Reflexion: Hackathon L, Real Life W
4/24/2026
TLDR: Didn’t make the hackathon. App still works. I use it. Friend uses it. Hav-ING FUN :)
Built Reflexion for the Gemini3 hackathon — an AI language learning app that makes you actually do things instead of just consuming flashcards until your eyes glaze over.
The whole pitch: active recall > passive consumption. You translate, you speak, Gemini tells you where you went wrong in real time. Supports English, German, French, Chinese. Feedback in under 3 seconds so you can feel bad about your pronunciation faster.
React/TypeScript + Node.js, runs on Google Cloud Run. Built with vibes and deadline pressure.
Did I win? No. Did I get a participation trophy? Also no. I did get some badges though. COOL!
But here’s the thing — I actually need this app. I use it regularly to practice my languages and it genuinely helps. There’s something deeply satisfying about building a tool for yourself, using it, and going “yep, I made the right thing.” I built it because I needed it. I needed it because I built it. The circle of life.
The hackathon deadline also forced me to actually vibe code a full-stack app from scratch — something I’d been mysteriously “planning to do” for a while. Turns out shipping something is easier when a timer is running.
Recommended it to a friend. She uses it to practice her languages. She seems to like it. :)
Honestly? Win win. FUN!