Maddie Reese Wins First Place at the Lovable Ditto Hackathon ✨👯♀️
Saanvi
Thu, 18 Sep 2025 17:02:12 GMT
<p>👉 <a href="https://campus.buildclub.ai/projects/019924dd-52ae-721d-a61d-9309f0039aee">Check out Maddie’s project here</a></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tWDI!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46ade8c2-23e4-4e59-8c78-89f5c86efac6_1440x960.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tWDI!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46ade8c2-23e4-4e59-8c78-89f5c86efac6_1440x960.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tWDI!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46ade8c2-23e4-4e59-8c78-89f5c86efac6_1440x960.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tWDI!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46ade8c2-23e4-4e59-8c78-89f5c86efac6_1440x960.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tWDI!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46ade8c2-23e4-4e59-8c78-89f5c86efac6_1440x960.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tWDI!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46ade8c2-23e4-4e59-8c78-89f5c86efac6_1440x960.jpeg" width="1440" height="960" data-attrs="{"src":"https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/46ade8c2-23e4-4e59-8c78-89f5c86efac6_1440x960.jpeg","srcNoWatermark":null,"fullscreen":null,"imageSize":null,"height":960,"width":1440,"resizeWidth":null,"bytes":176551,"alt":null,"title":null,"type":"image/jpeg","href":null,"belowTheFold":false,"topImage":true,"internalRedirect":"https://buildclub.substack.com/i/173850744?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46ade8c2-23e4-4e59-8c78-89f5c86efac6_1440x960.jpeg","isProcessing":false,"align":null,"offset":false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tWDI!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46ade8c2-23e4-4e59-8c78-89f5c86efac6_1440x960.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tWDI!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46ade8c2-23e4-4e59-8c78-89f5c86efac6_1440x960.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tWDI!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46ade8c2-23e4-4e59-8c78-89f5c86efac6_1440x960.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tWDI!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46ade8c2-23e4-4e59-8c78-89f5c86efac6_1440x960.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" style="height:20px;width:20px" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><div><hr></div><h3>The Project: Not Drive</h3><p>Maddie describes <em>Not Drive</em> as more than just a visual imitation. It’s a nearly one-to-one copy of some of the world’s most widely used software — built in hours.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{"url":"https://buildclub.substack.com/subscribe?","text":"Subscribe","language":"en"}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Build Club Wrapped! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email…" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><blockquote><p>“Instead of just building something inspired by existing tools, I wanted to show that it’s possible to create a nearly one-to-one copy of a product that millions of people use every day. For me, this project was a way to prove what can be done in a compressed timeframe and also a chance to learn by rebuilding something familiar at both the design and functionality levels.”</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><h3>Why “Ditto”?</h3><p>The hackathon theme was <em>“With AI, you can copy anything.”</em> Maddie leaned all the way in.</p><blockquote><p>“I took the theme in the most literal direction I could! If you can copy anything, why not copy some of the most recognizable software out there? … Copying in this sense is not just about imitation. It is about understanding how something works and proving that you can rebuild it.”</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><h3>Challenges</h3><p>What’s the hardest part of recreating Google Drive in just a few hours? Maddie says it was all about discipline.</p><blockquote><p>“The biggest challenge was not getting ahead of myself. … In a hackathon setting you have to be disciplined about what is possible in the time you have.”</p></blockquote><p>Her strategy: start with design first, then layer in features.</p><div><hr></div><h3>Highlights</h3><p>Beyond building, Maddie says the best part was connecting with the hackathon community.</p><blockquote><p>“Hackathons are fun because you are surrounded by builders who get excited about coding for the sake of creating. I left feeling like I had gained both a project and a new community.”</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><h3>What’s Next?</h3><p>While Maddie doesn’t plan to commercialize <em>Not Drive</em>, she’s continuing to treat it as a learning platform and showcase.</p><blockquote><p>“After the hackathon, I added a working copy of Google Sheets to go with my existing project. … It also gives me a base I can use for experimenting with new features or as a starting point for future ideas.”</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><h3>Advice for Future Hackathon Builders</h3><p>If you’re on the fence about joining the next <strong>Lovable Hackathon</strong>, Maddie has one piece of advice: <strong>do it.</strong></p><blockquote><p>“You will walk away with new friends, new skills, and a project you can feel proud of. My advice is to think bigger than you think is possible. You can achieve more than you expect in a few hours, so use the time to push yourself!”</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><h3>Big Picture: Copying as a Path to Innovation</h3><p>Maddie sees “copying” as a powerful way to learn — especially with AI accelerating the process.</p><blockquote><p>“When you copy, you don’t have to waste energy making design choices. Instead, you can focus on understanding how a product really works. … Copying with AI is not the end goal, but it is a strong foundation for future innovation.”</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><p><strong>📌 Connect with Maddie on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/maddiedreese/.">LinkedIn</a>.</strong><br><strong>📌 Explore her project, <a href="https://campus.buildclub.ai/projects/019924dd-52ae-721d-a61d-9309f0039aee">Not Drive</a>.</strong></p><div><hr></div><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{"url":"https://buildclub.substack.com/subscribe?","text":"Subscribe","language":"en"}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Build Club Wrapped! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email…" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>