This is a submission for the New Year, New You Portfolio Challenge Presented by Google AI
About Me
I am a final-year Computer Science student. Like many of you, I remember sitting in my 2nd semester, scratching my head just trying to understand a basic directory structure.
Fast forward to today, and I’m the solo founder and developer of VersionCV. The transition from "Hello World" to building a full-scale SaaS over 8 intense months was a journey of building, breaking, and refining. We all know the feeling of building an efficient system and finally seeing it work after failing many times.
With this portfolio, I’ve tried to give little glimpses of the projects I have built and the thought process behind the scenes.
Portfolio
🔗 Live Portfolio (Custom Domain): https://ayushpandey.me
🔗 Direct Cloud Run Origin Embed:
(This portfolio is deployed to Google Cloud Run using the required challenge label:
--labels dev-tutorial=devnewyear2026)While I have connected a custom DNS for a clean production link at
https://ayushpandey.me, the direct origin is embedded above for contest validation.
Open Source & Transparency
You can explore the full source code and documentation here and build your own better one:
GitHub Repository: https://github.com/ap-dev-github/portfolio-new-dev
How I Built It
I wanted people to see the DNA of my projects. A static image wasn't enough.
Gemini as Guide
I initially looked at Mermaid for my architecture, but it lacked the level of interactivity I envisioned. I needed something that felt alive.
The Pivot
Using Gemini 3 Flash, I explored ways to bridge abstract architecture with functional UI.
The Result
I landed on React Flow. I started with 2-3 nodes, and as the logic clicked, I converted the entire Low-Level Design (LLD) of my SaaS into an interactive pipeline.
Use Case
Visitors can click on nodes to see the flow details and understand exactly how the project I have built works behind the scenes.
Infrastructure:
Google Cloud Run: Optimized via a 3-Stage Docker Build to handle cold-starts which were 5 seconds initially.
What I'm Most Grateful For
I’m not "proud" in the traditional sense—I’m grateful.
We live in an era where the resources to learn, build, and break things are at our fingertips. From the Gemini API to Cloud Run's generous free tier, the barrier to entry for a student to create something from our raw creativity and fundamentals has never been lower. It’s getting better every day, and this portfolio is my tribute to this "Builder Era."
Keep building Guys :)
Top comments (0)