4  UTS-3 My Stories for You

4.1 From Doubt to Manila: My Google APAC Solutions Challenge 2025 Journey

4.2 April to May 2025 — Brainstorming, Doubts, and Showing Up

My friends and I decided to join the Google APAC Solutions Challenge 2025. After a few messy whiteboard sessions and late-night chats, we aligned on a solution in the trade space, specifically global export and import. It felt ambitious but practical.

I will be honest. I was pretty pessimistic about what we were building. Classmates in another team were shipping a polished mobile app with an IoT module. Meanwhile, our team built an LLM wrapper, plus an LLM-focused IDE and coding tools. It seemed humble by comparison, and I kept wondering if we were out of our depth.

Still, we kept going. We reviewed feedback, tightened our pitch, cleaned up the demo, and made sure the submission was in before the deadline. No drama, no perfectionism, just consistent effort.

4.3 June 3, 2025 — The Announcement That Knocked Me Quiet

On announcement day, I was not prepared for what happened. Our project, the one I thought had almost no chance, was selected as a Top 10 Finalist. I was speechless. The classmates with the sophisticated mobile-and-IoT build did not make the cut, which reminded me that judging criteria and real-world value can look different from what we expect.

Being in the Top 10 meant I would present at the Asia Pacific Digital Transformation Forum 2025 at the Asian Development Bank Headquarters in Manila. The finalists came from across the region:

  • 3 teams from South Korea
  • 2 teams from Indonesia
  • 2 teams from Pakistan
  • 1 team from the Philippines
  • 1 team from Japan
  • 1 team from Singapore

4.4 June 23, 2025 — Exams, A Sprint, and a Red-Eye

Right after my final semester exam, we rushed to the Jakarta–Bandung high-speed rail station in Padalarang. Forty-five minutes later we were at Halim, Jakarta. From there, we took a car to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. My flight was at 00:15, which gave me a tiny window to finish an unsubmitted assignment. Not ideal, but doable with caffeine and adrenaline.

4.5 June 24, 2025 — Touchdown in Manila

We landed in the morning at Ninoy Aquino International Airport. I was representing 2 of our 4 teammates, and two more students from another Indonesian team had traveled with us. Apart from the local Philippine team, we were among the first international participants to arrive. For logistics, Google covered flights and hotel for two members per team, with a maximum team size of four.

Check-in was only at noon, so we wandered a little. We tried Jollibee at TSM Mall near the hotel, which was a fun first for me. We strolled through a few nearby malls and visited the MRT station just to get a feel for the city’s public transit vibe (we did not ride the train that time). When we finally checked in, a hot shower never felt so good.

We had time until 16:30. Before then, our other two teammates arrived. At 16:30 we headed to the Google office in Taguig with the other teams. Energy was high, nerves were real, and the conversations were already getting interesting.

4.6 June 25–26, 2025 — Presenting at APDTF

Over the next two days we presented our project to attendees at APDTF. The crowd included technologists, policymakers, founders, and people who care about practical transformation in the region. We met great people and had conversations that opened our eyes to how trade problems show up differently across borders and how AI tools can play a supportive role without overpromising.

Our journey turned into a series of cross-border conversations that touched on tech, startups, culture, and the realities of building something that has to work outside a classroom. It was unforgettable. I do not yet have the perfect words for every moment, but a few lessons are clear.

4.7 What I Took Away

  • Consistency beats comparison. We kept moving, even when our build felt simple next to others. That consistency mattered.
  • Constraints sharpen ideas. Working with an LLM wrapper and a focused IDE forced us to be clear about the problem and the user flow.
  • Community is everything. The most valuable parts were the people we met and the perspectives we gained.
  • Outcomes can surprise you. The project I doubted most took me to a stage I had only watched from a distance.

4.8 Closing

From a cautious brainstorm to presenting in Manila, this experience changed how I view progress. It is not always about having the flashiest stack or the most features. Sometimes it is about clarity, persistence, and making something that solves a real problem. I am still processing the details, but I know this chapter will stay with me for a long time.