Unleashing Innovation: Highlights from TrueFoundry's Internal Hackathon

At TrueFoundry, we are dedicated to developing an integrated platform solution that empowers data scientists to experiment, version, fine-tune and deploy their ML/LLM models with ease. Alongside our customer-focused endeavours, we believe in fostering a culture of innovation and providing our team with the opportunity to explore their ideas beyond their regular roles. That’s why our internal hackathons hold a special place in our hearts.

The Essence of an Internal Hackathon

An internal hackathon is not just an event; it’s a unique opportunity to break free from the constraints of daily routines and dive headfirst into a creative journey. It brings together our remote team members physically, fostering collaboration, camaraderie, and cross-team connections that may not always be possible in our virtual work environment.

Hacking our way on Generative AI

On June 23rd, we embarked on our second internal hackathon, and it was a truly unforgettable experience. We carefully selected a stunning villa in Bangalore, India’s vibrant startup capital, as our venue. For three exhilarating days, we immersed ourselves in an environment brimming with excitement, collaboration, and the shared pursuit of innovation. The hackathon provided the perfect blend of work and play, allowing us to bond with colleagues and explore new avenues of collaboration.

The Hackathon Unfolded

The hackathon kicked off on a Friday morning after indulging in a delicious South Indian breakfast. During the initial two hours, we immersed ourselves in brainstorming sessions, forming teams of two or three members comprising individuals with technical and non-technical expertise. With our teams and problem statements finalized, the clock started ticking on a 24-hour-long hackathon. As the hours flew by, our teams dived deep into their projects, brainstorming, coding, and collaborating relentlessly. It was a rollercoaster of emotions, filled with exhilarating breakthroughs, intense coding sessions, and collaborative problem-solving. Despite the intensity, the hackathon also provided ample opportunities for relaxation and bonding, with delicious meals, impromptu team huddles, and lively discussions that extended beyond the confines of work.

Presenting the Projects

At the end of the hackathon, teams showcased their projects live, and all participating members had the opportunity to observe and vote for the best project. The presentations were inspiring, demonstrating our team members' immense talent and dedication. We marvelled at the ingenuity behind each project, celebrating the diversity of ideas and approaches. The post-hackathon celebration added a delightful touch, with parties and team activities making it a truly unforgettable experience.

Projects That Pushed Boundaries

The hackathon proved to be a breeding ground for remarkable projects that have the potential to shape the future of TrueFoundry. Let’s explore some of the highlights:

Making Real-Time Development Easy

The TFExecutor team delivered a POC that introduced shell access to Kubernetes Pods, enabling Data Scientists to make real-time changes to deployed ML/LLM code. Additionally, they developed a code space feature for enhanced collaboration and development. Following the successful demo, we decided to release Code space to our users and continue developing the Kubernetes pod shell access project.

Read more on Kubernetes for Data-Scientists

Enhancing Website Interaction Metrics

To address low inbound leads despite an 800% increase in website traffic, our product design team analyzed click rates and screen time. Their insights led to a revamped website design based on the principle of AIDA. We have decided to implement these changes to improve our inbound leads.

Streamlining Platform Onboarding

Since the launch of our public cloud version in early June, over 30 organizations have signed up. However, many teams faced challenges when it came to launching Kubernetes clusters to connect with TrueFoundry. Team TrueMakkhan developed a POC using CIVO, an auto-provisioned cluster available on a trial period, to streamline the onboarding process. The demo was met with enthusiasm, and we are now working towards a production-ready solution for a hassle-free onboarding experience.

Simplifying Model Testing with LLM Playground

LLM (Large Language Model) technologies have gained significant popularity, and TrueFoundry is making it easier for companies to utilize them. Team Underdogs created an MVP LLM playground featuring various models, including those from OpenAI, Replicate, Hugging Face, and internally fine-tuned models. The dashboard, protected with TrueFoundry’s OAuth, allows organization admins to control model availability and set centralized API keys for paid LLM providers. This integration has been released, offering a seamless experience to our users.

Try out LLM playground

Entering into LLMOps Community

Hackathons are not just about technical innovation; they also provide opportunities to foster community and build a strong company culture. Team Sleep Deprived conducted a comprehensive analysis of TrueFoundry’s presence across various platforms and devised a detailed plan to expand our reach as an ML platform. Their initiatives include SEO optimization, listing on popular GitHub repositories and ML tool platforms, engaging with domain experts for our podcast TrueMLTalks, and producing insightful blogs and ebooks. These efforts ensure that TrueFoundry is recognized and valued within the ML community.

Also, check how TrueFoundry is making LLMOps easy for you: The $360K question about Large Language Models Economics, TrueFoundry Now Deploys and Fine-tunes Open Source LLMs With a Few Clicks!

Automated Web Scraping

Our sales team used to spend valuable time searching for relevant leads on LinkedIn, GitHub, and Slack channels. Team SkyScrapper took on the challenge of automating this process, developing web scraping scripts that extracted data based on targeted keywords from various platforms. Their solution not only saved time but also ensured a consistent and efficient lead-generation process for our sales team.

Cost Optimization with CostGPT

To help organizations reduce infrastructure costs by following best practices, Team CostGPT created a concise Google form that provides insights and recommendations. By surveying multiple companies, they generated valuable leads and contributed to cost-reduction efforts.

Check out How Neurobit saves 60% of their infra cost

The test is live and you can take it here

Automated Testing for Platform Stability

Testing is crucial for delivering the best product experience. Team End2End developed scripts to automate end-to-end testing of our platform across various cloud providers and on-premises installations. By automating this complex and time-consuming process, we can reduce the workload for our engineering team and minimize the risk of setup issues.

Interactive Infrastructure Setup

Team InfraRanger designed an interactive streamlit app to simplify infrastructure setup and the overall Onboarding process. The application generates required Terraform configurations based on user inputs, enabling one-click provisioning of the complete infrastructure. This intuitive tool eliminates the need for installing multiple CLI tools, such as kubectl, AWS, GCP, Azure, and Terragrunt.

Cultivating TrueFoundry’s Culture

At Truefoundry, our people and our culture are the heart of our company. Team TrueCulture recognized the importance of nurturing a strong and cohesive culture within our organization. They developed a comprehensive three-month plan comprising various activities to curate a positive work culture and showcase our team to the world. These activities include building engaging LinkedIn profiles, sharing informal team activity posts, and attending conferences. By investing in our culture, we strengthen our brand and create an environment that attracts top talent.

Wrapping Up

The internal hackathon was a testament to the incredible talent, dedication, and teamwork that defines Truefoundry. We collectively tackled challenges, brainstormed solutions, and forged new bonds. While some projects have already been implemented, others are still in progress, driving us forward on our mission to build the best ML platform with an unparalleled user experience. Beyond professional achievements, the hackathon was an opportunity to connect on a personal level and create lasting memories. From grand house parties to engaging in games, late-night jamming sessions, and movie nights, the event showcased the true spirit of togetherness.

Join Our Journey

As we continue to shape the future of ML platforms, we invite you to join our journey. Whether you’re interested in trying out our product or becoming part of our team, we welcome you to be a part of Truefoundry. Together, we will unlock the full potential of ML and revolutionize the way data scientists deploy their models

By fostering a culture of innovation and providing our team with the freedom to explore, Truefoundry remains committed to pushing boundaries, delivering exceptional solutions, and making a meaningful impact in the world of machine learning.

Sign up today or join our team to be a part of the Truefoundry revolution. Let’s unleash innovation together!