My Experience at My First MLH Hackathon, Hack Canada

I walked into Hack Canada not totally sure what to expect. I’d done plenty of coding on my own, but this was my first MLH weekend where you show up with an idea, form a team, and try to build something real in a tiny slice of time.

Introduction to the event

Hack Canada was an MLH hackathon, which means it was part of Major League Hacking’s league of student hackathons. It was focused on building something in a weekend, meeting other students, and shipping a project by the end.

The theme was solving Canadian problems. That theme actually made me more excited to participate because it pushed us toward ideas that felt useful and real, not just something flashy.

What is a hackathon?

A hackathon is basically a building race. You show up, form a team, and you have a limited amount of time to build a project from scratch. That usually means picking a problem, designing a solution, building a prototype, and then presenting it.

Hackathons are popular because you learn fast. You get to try ideas you normally would not start on your own, you meet people who are also building things, and you end the weekend with something you can show.

What is MLH (Major League Hacking)?

MLH, short for Major League Hacking, is an organization that supports student hackathons all over the world. If a hackathon is MLH, it usually means it’s following the same general format and rules as other MLH events, and it’s connected to a bigger community of students who like building things.

For me, that meant Hack Canada felt organized and fast-paced, but also really welcoming.

Preparation before the event

Before Hack Canada, I mostly prepared by making sure I was ready to build quickly. I knew I would need to work fast, learn things, and not get stuck overthinking.

I also came in with a simple goal. I wanted to understand how MLH hackathons actually work, build something real with a team, and leave with a project I could explain.

The experience at the event

The best way I can describe the experience is busy and motivating. People were working everywhere, and it felt like everyone had the same energy of trying to make something happen before the clock ran out.

A big part of the experience was collaboration. You are constantly talking through ideas, dividing tasks, and checking in to make sure the project is still coming together as one thing.

Even when things were stressful, it felt like a good kind of pressure because everyone was there to learn and build.

The project we worked on

We kept thinking about problems that are hard to solve alone, but could get easier if a lot of people helped in small ways. One of the big ones we landed on was car theft. Once a car is gone, it’s really hard for a person to find it again, even if they report it.

That’s where our project came from.

What we built

We built an AI dashcam idea called Herm. The goal was to turn a normal dashcam into something that can actually help locate stolen cars.

Herm does two things. First, it can detect people around the Herm owner’s car, which is useful for awareness and safety in parking lots or at night. Second, it can detect license plates and check if a plate has been reported stolen.

How the stolen car flow works

We designed it so it works even if the person reporting the stolen car does not have a Herm dashcam.

If someone’s car gets stolen, they can report it on a website for a price. That puts the license plate on a watch list. Then, as people who own Herm dashcams drive around, Herm is scanning plates it sees on the road. If it detects a plate that matches the watch list, it sends a notification to the owner of the stolen car with the GPS location where it was seen, and the person that scanned the car’s license plate gets a monetary bonus. At that point, the owner finally has a real lead, and it turns into a community-powered way to help find a car faster.

Challenges and what I learned from them

One challenge was the time pressure. It taught me how important it is to plan early and split tasks clearly so everyone knows what they are doing.

Another challenge was coordinating ideas in a team. Even if everyone is working hard, the project can fall apart if people are building in different directions. It forced us to communicate more and keep aligning on what the final demo should be.

Something I didn’t expect was how tough pitching can be compared to building. You can have a good project, but you still need to explain it clearly, quickly, and in a way that makes sense to someone seeing it for the first time.

Skills learned

I learned technical skills just from building quickly and having to solve problems under pressure. I also learned teamwork skills, like how to break a project into pieces, how to hand things off, and how to keep the project consistent.

I also got practice presenting. Even just preparing a demo and explaining the idea in a short pitch is a skill on its own.

Highlights of the event

One of the best parts of the weekend was seeing how different everyone’s projects were. Even with one theme, people went in completely different directions, and it made walking around and talking to others really interesting.

Another highlight was realizing how much you can get done in a weekend when you are surrounded by people who are locked in and building too.

Results or outcomes

No matter what the results were, the biggest outcome for me was understanding the hackathon process. We started with an idea, turned it into something demo-able, and had a story that connected back to the theme.

Key takeaways

The biggest thing I learned is that hackathons reward motivation. You do not need the perfect idea on day one, but you do need to commit, build, and keep moving.

I was also surprised by how much communication matters. Teamwork is not just splitting tasks, it’s making sure everyone is building the same product.

Looking ahead

After Hack Canada, I definitely want to do even more MLH hackathons. Next time, I want to prepare a little more in advance, especially around tools we might use, and I want to plan team tasks earlier so we spend less time figuring out who is doing what.

Overall, Hack Canada was my first MLH hackathon, and it ended up being a really good experience. I learned a lot, met other builders, and got to work on something that felt like it could actually help people. I came in hoping to understand how MLH hackathons work, and I left wanting to do more of them and keep building things that solve real problems.