A few months ago, our team earned 2nd place at Morocco's national AI hackathon. Like many people, I went in expecting the winning teams to have the most features or the flashiest demos.

That wasn't what made the difference.

Here are the biggest lessons I took away:

1. Don't start from zero.

Instead of inventing a completely new product over the weekend, we improved something we had already been building. That gave us more time to focus on quality instead of rushing through unfinished features.

2. Solve one real problem exceptionally well.

We cut a lot of ideas and focused on one thing: making our AI produce genuinely useful insights. Judges cared far more about depth than the number of features.

3. Make the demo interactive.

People remember experiences more than presentations.

During our demo, judges could test the product themselves using real data. That created far more impact than slides ever could.

4. Keep refining your pitch.

The technology matters, but so does how you explain it.

Instead of saying, "It's an AI analytics platform," we explained the exact workflow it replaces and who benefits from it. That made the value immediately clear.

5. Constraints force better decisions.

The hackathon took place during Ramadan, so we had limited time and energy.

Rather than trying to build everything, we prioritized the few things that would create the biggest impact.

Looking back, finishing 2nd wasn't just about winning a prize. It validated months of work, connected us with mentors and entrepreneurs, and opened the door to one of Morocco's startup programs.

For anyone preparing for a hackathon:

• Build less.
• Solve a real problem.
• Demo, don't just present.
• Make your value obvious.
• Focus relentlessly.

I'd love to hear from others who have competed in hackathons.

What was the biggest lesson you learned that you wish you'd known before your first one?