After an intense pitch session at the Code Cash Crop 3.0 Ag- Hackathon, Folasewa Abdulsalam emerged as the first runner-up in the competition. In this article, she talks about her Code Cash Crop story, with honest advice on how you can follow your own dreams.

Tell us about yourself

My name is Folasewa Abdulsalam, I am a 5th-year student of computer science with maths student at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. I currently work as a research and Innovation intern at Data Scientist Network. I am into Python for Data Science and Machine learning. I love watching Kdrama. I am more of an indoor person but sociable.

**How did you hear about the Hackathon? What was your motivation to sign up for it? **

I came across CCC as a sponsored post on Twitter. I was just going through my timeline and came across it. To be honest, my number 1 motivation was the money, come on, the money is quite enticing. However, I just got served tech breakfast that very day, and I thought this was probably a sign for me to register and it might be successful. I am glad I took the shot.

What was the idea of the project? Can you describe in a few words your solution?

The idea of my project (PalmFarms) which I pitched at the Code Cash Crop 3.0 hackathon is to ensure someone like you and I get easy access to fresh vegetables without the hassles. I believe I can provide a solution that brings all fresh food farmers together and allow direct access to their products by providing the farmers with what they need to get me fresh vegetables, while in return I get fresh vegetables without moving an inch from my comfort zone. Basically, PalmFarms is a B to C farm management platform that enables customers to shop for fresh vegetables directly from the farmer and helps the farmers in their sales analytics.

When did you first begin exploring this idea?

Oh! I am someone that writes down whatever comes to her mind in her notepad. Trust me, if you check my notepad, you will see ideas scribbled. I had that idea in my notepad like 3months before I saw the hackathon post, so I started researching on the constraints attached to it, designing the user journey on Figma, and so on.

What was the most challenging part of the hackathon for you?

The most challenging part for me was juggling my 9-5 while also preparing for what was required at each stage of the hackathon. My nights suffered a little because I had to burn some candles to ensure I deliver a great pitch.

What’s life after Code Cash Crop 3.0 looking for you?

Aish! I keep getting connections on LinkedIn, and Twitter. Some people want to collaborate, some people just want to be a friend. Well, the good side is I am making new connections, the bad side is I am getting more attention and I am someone that just likes to come out occasionally and do my thing with not much attention.

Key advice for next year’s Code Cash Crop 4.0 participants?

I would say just do it. Have the right motivation, because seeing something till the end is a whole lot of work. Oh! And one more important thing, have the right circle of friends.