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title: My Epic Journey at the BrowserBuddy Hackathon 2025 — Top 10 and Loving Hackathon Raptors’ Vibe

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# **My Epic Journey at the BrowserBuddy Hackathon 2025 — Top 10 and Loving Hackathon Raptors’ Vibe**

![real_6d335dcd-f46a-4d94-90ce-e85ee25f5a24](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/SypIXO35yx.jpg)


January 28, 2025, feels like it happened yesterday. I was chilling at my desk, laptop glowing, when the **[BrowserBuddy Hackathon](https://browserbuddy.net/)** kicked off at 6:00 PM UTC. Hackathon **[Raptors](http://raptors.dev/)** put this thing together, and I was pumped to join their crew of coders trying to make browsing better. They’re all about big, helpful ideas that match their vibe of “ideating, programming, and revolutionizing” tech for good. I jumped in, eager to build something cool and be part of their monthly hackathon magic, where they bring people from 30+ countries together to create real impact.

## The Kickoff: Jumping Into Raptors’ World
The hackathon started, and I felt the buzz of hundreds of developers worldwide logging on. Hackathon Raptors wanted us to make browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, or Edge—tools that help with productivity, research, or focus, keeping it simple and private. Their mission of “altruism-centered events” and “top-tier software development” got me hyped. I thought about how I waste hours on YouTube or news sites, so I teamed up with a couple of friends online to whip up “FocusHelper,” an extension to track my browsing, remind me to take breaks, and show quick charts of my habits. I loved that it fit Raptors’ goal of making tech that helps people, like their 300+ past projects and 1,500+ participants.

Staring at a blank manifest.json I was nervous that first night but knew the Raptors’ fast, friendly Discord crew would back me up. I posted a quick question about Chrome’s storage API, and within minutes, someone replied, “Use localStorage for privacy—super simple!” Their quick responses and chill vibe made me feel like I was already part of their tight-knit community, and I couldn’t wait to see where this would go.

## The Grind: Late Nights, Breakthroughs, and Raptors’ Support

The next few days were wild. By January 29, FocusHelper had logged my website visits—YouTube, news, and work stuff—and saved data locally in my browser to keep it private, with no creepy cloud nonsense. I grabbed some basic tools from Raptors’ resource kit, like Chrome’s built-in stuff and a simple chart library, and slapped bar charts showing where I zoned out or stayed on task. It felt like the Raptors’ “efficient scientific methods” guided me, and I loved their monthly hackathon rhythm—every month, a new chance to dive into this vibe.

Day three hit hard, though. I wanted FocusHelper to pop up break reminders after 30 minutes of focus, but timing them right was a pain. Too often, and I’d get annoyed; too rare, and I’d crash. I spent hours tweaking it, testing it on my laptop, and laughing with my friends. One buddy posted on X, “My break alerts are yelling at me now—help!” We cracked up, but it kept us going, and I jumped onto Discord to ask for advice. A Raptors mentor quickly said, “Try a 30/5 rule—30 minutes work, 5-minute break, adjust from there.” Their quick help and positive energy reminded me why I love their monthly events—they’re all about real support, not just competition.

I added a small AI twist by February 2, using a free OpenAI credit Raptors provided. It suggested, “Walk around after 45 minutes on social media”—simple but cool, like having a buddy in my browser. I dreamed of hitting the top spots, inspired by the Raptors’ history of uniting top minds from Google, Amazon, and more. We hit a snag trying to sync FocusHelper across my phone and laptop, so we focused on making it fast and easy to use, trusting Raptors’ “respected collaboration” to carry us through.

## The Big Moment: Submitting and Sweating

By February 5, I was a bundle of nerves but super excited. We polished FocusHelper—made a 3-minute video showing how it tracked my browsing, popped up reminders, and showed those cute charts—and uploaded it with our GitHub code, a quick setup guide, and a list of what we used. I imagined Raptors’ big-shot engineers checking it out, their “impactful challenges” pushing me to shine. Their Discord was buzzing with final questions, and the mods answered in minutes, keeping everything smooth and organized. I posted, “Nervous about submission—any last tips?” and got, “You’ve got this! Love the privacy focus!” That encouragement from the Raptors’ community made all the difference.

