This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by محمد الحاج
Peace and blessings be upon you,
I am Mohamed Al-Hajj from Yemen. My participation in the hackathon was not merely a technical challenge, but a truly human journey—full of challenges, hope, and determination.
I participated with two projects under the name “My Smart Commerce”:
An AI tool for analyzing e-commerce store data, helping sellers improve performance and understand the market more intelligently.
A unified e-commerce platform that connects users to all global platforms like Amazon, Shopify, Etsy, and others. It helps customers find the products they want from all stores and provides smart AI-powered recommendations to choose the most suitable store or product, saving them time and search effort.
My vision was to build tools that serve people and simplify commerce and shopping, especially in the Arab world. But the reality was not easy at all.
At the beginning of the journey, I received a free $30 hackathon tools package, but I couldn’t use it! The reason? I couldn’t open an electronic wallet because most wallets are banned in Yemen, the country where I live. I felt frustrated, as if the world was open to others and closed in my face.
Despite this, with no budget, only free tools, and no team, I decided not to give up.
And while I was in a moment of despair, I received an email from Bolt saying that the platform would reopen for the last 48 hours before the submission deadline. That message was a spark of hope. I was so happy, regained my excitement, and immediately began building and developing my projects despite the limited time. I couldn’t develop everything as I wanted, but just starting was an achievement in itself—a new beginning.
I spent long days learning, experimenting, and using AI tools in the simplest way possible because I believe technology should not be exclusive to anyone.
Despite all the difficult circumstances, and being from a remote area, I did my best to benefit from the AI tools that Bolt provided and made free for me, and I built a real project that serves others.
I believe opportunities should be available to everyone, especially those who have passion but lack support.
This event represents a great window of hope for me—not only to gain support but for my voice to be heard and my dream to be seen.
Thanks to all those behind this wonderful initiative. Whether I win or not, I am proud to have participated, and I promise you that I will continue developing my project, God willing.
With my respect and appreciation,
Mohamed Al-Hajj
Founder of My Smart Commerce
This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by محمد الحاج