Leadership, Learning & Real-World Exposure: Ratan’s Flipr Hackathon Journey

Student: Kollabathula Ratan
Year: 4th Year, GRIET
Hackathon: Flipr Hackathon 28.2

Background

For Kollabathula Ratan, Flipr Hackathon 28.2 came as a wonderful opportunity shared through his college. As a 4th-year student from GRIET with a natural inclination toward leadership, he stepped into the event as a team leader, eager to guide his group and learn something new along the way.

He saw the hackathon as a space where he could challenge himself, understand team dynamics better, and build something meaningful under real-world constraints. More than anything, he wanted an experience that would help him grow — both technically and personally.

The Challenge

Unlike many hackathon stories filled with obstacles and surprises, Ratan’s journey was surprisingly smooth. His biggest challenge wasn’t a technical error or an unexpected breakdown; it was simply learning how to handle responsibility and guide others effectively.

Taking the role of a leader meant ensuring clarity, aligning ideas, and maintaining progress throughout the build. This experience helped him understand how much leadership influences the outcome of a project and how important it is to communicate and collaborate in a fast-paced environment.

The Hackathon Experience

When Ratan describes the hackathon, he remembers it as “a good experience” — but for him, that phrase carries depth. It was his first time experiencing such structured teamwork under time pressure, and the environment pushed him to think clearly, coordinate better, and stay composed as a leader.

He felt that the hackathon gave him the right balance of learning and exposure, allowing him to build confidently while understanding how real-world technology flows from idea to execution.

The Project

Ratan and his team built an Online Meeting Summary Analysis System — a tool designed to analyze meeting discussions and generate clear summaries. It was a practical and relevant problem, especially in the age of remote work and virtual collaboration.

The project involved handling speech or text inputs, generating structured summaries, and making the entire pipeline smooth for users. For Ratan, this was the perfect opportunity to blend backend development with intelligent automation.

Ratan’s Contribution

As the team leader, Ratan took responsibility for the backend development and the integration of API keys, ensuring the system worked reliably and efficiently. He was involved in designing the project’s flow and making key decisions that shaped how the system behaved.

More than building backend logic, he learned how to balance responsibilities — guiding the team, ensuring consistency in the project, and keeping everyone aligned. The experience taught him that leadership is not just about giving direction; it’s about staying accountable and ensuring that every decision moves the project forward.

Outcome & Reflection

By the end of Flipr Hackathon 28.2, Ratan gained far more than just a completed project. He learned how to take responsibility, work within a group, and handle technical tasks while managing people.

He realized that hackathons offer exposure that’s almost impossible to get inside a classroom — real-world challenges, real deadlines, and real teamwork. It gave him clarity about how projects evolve and how his role as a leader can influence the entire outcome.

For him, the hackathon was not just an event — it was an opportunity to sharpen his skills, gain confidence, and position himself strongly for future internships and placements.

Student Quote

“Flipr Hackathon was a great opportunity to learn, take responsibility, and gain exposure to real-world development. It’s also a strong platform to get noticed, explore PPO opportunities, and build skills that matter.”

Closing Thoughts

From leading his team to building a complete backend system, Kollabathula Ratan’s journey at Flipr Hackathon 28.2 is a reminder that growth happens when you take responsibility and step into roles that challenge you.

He came in to learn something new.
He left with experience, confidence, and a clearer path toward future opportunities.

At Flipr Labs, that is exactly what we strive to create — an environment where students experience real-world engineering, explore meaningful problems, and grow into confident creators.

Because sometimes, one smooth but powerful experience is enough to shape your next big step.