When a team of students from Western Mindanao State University boarded a flight from Zamboanga to Manila, they had never used FlutterFlow and had never competed in a hackathon. Twenty-four hours later, they would walk away with the top prize at Manila's first FlutterFlow hackathon, proving that with the right tools and determination, innovation can emerge from anywhere in the Philippines.
The event, organized by Flutter Flow Developer Group Manila led by Shad Roi, Jhoenil Wahid and team, took place on November 22-23, 2024. Spread across three premier venues—Google Philippines Office, White Cloak Office, and Common Ground Rockwell—the hackathon brought together students and professionals with a unique challenge.
The Challenge: From Zero to App in 24 Hours
"Build a fully functional app addressing sustainable development goals" – that was the challenge presented to participants. But there was a twist: they would have to use FlutterFlow, a powerful but unfamiliar tool for most contestants.
FlutterFlow represents a new wave in app development – a platform that promises to turn anyone into an app creator through its drag-and-drop interface. While traditional app development can take weeks or months, FlutterFlow claims users can build functioning apps in hours. This hackathon would put that claim to the test.
For most participants, this was their first experience with FlutterFlow, adding an extra layer of challenge to the 24-hour time constraint.
The challenge focused on three UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
- SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
- SDG 4: Quality Education
- SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
These goals provided teams with real-world problems to solve, pushing them beyond mere technical exercises.
The event kicked off at Google Philippines' sleek offices with introductory talks from organizers and mentors. As the 24-hour countdown began, the energy was electric despite the mounting pressure.
Throughout the first day, mentors invited by the organizers circulated among the teams, offering guidance, technical expertise, and encouragement. These seasoned professionals helped participants navigate both the challenges of FlutterFlow and the intricacies of app development.
After 6 PM, participants had the option to continue their work either at their own space or at White Cloak Technologies' office, with the final leg of the hackathon taking place at Common Ground Rockwell.
Racing Against Time
As teams settled into their workspaces, a pattern emerged: most participants were combining FlutterFlow with other cutting-edge tools. Teams quickly adapted to the platform, combining FlutterFlow with Firebase for data management and Gemini AI for enhanced features. This creative tech stack demonstrated how FlutterFlow could integrate seamlessly with modern development tools.
Demo Day
The morning of day two at Common Ground Rockwell saw teams continuing to refine their apps and prepare for their pitches. The pressure was palpable as participants raced to polish features, fix bugs, and rehearse their presentations.
Steve Ng ("SteveOps"), Customer Engineering at FlutterFlow, delivered a short but impactful talk. He shared five essential tips for pitch preparation, emphasizing that successful pitching transcends basic presentation skills. His guidance focused on the art of storytelling and the importance of clearly communicating value propositions to the judges.
At 2 PM, thirteen teams lined up to present their creations. Each team had just seven minutes—five for their pitch and two for Q&A—to showcase what they'd built in 24 intense hours. The presentations revealed not just technical achievements, but innovative approaches to addressing sustainable development goals.
The Judging Process
Teams were evaluated based on these criteria:
- SDG Alignment (30%): Does the solution effectively address the chosen sustainable development goal?
- Creativity and Innovation (25%): How unique and innovative is the proposed solution?
- Usability and Design (20%): Is the app functional, intuitive, and well-designed?
- FlutterFlow Technical Implementation (15%): How effectively were FlutterFlow's features utilized?
- Pitch Quality (10%): Was the presentation clear, compelling, and well-delivered?
Innovation Unleashed
The solutions presented tackled pressing challenges in creative ways. From health monitoring to educational tools, each team demonstrated how no-code platforms could rapidly transform ideas into working applications.
Winners Circle
After careful deliberation, three teams stood out for their innovative approaches and polished execution:
3rd Place: Neosolve with Procrash!
Tackling procrastination with a gamified productivity app, you've turned habit-building into an adventure.
Price: 20,000.00 + 6 Months of FlutterFlow Pro
Team Members: Miguel Kalaw, Lauvigne Lumeda, Kean Louis Rosales, Renato Causing
2nd Place: Flux with Inspectrum!
Your thoughtful approach to the early detection of ADHD and ASD through eye gaze tracking is both innovative and inclusive.
Price: 30,000.00 + 6 Months of FlutterFlow Pro
Team Members: Alice Euna Bagaporo, Emman Manduriaga, John Lemuel Nesperos, Peter Joshua Brion, Warren Paul DS. Quiambao
1st Place: Team Null with Sustancia!
They created an app promoting balanced and healthier eating habits through simple photo analysis and city-wide nutrition trends.
Price: 50,000.00 + 6 Months of FlutterFlow Pro
Team Members: John Kyle T. Alas-as, Landrei R. Zerna, Ray Vincent DS. Concepcion, Jethro Ezekiel R. Natividad, Jaydee C. Ballaho
A Journey of Firsts
The story of Team Null's victory is particularly remarkable. Coming from Western Mindanao State University in Zamboanga, these first-time hackathon participants embarked on their journey to Manila with nothing but determination and support from their university, which sponsored their travel—recognizing the invaluable opportunity for real-world tech exposure.
Arriving in Taguig a day before the event, the team, accompanied by their instructor Jaydee C. Ballaho, spent their time preparing for the challenge ahead. None of them had previous experience with FlutterFlow, but the platform's intuitive nature quickly won them over.
"The visual interface makes it incredibly easy to build apps," one team member shared. "You can seamlessly combine ideation and development." While they encountered initial challenges with features like scroll functionality, the platform's user-friendly design helped them adapt rapidly. Within hours, they were confidently building their application, demonstrating FlutterFlow's promise of enabling quick development even for newcomers.
What set Team Null apart wasn't complex technology or elaborate business models—it was their straightforward approach to problem-solving. While other teams focused on intricate solutions, they created an intuitive app that anyone could understand and use immediately. This clarity of vision, combined with their humble attitude and collaborative spirit, resonated strongly with both users and judges.
Their victory serves as a powerful reminder that innovation knows no geographical bounds. For students and developers outside Metro Manila, Team Null's success proves that with determination and the right tools, groundbreaking solutions can emerge from anywhere in the Philippines.
The Bigger Picture
The FlutterFlow Hackfest 2024 wasn't just another tech competition—it was a powerful demonstration of how the development landscape is evolving. Through this event, three fundamental truths emerged:
First, modern development tools are transforming how we build software. What once took months can now be accomplished in hours, enabling Filipino developers to focus more on solving problems than wrestling with code.
Second, innovation knows no geography. A team from Western Mindanao State University, competing in their first hackathon, proved that groundbreaking solutions can emerge from anywhere in the Philippines—from Zamboanga to Manila, talent and creativity know no bounds.
Third, community drives growth. As Steve Ng from FlutterFlow observed, while "FlutterFlow's team is still small in South East Asia," the FFDG Manila team's strategic approach—focusing on building a strong local developer community before launching this ambitious event—created a foundation that enabled even complete newcomers to thrive. "Many participants were completely new to the platform, yet they created amazing things," Ng noted.
With this successful hackathon, the Philippines has shown once again that it can be a powerhouse of tech innovation in Southeast Asia, proving that with the right tools and determination, Filipino developers can compete on the global stage.
About the Author
Miguel Fermin is the CTO of White Cloak Technologies, co-host of KakaComputer, a tech geek, and a proud supporter of PH Startups and Tech Communities.
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