Flipkart GRID 5.0 Winning Experience (SDE Track)
The story doesn’t start at Flipkart GRID 5.0. It goes back a year when our team joined Flipkart GRID 4.0. I remember the day of the quiz vividly. We studied hard the entire day because the scores were going to be averaged. We even planned how to approach the problems statements, as they were released earlier before the quiz. Despite all our efforts, we didn’t make it through. The team was upset, but we didn’t let it bring us down. We took the loss in our stride and stayed positive……
The next year, Flipkart GRID 5.0 was announced, and within a few hours, we registered ourselves and formed a team. This time, we had a clear goal and a game plan to make it through.
But believe it or not, this year Flipkart GRID 5.0 received an astonishing 4.7 lakh registrations nationwide. Now, do you understand? Getting into IITs would be easier than competing against 4.7 lakh people and getting into finals. Despite this challenge, but we still stayed hopeful….
Round 1–24th of July:
Format: MCQ Round
Nature: Proctored mode
Number of Questions: 30
Topics: CS fundamentals, OOPs, OS, and DBMS
Additional Content: Questions related to Flipkart trivia
Scoring System: Bonus marks for tough questions and fast answers
Team Participation: All 3 members required to take the quiz
Result Calculation: Scores averaged across team members
A week later, the results were out, and to our delight, WE QUALIFIED!😱 Our joy was soaring high. However, here’s the twist — a staggering 16,809 other teams also made it through. Shockingly, we were informed about another quiz round without any prior notice. WHAT…? There seemed to be no way we could navigate through this challenge once again.
Round 1.2–2nd of August:
Once again, on the 2nd of August, we faced the same constraints, and the results were swiftly declared within a few days. And guess what? ONCE AGAIN, WE ARE BAFFLED! The disbelief hit us hard — qualified again? WHAT???? There was no way around it; we had to double-check. And indeed, as we reviewed, there it was, a confirmation.
But hold on, the surprise didn’t end there. Shockingly, there were 2088 more teams in the same boat🥲, and to add to the twist, the majority hailed from TIER 1 COLLEGES. The rollercoaster of emotions continued as we grappled with this unexpected turn of events.
Now, faced with the task of selecting a problem statement, we had three intriguing options:
Conversational Fashion Outfit Generator powered by GENAI
Blockchain-based Rewards and Loyalty Platform Using Fungible Tokens
Personalized Product Recommendation
Each problem statement held its own unique challenges and potential, making the decision a pivotal moment for our team in the Flipkart GRID 5.0 journey.
We opted for the first challenge: Conversational Fashion Outfit Generator powered by GENAI.
Round 2:
We were given less than two weeks to create a prototype and submit a PPT along with a working video of the prototype. Honestly, we had NO IDEA how to tackle this.
To make things more challenging, we missed the first few days due to exams. PANIC MODE: ACTIVATED💀.
But then came the coding part. Here’s the approach we took, and a tip for YOU as well because, believe me, IT WORKED FOR US.
- List down every expectation: Jot down every single thing the problem statement expects. Get into the nitty-gritty details outlined in the PDF, and make sure not to miss anything.
- Understand and break down: With this extensive list, understand it thoroughly. Break it down into multiple smaller subproblems.
- Embrace the fact you are a beginner: Acknowledge that you might not grasp everything at first. Read numerous research papers for each small subproblem to understand the approaches taken.
- Exhaust all resources: Exhaust all resources available. Look for someone who has solved a similar problem before. GitHub, YouTube, articles, ChatGPT — all are fair game. However, prioritize research papers. Always go for the latest ones as they usually address the shortcomings of previous solutions.
- Be your own think tank: If you can’t find open-source code or if it doesn’t run (we faced the same issue), rely on your own intellect. Read the research paper, understand the approach, and code it yourself. After all, you’re a coder; this is what you do.
ROLL UP YOUR SLEEVES, TRUST YOUR BRAIN, AND CODE ON! 🚀
We took the same approach and solved for the solution, worked day and night for like 12–18 hours, 100% dedication and till the last second we were building something or the other to the project and the day comes and, we submitted our hard-earned project.
Result Day:
It’s the first week of September, and honestly, we have NO HOPES. Of course, we’re optimistic, and we’re hoping we’ll at least qualify. We couldn’t have done any better in this project; this was the BEST we could do in this time span. We asked ourselves, “Could we do any better if we go back and start again?” The answer was a resounding NO! Because we had given it ALL.
But I kept on telling myself, “There’s NO WAY we’re gonna qualify.” Look at the competition, man… they are HUGE… they are so SMART that “jaha hamari soch khatam hoti hai waha unki shuru hoti hai” (where our thinking ends, theirs begins).
And then, something MAGICAL happened. We received an email from Flipkart saying “CONGRATULATIONS.” My heart stopped for a few seconds, and then it started beating at a speed of 150 miles per second. I couldn’t breathe; I don’t know what happened at that time. I didn’t even read the mail after “congratulations” and just called Hrushikesh, my teammate, and that’s it — WE HAD MADE IT. We found our peace after SO LONG, after SO MUCH EFFORT and HARDWORK.
They had a meet, explained everything, how everything’s gonna happen. They booked our flights and hotels, and we were SET TO GO.
IT’S A MIX OF EMOTIONS — ECSTATIC, OVERWHELMED, AND GRATEFUL! 🎉🙌
Round 3- 14th of September:
The day arrives, 14th September. We find ourselves at the ETV Campus in Bangalore, where all 9 teams are present, gearing up for the competition. ALL TEAMS LOOK FIERCE💪. There’s a fire in their eyes, and the way they talk makes you imagine they eat Oxford Dictionaries for breakfast. They’re ready to grab that cup, and it seems like they’ve already won in their minds. Physically, they just have to lift that trophy.
We present our PPTs and working demo video. Questions are thrown at us, and then we have to WAIT.
The other teams follow with their presentations. There’s some dancing, singing, speeches, and then, finally, RESULTS.
AND WE WON🏆!
It’s a mix of emotions — disbelief, joy, and gratitude. We went from feeling like underdogs to lifting the trophy. WHAT A RIDE! 🏆🎉
Major Tip if you want to ace any hackathon that worked for us:
1. Build a Strong Team: Choose members with versatile problem-solving skills.
2. Stay Connected: Regular updates twice a day keep everyone engaged and valued.
3. Research Thoroughly: Read relevant research papers for insights and innovation.
4. Maximize Resources: Exhaust all options before relying solely on your creativity.
5. Visually Impactful Presentations: Craft visually appealing presentations for maximum impact.
6. Confidence is Key: Speak with unwavering confidence during presentations and Q&A.
Following these tips boosts your hackathon success. Good luck!
Here are some photos of Flipkart GRID 5.0 from Flipkart Office Bangalore:
