This is a submission for the World's Largest Hackathon Writing Challenge: Beyond the Code.
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When I started building with Bolt, I wasn’t just looking to make an app—I was solving problems around me. Garage floors, threat maps, officer safety in no-signal zones with an all in one platform for the people who keep our communities safe.
First came BoltBuddy. Born in the garage. Inspired by my baby brother, who only wished there would be something easier for small business mechanics. VIN decoding, voice-controlled AI, access to repair manuals and book time to ensure fair prices to charge the customers, and I was thinking of the most that could be achieved “hands free”. Feels like a tool, not an app. I just didn’t get the chance to make more features before another project came to mind.
I got tired of flipping through logs and watching analysts drown in data. CookieWire hit next. A purple team platform with clean separation, live scorekeeping, and a neon edge that actually feels like you’re in it. This wasn’t some bootleg dashboard—this was war room tech. I started building it as a tool but it seemed to have more educational value than anything. Overall, I was kinda thinking about myself with this one, as I am self taught in security tatics.
But I didn’t stop there. Next came the most meaningful one. Project Ivie..Created in memory of Agent Nicholas Ivie. Ivie tragically died from friendly fire. That should never have happened. The passion in me grew. Dispatchers, sheriffs, border patrol, ems units—they need to see each other. Real-time GPS, secure from civilian eyes. In a county like Cochise, where multiple agencies are working together, this app could be what saves someone and prevents them from clashing into eachother. This tool isn’t for likes. It’s something that should have already happened.
Three apps. One foundation. Bolt.new gave me the space to build, learn, and grow my knowledge on developing. I am now discovering things about my computer that I never knew. I know that when you read this challenge entry, your going to think to yourself “I have never seen these projects”. I have to be honest, I know when you read this, you’re probably thinking, “I’ve never seen these projects before.” And… yeah. That’s fair. I was that girl—the one who never submitted her project. Not for lack of trying, though. I asked the support team a few times if I could get another chance, but my submission button just straight-up ghosted me. Didn’t work.
So this is me, telling my story anyway—because I was all in for this hackathon. I built, I dreamed, I debugged, and then I cried. A lot. And took a nap. But through it all, the support team was super kind, and I wanted to say thank you for that.
This experience lit something in me. I didn’t just learn tools—I found purpose. That mini documentary on Eric Simmons and how Bolt.new started? Wildly inspiring. It reminded me why people like us start building in the first place: because we believe in something better.
And honestly? Your platform creates some of the cleanest, most beautiful apps I’ve ever seen come out of a no-code tool. That’s why I stuck with it. That’s why I’ll keep building.
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