Cluster | Devpost

Inspiration

Hackathons are some of the most exciting places to spark new ideas, build cool stuff, and learn from fellow creatives. But each of us on the Cluster team had the same recurring struggle: finding the right teammates. We’d scramble through Discord channels or Slack groups, posting “Anyone want to pair up?” messages, hoping for a quick match—and usually getting stuck in endless DMs that left us drained before we even started coding.

We knew there had to be a better way. After meeting at a hackathon where we’d all spent more time hunting for collaborators than actually building, we decided to tackle the problem head-on. We asked ourselves: “What if there was a platform that simply matched you with people who complemented your exact skill set?” That question led us to create Cluster. Our goal was simple: make team formation as smooth and efficient as possible, so everyone could jump into the fun part—bringing bold ideas to life.

What It Does

Cluster analyzes participant skills by letting users upload their resume, connect their LinkedIn, or link their GitHub profile. It then identifies gaps in each person’s abilities and automatically pairs them with teammates who complement those strengths. Once a team is formed, Cluster offers project management features—like automated task creation and progress tracking—so that everything needed for a successful hackathon is in one place.

How We Built It

Vite
We chose Vite for its fast build times and straightforward setup. It let us iterate quickly and keep our development environment light.
TypeScript
TypeScript helps us maintain cleaner code and catch errors early. Its type system makes it easier to refactor as the app grows.
React
We built the interface in React for its component-driven approach, which made the UI more modular and easier to maintain.
Tailwind CSS + shadcn-ui
These gave us a head start on styling and layout, keeping our design consistent across the app. Tailwind’s utility classes combine nicely with shadcn-ui’s prebuilt components for a polished look.
Supabase
We use Supabase for user authentication, database management, and real-time features. It simplifies back-end tasks so we can focus on creating a seamless hackathon experience.
Google Gemini AI
Our AI integration parses skill data from resumes or LinkedIn profiles, then recommends well-balanced team matches. It also generates tasks from the proposed project description, assigns them to members based on their strengths, and predicts the amount of time needed according to their perceived experience level. Additionally, it supports brainstorming and other advanced features.

Challenges We Ran Into

Skill Parsing
Converting raw text (resumes, LinkedIn data) into structured skill categories pushed us to refine our AI’s parsing logic.
Real-Time Collaboration
We wanted instantaneous updates for tasks, progress, and team communication—so we leaned heavily on Supabase’s real-time capabilities.
User Experience
Striking a balance between helpful AI and not overwhelming users with suggestions was trickier than it seems. We iterated multiple times to get this just right.

What We Learned

Fast Iterations with Vite
Vite’s speedy dev server was a game-changer for testing features quickly.
Strong Typing with TypeScript
TypeScript saved us from countless potential bugs by ensuring we stuck to well-defined contracts.
Integration Best Practices
We learned how to combine multiple tools—Supabase, AI, React, and more—without muddying performance or user flow.

What’s Next for Cluster

Enhanced AI Capabilities
We’d love to expand the AI features to offer code suggestions or real-time debugging help.
More Collaboration Tools
We’re exploring ways to make teamwork even easier—like built-in video calls or integrated design boards.
Hackathon Community
The goal is to build a thriving network that extends beyond a single event, so participants can keep collaborating and sharing their progress long after the hackathon ends.

We’re excited about how Cluster makes hackathons more about creativity and less about logistics. Give it a try, and see how quickly you can form a dream team and get coding!