Inspiration
Everyone likes to think they’re the main character of their life. But most days don’t feel cinematic—they feel routine, repetitive, and reactive. This project came from that idea: what if we treated everyday life like a story and asked, are you actually driving it, or just going along with it? Instead of building something practical, I wanted to build something slightly absurd but still meaningful.
What it does
Main Character Detector analyzes a short description of your day and tells you your “role” in your own life. It returns: A score (0–100) showing how much control you had A role description (e.g., “Going Through the Motions”) A short analysis of your behavior. Simple metrics: Control, Visibility, Influence
How we built it
Frontend: React for a clean, simple interface Backend: Node.js + Express AI: Google Gemini API to generate structured analysis Styling: Custom CSS with a minimal dark theme The frontend sends user input to the backend, which prompts the AI to return structured JSON. The result is parsed and displayed in a clear format.
Challenges we ran into
API limits: Free-tier limits required switching models and managing request usage Inconsistent AI output: Getting reliable JSON responses required careful prompt design Overcomplicated language: Early versions used cinematic terms that confused users, so the system was simplified UI clarity: Making the interface feel intentional without overdesigning
Accomplishments that we're proud of
Built a full-stack AI app in a short time Created outputs that are both funny and meaningful Improved the idea from “cool concept” to something instantly understandable Delivered a working product with clean UI and smooth flow
What we learned
How to structure prompts for consistent AI responses How to handle API errors and rate limits The importance of clarity over cleverness Rapid full-stack development under time pressure
What's next for Main Character Detector
Add history tracking so users can see how their “story” evolves Introduce different modes (funny, harsh, motivational) Improve UI with animations and better visual feedback Explore deeper insights beyond simple scoring
