The NS4W – Not Safe for the Weak Hackathon by SourceHive concluded as an intense three-day technology sprint that brought together student developers, emerging engineers, and early-career technologists for a real-world coding challenge. Designed to move beyond theory and into execution, the hackathon pushed participants to deliver fully functional, AI-powered solutions under pressure, reflecting the pace and expectations of today’s technology industry.

Unlike conventional hackathons that prioritise concept pitches, NS4W placed its emphasis firmly on execution. Teams worked within high-pressure environments that demanded rapid iteration, disciplined version control, structured workflows, and continuous testing. A strict requirement shaped every build: each project had to include a working artificial intelligence component and be demonstrated as a live, functioning prototype by the end of the event.

Over the course of 72 hours, participants navigated the full development lifecycle—designing, building, breaking, fixing, and refining their solutions. International mentors supported teams throughout the process, offering technical guidance, architectural feedback, and real-world insight. Cross-university collaboration further elevated the challenge, requiring participants to adapt quickly and work cohesively with peers from different academic backgrounds. With a USD 2,000 prize on the line, competition remained fierce from start to finish.

At the conclusion of the hackathon, The Weak were announced as the winning team. Representing Al Hussein Technical University (HTU), the team, Omar Al Madani, Emad Abbadi, Hamza Albanna, Aws Abu Zaid, and Abdulkareem Shammout, stood out for their technical execution, clarity of purpose, and ability to deliver a robust, AI-driven solution under intense time constraints.

Their project, Busted, focused on profile and CV authentication, addressing the growing challenge of trust and verification in professional and digital hiring environments. Built using Python, FastAPI, MongoDB, and Vue, the solution demonstrated how structured data validation and AI-assisted analysis could be used to verify credentials and reduce misrepresentation.

Beyond the winning team, several other teams participated in the hackathon, contributing a diverse range of ideas and technical approaches that underscored the depth of talent on display throughout the competition.

The team Flinix, led by Yousef Amro, presented Future Lense, a recommendation system designed to help students make informed decisions when choosing a university. The project analysed user preferences and academic factors to generate tailored recommendations, using React JS, Python, and FastAPI to deliver a user-focused and socially relevant solution.

Neural Minds, led by Hamza Ahmed, focused on healthcare with Genetic Disease, a system aimed at predicting the type of genetic disease based on user input. The team employed Python, JavaScript, Node.js, Flask, and GPT to enhance interaction and interpret complex data, showcasing how AI tools could improve accessibility to medical insights.

Another participating team, XZOTECHX, under the leadership of Ibrahim Harb, developed True Fit, a fully automated candidate evaluation platform. Using a robust technology stack that included Python, FastAPI, React, Cython, C++, and MySQL, the solution explored how automation and AI could streamline recruitment processes and improve decision-making efficiency.

Healthcare innovation was also represented by DATX, led by Mahmoud Alkhwalda, which introduced Breast Cancer Detection, an AI-powered system focused on early identification of breast cancer indicators. Built with Python, Flask, TensorFlow, JavaScript, SQL, and SQLAlchemy, the project demonstrated the potential of machine learning models to support early detection and data-driven healthcare outcomes.

Throughout the hackathon, participants were encouraged to build quickly, embrace failure as part of the development process, and continuously improve their solutions. Mentors played a critical role in challenging assumptions, strengthening system architecture, and ensuring that teams prioritised functionality over theoretical design.

Final demonstrations were delivered in front of industry professionals, with teams presenting live systems, defending technical decisions, and responding to in-depth questions, closely mirroring startup demo days and real-world product evaluations.

As NS4W came to a close, the hackathon reinforced its reputation as a proving ground for emerging technical talent. By focusing on execution, collaboration, and real-world relevance, the event provided participants with hands-on experience that extended well beyond the competition itself, turning ambitious ideas into working technology under pressure.