The latest articles on DEV Community by Juanita Mumbi (@juanita_mumbi_25179d5689f). https://dev.to/juanita_mumbi_25179d5689f https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F4101210%2F9a3e3fcb-5e8d-49a2-9c6b-fab621777f4a.webp https://dev.to/juanita_mumbi_25179d5689f en Juanita Mumbi Sun, 30 Aug 2026 10:13:59 +0000 https://dev.to/juanita_mumbi_25179d5689f/overcoming-imposter-syndrome-in-my-first-mlh-hackathon-1836 https://dev.to/juanita_mumbi_25179d5689f/overcoming-imposter-syndrome-in-my-first-mlh-hackathon-1836 <p>If you’ve ever looked at a major hackathon page, hovered your mouse over the "Register" button, and hesitated—this post is for you.</p> <p>Having participated in local, physical hackathons before, I was no stranger to coding under a deadline. But when I signed up for my first Major League Hacking (MLH) event, a sudden wave of hesitation hit me. I realized I’d be competing against thousands of skilled developers from all over the world—people I didn't know, using stacks I was still mastering. </p> <p>I found myself asking... <strong>"Is this even worth my time if I might not win?"</strong></p> <h2> The Real Purpose of a Hackathon </h2> <p>After taking a step back to reflect on the experience, I came to a realization that changed my perspective completely: <strong>Hackathons are built for personal growth, not just competition.</strong></p> <p>It’s easy to focus on the grand prizes, the shiny swag, or who finishes at the top of the leaderboard. But the truth is:</p> <ul> <li> <strong>Prizes are just extra recognition</strong>: They exist to appreciate top builds, but missing out on a prize doesn't mean your effort was wasted.</li> <li> <strong>Not winning isn't a failure</strong>: Not coming out on top simply means you gained experience, found areas to sharpen, and got a blueprint for what to build next.</li> <li> <strong>Growth is guaranteed</strong>: Every line of code you write under time constraints, every new bug you resolve, and every project you attempt makes you a better developer than you were yesterday.</li> </ul> <h2> To Anyone Hesitating to Sign Up </h2> <p>If you are curious about hackathons but scared to try them because of the scale or the competition, <strong>do it anyway</strong>. </p> <p>Step out of your comfort zone. Treat it as a sandbox to test your skills, build cool things, and grow as a person. The real win is proving to yourself that you can take on the challenge and keep coming back to try again.</p> <p><strong>What was holding you back from entering your first hackathon, and how did you get past it? Let's chat in the comments about our experiences during hackathons :)</strong></p> webdev beginners mlh