In recent years, hackathons have become a great way to kick-start innovation and find creative solutions to both corporate and real-world problems, as well as discover true gems in the tech sector.
In the United States alone, an estimate of 350 hackathons take place per year. As the year draws to a close and the largest hackathons in the world have already crowned its winners, we decided to tell you about the world’s largest Cloud competition this year - DeveloperWeek CloudX Hackathon. It took place in August 2023, and the eyes of the tech industry are now on its winners and their next steps. AP News had a unique chance to dive behind the scenes of the victory with Amirali Kerimovs’, a software engineer and the winner in one of the nominations.
The competition, now in its fourth year, was co-located with DeveloperWeek Cloud Expo, the world's largest international cloud computing conference organized by DevNetwork. This prestigious annual event in the tech industry draws thousands of professionals and prominent figures in information technology to the Bay Area, CA. It also gathers hundreds of tech experts from various countries for the contest. The stature of the DevNetwork organization is further enhanced by sponsors such as Oracle, Zoom, RedHat, Deloitte, testRigor, Github, Amazon Web Services, and others. The event features speakers and judges are software engineering leaders and executives from top level American corporations, including Jagadish Venkatraman, Senior Engineering Manager at LinkedIn; Robert McNair, Technical Trainer and Cloud Evangelist at Microsoft; Chris Van Tuin, Chief Technologist at Red Hat; Adao Oliveira, Cloud Solutions Architect at Oracle; Satish Kumar, Solutions Architect at Apple; Shankar Kalyana, Fellow at IBM; and Karthik Gaekwad, Devrel Lead for Experiments at Google, all of whom add a rich layer of expertise and industry insight. The 2023 edition was the most successful CloudX Hackathon so far, with around 500 IT professionals internationally and a total monetary prize of USD ~ $100,000.
Among 20+ nominations offered by the competition’s sponsors, Kerimovs has chosen the project by testRigor, an American generative AI-based test automation tool. testRigor takes high-level instructions, which are written in simple, everyday language, and translates them into specific, executable test steps for software applications using AI. The hackathon track task was to write a research article about how generative AI changes testing and SDLC (software development life cycle). As Kerimovs explained his choice in his Winner’s Story on DevPost, it was more than just a mere interest in a highly popular topic.
To successfully tackle this challenge, the software engineer had to demonstrate both academic knowledge and practical experience. To gather the material for this article, he created various test scenarios using testRigor’s tools. As a result of multiple days (and even several sleepless nights) of work, the article containing over 4,000 words and featuring multiple visual graphics was finished and submitted on time. And we know the rest of the story.
“At my work, I’m in charge of the product and often deal with development issues. I’ve been looking for AI-related solutions to simplify, automate, and improve the processes,” says the winner.
Artificial intelligence (abb. AI) remains a controversial topic in modern-day society, and some of the industry heavy-hitters hint at their potential harm. Kerimovs, however, is confident that in the right hands, it will only improve people’s lives. In his winning research article about Generative Artificial intelligence in the Software Development Life Cycle, he highlighted how different organizations could leverage this AI technology to drive innovation, enhance efficiency, and gain a competitive edge in the rapidly evolving digital landscape.
Kerimovs is known for his work in AI, but his proficiency extends to numerous areas of tech. In July 2023, he launched an open-source library Junter. This library takes data in JSON format, which is a common way to store information, and turns it into HTML, the code that makes up websites. This makes it much easier for website builders to use the data directly on their web pages. With Junter, creating websites becomes quicker and there are fewer mistakes, making the whole process of building a website smoother and more user-friendly, reducing the likelihood of errors in the code.
Since its launch, Junter has been downloaded over 650+ times and has made a significant impact. The project’s significance extends beyond individual accolades, having garnered praise from software engineers working in leading American and European companies. Moreover, the demand for Junter in the broader industry is undeniable, as it addresses critical challenges in data transformation and HTML structuring, streamlining processes for developers worldwide. Through the success of Junter and numerous positive reviews, Kerimovs gained recognition as one of the leading tech experts among the industry professionals.
With the tech sector in a state of constant flux, he is determined to keep pace and advance in his professional journey. As the talented software engineer says, the next step is to demonstrate his other innovative solutions at the US tech scene. And for that, he already has two big projects set in motion, in which he demonstrates his skills as both a tech expert and a visionary leader.
With his never-fading passion for excellence and growth, Kerimovs aims at one of the most challenging and vital markets in the United States – insurance. In 2022, he founded FindBelay, a pioneering InsurTech company that seamlessly blends AI with the insurance industry. The company currently works on the creation of an AI-powered solution that helps individuals get personalized insurance based on the analysis of their lives, environments, decisions, and behaviour. The insurance market has been a topic of significant debate over the years. Some consumers feel that the industry lacks transparency, particularly when it comes to pricing and claims processing. After analyzing the market and its flaws, Kerimovs outlined the goals and directions to follow. The significance of his work was establishing a functional quote engine integrated with IoT devices, successfully attracting over 2,000 early adopters across 50 states, and bringing 35,000+ U.S. users onto the platform. With the reliable people in his team the entrepreneur plans to fulfil the ultimate dream of millions of Americans – to have access to fairly-priced insurance products.
The plan may seem gargantuan, but as Kerimovs says, “The power of innovation and collaboration knows no bounds. I believe in a future where technology and leadership come together to create meaningful change.”
This burning desire to make a positive change in the world led him to participate in one of the most meaningful projects in his life so far. Since 2023, Kerimov has been serving as the Chief Product Officer at Baches.io Inc., an IT company that specializes in building payroll and hiring solutions. The success of the project and its global expansion will make a tremendous impact on the community and economy worldwide. It also means the improvement of the lives of millions of people: the platform claims to provide a safe space for people to secure official work contracts and find the best job opportunities.
Being a Chief Product Officer, Kerimovs holds an irreplaceable role within the company, meticulously overseeing all departments and teams. Since the company’s main product is a payroll & hiring app that will be linked to government entities and banks (for simplified paying taxes right on the platform), a significant part of Kerimovs’ work is dedicated to establishing the right partnerships to make that happen and overseeing the creation of a secure and trusted space for monetary operations.
With all these ambitious projects underway, Kerimovs already surpassed the status of a software engineer. He is also a product manager and entrepreneur who is fully immersed in creating a tech revolution. Kerimovs managed to achieve many goals – from winning the largest online cloud computing hackathon to making a significant contribution to the industry with his library Junter. And while these two big wins already say a lot about his professional “weight” and make him stand out as a highly recognized software engineer and innovator, Kerimovs does not seem to settle and make a pause. He takes on new roles and responsibilities to push his own limits.
Having demonstrated his skills at multiple levels, he has a clear and compelling vision for his professional future. And with his strategic thinking and motivation, he is diving into the next challenging chapter of his life – proving his worth and skills at the US tech scene.
While marching into the saturated US market is not an easy task, Kerimovs firmly believes that his zest and hard work will pay off. And honestly, this level of confidence is contagious.
Source: Story.KISSPR.com
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