Meet Ashish Bhatt, a Product Engineer at Abacus Insights, one of our mentors for the Nepal-US AI Hackathon whose journey from community builder to coder is anything but conventional.
🛠 From Maker Valley to Machine Code
Ashish didn’t begin his career in the typical tech pipeline. He started by co-founding Maker Valley, a Kathmandu-based makerspace where students explored 3D printing, prototyping, and tech challenges.
“We ran design challenges, hackathons, and events—just trying to help people bring their ideas to life.”
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After a few years of building the community, he pivoted to marketing roles at a tech company—helping them with ad campaigns and business development.
But working closely with engineers reignited his original interest in building things himself. So, he took a leap, enrolled in a coding bootcamp, and soon after was hired as a software engineer. Today, he’s a Product Engineer, blending business acumen with technical execution.
🤝 Why He Said Yes to Mentoring
Ashish has hosted hackathons before—including a weeklong challenge focused on assistive tech. What set it apart? Empathy.
“We brought in the people we were solving for. Participants had to interview them, understand their needs, and build accordingly.”
So when asked to mentor for the Nepal-US AI Hackathon, he didn’t think twice.
“I love being around smart people. Hackathons are a way to see the world through new perspectives. It’s not just about the tech—it’s about the ideas.”
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🤖 What He’s Excited to See
Ashish is curious about how participants will use AI—not just to show off cutting-edge tools, but to solve real problems.
“I’m excited to see how people apply emerging tech. But more than that, I want to see user-centered solutions—something thoughtful, even if it’s simple.”
🧠 His Advice for First-Time Hackers
If this is your first hackathon, here’s Ashish’s advice:
Don’t overthink. You’ve already signed up. Now just build.
Keep it simple. Focus on one small problem and solve it well.
Think about users. Even if you don’t have time for full research, talk to at least a few people you’re designing for.
Start small. You don’t have to solve the world’s problems in 73 hours.
“When people try to solve everything, they usually end up solving nothing.”
💭 How to Get the Most From a Hackathon
Ashish’s biggest takeaway as a past organizer?
“People who came in with an open mind—to learn, to collaborate, not just win—were the ones who got the most out of the experience.”
Hackathons are pressure cookers. But they’re also playgrounds. And with mentors like Ashish, we know this year’s participants are in great hands.
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