The winners dropped later that day on the event site, and I was blown away—but also thrilled. Team LazyBird's "PromptPal" took first place with $1,000, a slick tool that tweaks AI prompts to make them better for writers. During the livestreamed awards ceremony, I noticed how Denys Sidorov, a judge who's been coding since before I was born, nodded appreciatively during their demo, while Christoph Heike, another judge whose name I recognized from some cool projects online, mentioned how the "Apply Enhanced Prompt" button makes it simple for anyone. Team Akatsuki's "FormFiller" grabbed second with $300, auto-filling forms across browsers with a smart twist. And Team Code Shredders' "TaskMind" clinched third with $200, making website workspaces with task boards—perfect for juggling stuff.

Then came the big news for me—I made the top 10! I couldn’t believe it. Seeing FocusHelper listed among the best felt amazing, and I was over the moon, jumping around my room, happy as could be. Hackathon Raptors sent me a certificate a week later, a shiny PDF with my name, and I framed it on my wall. I posted on Discord, “Top 10—can’t stop smiling! Raptors, you guys rock!” The replies poured in—congrats, high-fives, and invites to join their monthly hackathons. I was so happy with everything they organized, from fast Discord responses to a clear event timeline. They knew how to keep us pumped and supported, and I loved their vibe.

### Category winners were just as cool:

* User Value: Team Nitin Kumar’s “Y’TASSIST AI” summed up YouTube videos and let you chat about them—great for quick learning. A judge called it “A lifesaver for too much content.”
* Innovation & Analytics: Team Minorities created an extension that tracked browsing, suggested breaks, and gave tips—it's similar to my idea.
* Technical Excellence: Team CtrlShiftBack’s “HealthStudy” watched habits with charts, keeping data private—a smart, clean design.

I didn’t take the top spots, but making the top 10 felt like a huge win, and I was stoked about the Raptors’ monthly hackathons. Their energy, their focus on helping people, and their tight community—I’m hooked on it all.

 

## The Reality Check: Not All Smooth Sailing

Despite the overall positive experience, I'd be remiss not to mention some bumps along the way. The Raptors' Discord, while helpful, occasionally became overwhelmed during peak hours, with some questions going unanswered for hours. Their resource kit, though useful, contained some outdated documentation that led our team down a few frustrating dead ends. The judging criteria seemed somewhat subjective too—some technically impressive projects were overlooked while flashier ones with less functionality scored higher. A few participants grumbled about the tight timeline, suggesting that the Raptors' monthly schedule might prioritize quantity over quality. The AI credits they provided were minimal, barely enough for basic implementation, which felt at odds with their promotion of cutting-edge tech. While the community was generally supportive, I noticed cliques forming around returning participants, making it slightly intimidating for newcomers like me to integrate fully.

## The After Party: Living the Raptors Life

After the hackathon, I scrolled through X and LinkedIn, where teams shared demos and ideas for improving their extensions—maybe voice alerts or syncing across devices. I posted FocusHelper’s video, and people liked it, asking how I handled the break reminders. I replied, “Took a lot of trial and error—Raptors’ Discord saved me!” Hackathon Raptors hinted at another event next month, building on BrowserBuddy’s success to keep pushing digital well-being. With their history of bringing people together and inspiring over a thousand coders, I felt like I was part of something huge, like Margaret Mead’s quote about a small group changing the world.

I plan to jump into the Raptors’ next hackathon—they do these every month, and I’m all in. I love their vibe: the fast responses on Discord, the way they organize everything so smoothly, and how they bring people together to make tech that helps. FocusHelper sits in my Chrome now, reminding me to step away from YouTube, and every time it pops up, I smile, thinking of that wild week and the Raptors’ big heart for innovation. I can’t wait to try more of their challenges—top 10 or not, I’m in it for the fun and the impact.