INSPIRATION
I'm a student passionate about artificial intelligence, especially within the Google ecosystem (Google DeepMind). It's amazing to see all the platforms and tools being released for different areas and disciplines within this AI ecosystem: Workspace, Veo, NanoBanana, MusicFX, Jules, Stitch, Firebase Studio, AntiGravity, Project Genie...And what surprises me most is that many people have no idea of the historical moment we are living through, not only within the Google ecosystem but in general with all the development of generative Artificial Intelligence models. It is equivalent to having witnessed the creation of electricity, automobiles, airplanes, that type of event which does not imply a current revolution but a chapter in the history of humanity. And I want to be part of this chapter, not just as a spectator but as someone who has been a part of it, and from here my love for development with artificial intelligence is born, and here I am taking my first steps with this project to be the engineer I want to become. My first hackathon. My first project developed entirely with artificial intelligence. My first project using Google Cloud Platform.
WHAT IT DOES
Analyzes commercial real estate potential. Users can interact with a live map of Monterrey´s metropolitan area to select any location, triggering a multi-layered analysis providing: Commercial Recommendations: Suggesting the most profitable business types for a the specific selected zone. Financial Projections: Estimating ROI and average cost per square meter. Demographic & Competitive Insights: Evaluating the neighborhood context using real-time data.
HOW I BUILT IT
Core Framework: Next.js (Full-stack). Utilizing its hybrid architecture to manage both the responsive UI (React) and the secure server-side logic (API Routes).
Language: TypeScript.
Styling: Tailwind CSS.
AI Engine: Gemini 3 Pro Preview.
AI Development: Firebase Studio’s Gemini AI Agent (Gemini 3 Pro Preview).
Google Cloud Platform: Maps JavaScript, Places, Geocoding, Generative Language, Identity Toolkit, and Cloud Text-to-Speech.
Cloud Infrastructure: Firestore, Firebase Hosting, and Firebase Auth.
CHALLENGES I RAN INTO
Money. I started the Hackathon using the $300 USD credits for new users on GCP. At some point very close to finishing the project, I spent all the credits (especially due to the use of Gemini AI Agent with Gemini 3 pro preview, which consumes too many tokens). I was going to suspend the project because I didn't have a budget for it, and even though I stopped using Gemini AI Agent, the platform continued using Gemini 3 pro preview (although the cost is much lower compared to Gemini AI Agent). But then I saw in my credits section that another $1000 USD in credits had appeared! Under the name Gen AI App Builder, and since they appeared right after I opened a Gemini 3 Hackathon project on Devpost, I assumed they were from the Hackathon (I'm still not sure if that was actually the reason), so I continued with the project. Luckily, I decided to stop working with Gemini AI Agent for two reasons: I was about to finish the project, and I wanted to save those credits for future projects. A few days later, I realized they were starting to charge me, and the charges weren't being deducted from the credits. That's when I realized the Gen AI App Builder credits didn't cover the Google AI Studio API fees. I know I should have read the terms and conditions, but since the credits were for a Gemini 3 hackathon (I think) and had the name Gen AI App Builder, I assumed they were specifically for that. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case, and now I have an unexpected charge (about 20$USD). Luckily, as I said, I stopped using Gemini AI Agent; otherwise, the charges would have been enormous.
ACOMPLISHMENT THAT IM PROUD OF
I submitted my first hackathon project, unfortunately not on time due to issues with my university credits and assignments, which took up a lot of my time, my goal wasn't to win a prize, but to have a project for my portfolio, but I still hope to get feedback on my project from the judges.. I'm also proud to have used Google Cloud Platform and AI development for the first time on a working project despite all the obstacles
WHAT WE LEARNED
NEVER assume, always confirm. How to use Google Cloud Platform (billing and API´s) and AI Gemini Agent for development for a real project. Risk Management: prepare for technical and financial bottlenecks early so they don't jeopardize the final delivery.
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