Rebuilding a Broken System — and Finding Our People Along the Way

This is a submission for the World’s Largest Hackathon Writing Challenge: Beyond the Code.

The most rewarding part of building Roots wasn’t the AI features, the DALL·E illustrations, or even the thousands of lines of code we shipped. It was the why — and the people we built it for.

This hackathon gave us permission to dream big: what if we could replace a broken, bureaucratic school platform with something joyful, modern, and human? What if public school families — the ones often left behind — could access tools that felt like they were made just for them?

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Our “Why” Was Personal

I didn’t grow up in Madrid. I came here as a 31 years old immigrant from Venezuela looking for a better life. I wasn’t familiar with the public school system in the city, but as soon as my daughter joined our local school I had a clear view of how rigid and outdated the public education system is — especially for families who don’t have time or resources to fight it.

This wasn’t just a tech project for me. It was a personal one. Francisco, another Madrid-based parent and I weren’t building for VCs, we were building for our own communities.

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From Frustration to Focus

As I wrote in Medium, the public school system platform in Madrid — Raíces — was a constant source of friction: “misleading icons, confusing UX, and absence of notifications” despite over €15 million in public investment. That moment of exasperation didn’t just spark an idea — it ignited a mission. We couldn’t stand by silently; we had to build something better.

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Family and Community at the Core

From the start, Roots was never just another tech stack — it was personal. “We’re not just technologists — we’re parents,” I kept telling myself. This project was born out of late-night frustration, weekend brainstorming sessions, and a collective belief that public solutions should serve families — not burden them. Over the hackathon, others resonated with this vision. Teachers, parents, even fellow builders reached out to offer input, share stories, and affirm us: we weren’t building in isolation.

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A Team That Built Fast — and Together

Our team was a model of complementary strengths: two developers and AI enthusiasts, united by one shared goal. We weren’t bogged down by hierarchy or bureaucracy — typical in big systems like Raíces. Instead, we moved fast: iterating directly on real user needs. Whether it was a bug in voice‑agent integration or a UI flow tweak, fixes landed within hours.

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Memorable Human Moments

Shortly after we shared our story on LinkedIn, something incredible happened: people immediately joined the conversation to offer help. Educators, technologists, and even those connected to Madrid’s public school authorities reached out. Some offered introductions to elected officials in the educational space, saying things like, “We should bring this to the city council.” That moment—the community reacting to real action—was unforgettable. It wasn’t just validation; it was activation. It showed us that when you build with empathy and purpose, people don’t just applaud—they roll up their sleeves and collaborate.

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Shoutouts

• To the educators and parents who shared their frustrations with us — you helped us shape Roots.
• To the ElevenLabs and OpenAI platforms for unlocking magic at the edge of imagination.
• To my team mate Fran for turning urgency into impact.
• And to the World’s Largest Hackathon community for reminding us we’re not alone in wanting to build better systems.

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We came for the code.
We stayed for the mission.
We left with a team, a tool, and a renewed belief in public tech built for people.