scalable hosting without server management overhead

Web Scraping: Playwright + Cheerio

The core functionality required:

Playwright for browser automation and dynamic content
Cheerio for server-side HTML parsing
Cron Jobs for scheduled price monitoring

Styling: Tailwind CSS

For rapid UI development with:

Utility-first classes for quick styling
Responsive design without media queries
Consistent design system across components

The Development Process: Racing Against Time

Day 1: Foundation and Architecture

Hour 1-4: Team formation and project planning
Hour 5-12: Setting up the development environment
Hour 13-20: Building core scraping functionality
Hour 21-26: Implementing the React frontend, Firebase integration, and final deployment

The compressed timeline meant we had to be incredibly efficient with our development process, prioritizing core functionality and seamless team collaboration.

Technical Challenges We Overcame

1. Dynamic Content Scraping

Many e-commerce sites load prices dynamically with JavaScript. We solved this using Playwright's browser automation:

// Simplified example of our scraping approach
const browser = await playwright.chromium.launch();
const page = await browser.newPage();
await page.goto(productUrl);
await page.waitForSelector('.price-selector');
const price = await page.textContent('.price-selector');

2. Rate Limiting and Anti-Bot Measures

We implemented:

Rotating user agents to avoid detection
Request delays to respect server limits
Proxy rotation for distributed scraping

3. Real-time Price Updates

Using Firebase's real-time database, we achieved:

Instant notifications when prices drop
Live dashboard updates without page refresh
Efficient data synchronization across all clients

The Results: What We Built

Price Wise became a fully functional platform featuring:

Core Features

✅ Real-time price tracking across multiple platforms
✅ Automated data collection with smart scraping
✅ Scheduled price updates via cron jobs
✅ AI-powered deal recommendations
✅ User-friendly comparison interface
✅ Mobile-responsive design

Technical Achievements

Scalable architecture ready for production
Clean, maintainable code with proper documentation
Responsive UI that works on all devices
Real-time data synchronization
Automated testing for reliability

Lessons Learned: Beyond the Code

1. Team Collaboration is Everything

The hackathon taught me that technical skills alone don't win - it's how well you work with others under pressure. We used:

Git for version control with clear branching strategies
Slack for communication with dedicated channels
Figma for design collaboration and quick mockups

2. MVP Mindset

With limited time, we had to prioritize ruthlessly:

Core functionality first - price comparison before nice-to-haves
User experience over perfection - smooth UX beats pixel-perfect design
Deployment early - getting something live quickly for testing

3. Documentation Matters

Even in a fast-paced environment, we maintained:

Clear commit messages for code tracking
README files for easy setup
API documentation for team coordination

The Technology Deep Dive

Web Scraping Architecture

Our scraping system was built with reliability in mind:

// Cron job for scheduled price updates
const schedule = require('node-cron');

schedule.schedule('0 */6 * * *', async () => {
  console.log('Starting price update job...');
  await updateAllPrices();
  console.log('Price update completed');
});

Firebase Integration

Real-time updates were crucial for user experience:

// Real-time price monitoring
const priceRef = firebase.database().ref('prices');
priceRef.on('value', (snapshot) => {
  const prices = snapshot.val();
  updateUI(prices);
});

Deployment and Going Live

We deployed Price Wise to Vercel for:

Fast global CDN for optimal performance
Automatic deployments from GitHub
Environment variable management for API keys
Custom domain support for professional presentation

Live Demo: pricewiseweb.vercel.app

Reflections: What This Experience Taught Me

Technical Growth

Full-stack development under extreme time pressure
Web scraping and automation techniques
Real-time applications with Firebase
Team-based development workflows

Soft Skills

Problem-solving under tight deadlines
Communication in high-pressure environments
Adaptability when initial plans don't work
Presentation skills for demo day

The Bigger Picture

This hackathon reinforced my belief that the best solutions come from understanding real user problems. Price Wise wasn't just a technical exercise - it was about creating something that genuinely helps people save money and time.

What's Next for Price Wise?

While the hackathon is over, the project continues to evolve:

Planned Features

Mobile app for on-the-go price checking
Browser extension for instant price comparisons
Advanced AI algorithms for better recommendations
Social features for sharing deals with friends

Technical Improvements

Performance optimization for faster loading
Database scaling for more products
Machine learning for price prediction
API development for third-party integrations

Final Thoughts: The Hackathon Spirit

The Andinolabs hackathon reminded me why I love development - it's not just about writing code, it's about solving problems and creating value. In 26 hours, we went from strangers with an idea to a team with a working product.

The experience taught me that with the right mindset, tools, and team, anything is possible. Whether you're a student, professional, or hobbyist, hackathons offer a unique opportunity to push your limits and create something amazing.

To future hackathon participants: Don't just focus on winning - focus on learning, building, and connecting with fellow developers. The real prize is the growth you'll experience and the relationships you'll build.

Want to learn more about Price Wise or discuss hackathon experiences? Connect with me on LinkedIn or check out the project on GitHub.

Resources and Tools Used

React.js - Frontend framework
Next.js - React framework with SSR
Firebase - Backend-as-a-Service
Playwright - Browser automation
Cheerio - Server-side HTML parsing
Tailwind CSS - Utility-first CSS
Vercel - Deployment platform
Node-cron - Task scheduling