Awarded the ZenBusiness Star award AND Winner of the Fall 2023 Zennovation Hackathon!
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Fall 2023 Zennovation Hackathon

Brandon Haverland,awards & accoladeshackathon
Zennovation Hackathon Theme!

Zennovation Hackathon First Place!Zennovation Hackathon Rovie Award!

Introduction

In the dynamic world of tech, hackathons can push the boundaries of innovation and technology. I recently participated in the ZenBusiness Fall 2023 Zennovation Hackathon, an experience that not only challenged my abilities but also allowed me to explore the vast potential of AI in software development and program management.

The Genesis of an Idea

The journey began with identifying a common pain point at ZenBusiness: the cumbersome process of debugging user issues using multiple tools. My idea? To integrate dynamic links for these tools within ZenGarden, a ZenBusiness internal admin tool, to streamline this process. As a technical program manager with a penchant for dabbling in coding, I aimed to automate the filtering and searching process across various tools like Microsoft Clarity, Sentry, Google Cloud Platform, Stripe, LaunchDarkly, and more.

Furthermore, I was challenging myself to do this as a solo project with only ChatGPT Enterpise and Github Copilot to help me.

Embracing AI as a Catalyst

Without a background in deep coding, I leveraged ChatGPT Enterprise and GitHub Copilot to bridge the gap. These tools were instrumental in coding and refining the project, showcasing AI's role as a powerful ally in software development. The project initially focused on integrating Microsoft Clarity, but the ease of implementation led to expanded scope, integrating several other third-party tools.

Overcoming Challenges

The solo nature of the project meant wearing multiple hats – from developer to tester. The primary hurdle was my limited coding experience, but with AI tools at my disposal, I navigated through the entire project lifecycle in and turned a concept into a functioning solution - in only 48 hours!

The Impact

The project was a resounding success, earning me the Overall First Place, Rovie Award (our company's popular vote), and Best Presentation at the Hackathon. More importantly, it promises to enhance debugging and triaging efficiency at ZenBusiness, offering significant time savings and ease of use.

Future Prospects with AI

This experience has cemented my belief in the potential of AI to transform software development, technical program management, and myriad of other practices. I am excited to continue exploring AI's potential in improving internal processes and developing customer-centric solutions at ZenBusiness.

Conclusion

The Zennovation Hackathon was an enlightening experience that highlighted the synergy between innovation and AI. It proved that innovative solutions don't always require traditional coding expertise but rather a keen understanding of technology and the creativity to harness it effectively.

About the Author

Brandon Haverland is an experienced technical program and project management professional at ZenBusiness, focusing on delivering scalable SaaS solutions. He is an advocate for integrating AI tools in day-to-day life and is actively involved in exploring innovative solutions for enhancing business processes and to drive customer value.

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