Three Days. One Vision. One Win: Shashi’s Leap Into End-to-End AI Building
Student: Shashi Preetham Cholluri
Year: 4th Year, IIIT Nagpur
Hackathon: Flipr Hackathon 25
Background
Most students wait for the “right project” or “more time” to start building something meaningful.
But Shashi Preetham didn’t want to wait.
As a 4th-year student from IIIT Nagpur, he came into Flipr Hackathon 25 with one clear intention —
build an end-to-end project in just 3 days and stretch his skills beyond what he thought was possible.
For him, this hackathon wasn’t just an event.
It was a personal challenge. A test of speed, clarity, and consistency.
The Challenge
Shashi’s biggest hurdle wasn’t the idea — it was the integration.
He had to:
- integrate AI into an already existing UI,
- build the backend logic,
- and finally deploy everything on Google Cloud Platform —
all within 72 hours.
No buffer. No luxury. Just pure execution.
But instead of panicking, he broke the entire problem down into small, clear buckets.
That simple shift — clarity + segregation of work — enabled him to move faster and smarter.
The Hackathon Experience
Shashi describes his Flipr experience with just two words:
“It was great.”
And for good reason.
He was tight on schedule.
He barely had time to overthink.
Every hour required focus, intention, and momentum.
But what made the experience special wasn’t the pressure — it was the growth that came with it.
By the end of Day 3, he had built an enhanced project, shipped a working demo, and even won his first hackathon.
What started as an experiment became a milestone.
The Project
Shashi’s project wasn’t a small one —
he built a News Summarization & Aggregation System with translation capabilities for local languages.
The idea:
In a world full of information, help users get the right news — summarized, translated, and easily consumable.
It combined:
- AI summarization models
- backend pipelines
- multi-language support
- real-time aggregation
- and cloud deployment
A complete end-to-end system built within just three days — exactly what he set out to do.
Shashi’s Contribution
Since it was primarily his project, Shashi took responsibility for the AI system, the backend, and the system design.
He:
✔ Integrated AI models with real-time data
✔ Designed the entire architecture
✔ Managed backend communication
✔ Deployed the full product on Google Cloud Platform
This wasn’t just coding.
This was full-stack problem-solving — design, logic, integration, deployment.
An entire product built from scratch.
Outcome & Reflection
By the end of Flipr Hackathon 25, Shashi had gained something far more valuable than a win — belief.
He realized he could:
- build complete projects in limited time,
- integrate AI without fear,
- deploy systems independently,
- and manage an end-to-end workflow even without years of prior experience.
He walked away with clarity, direction, and the confidence to take on bigger challenges.
His biggest takeaway?
“Get clarity, segregate your work, and integrate confidently.”
Student Quote
“Flipr Hackathon improved my confidence in doing any end-to-end project in limited time.
I learned how to break tasks, stay clear, and integrate everything smoothly — even without strong prior experience.”
Closing Thoughts
From setting a 3-day challenge for himself to winning his first hackathon, Shashi Preetham Cholluri’s journey through Flipr Hackathon 25 is proof that big growth doesn’t need big timelines — it needs clarity, consistency, and courage.
He came in to test himself.
He left with a complete product, a win, and a new understanding of what he is capable of.
And at Flipr Labs, this is exactly what we aim for —
helping students move from taking courses to building real systems, from self-doubt to capability.
Because sometimes, the only thing you need is a deadline — and the belief that you can build something real.