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PitchPal: My Interview Coach Built in 24 Hours

Why I Built This

I was preparing for tech interviews and realized I had a problem: practicing alone doesn't help without expert feedback.

My friends couldn't evaluate my communication. Coaching was expensive ($100-500/hour). Online platforms were generic.

That's when I thought: What if an AI could be my always-available coach?

What I Built

PitchPal is an AI interview coach powered by Gemini 2.0 Flash.

Users:

1. Choose their role (SDE, PM, Designer, etc.)
2. Get 5 AI-generated interview questions
3. Practice by recording voice answers
4. Get instant feedback: score (0-100), strengths, improvements
5. Track progress over time

Built in 24 hours with Django, PostgreSQL, Gemini API.

How I Built It

Phase 1 (5 hrs): Django setup + database models Phase 2 (6 hrs): Gemini service (questions, feedback, voice transcription) Phase 3 (4 hrs): REST API endpoints Phase 4 (5 hrs): Frontend (HTML + HTMX + voice recording) Phase 5 (2 hrs): Landing page, deploy to Heroku Phase 6 (2 hrs): Testing, demo data, polish

Challenges I Solved

Challenge 1: Gemini returned JSON wrapped in markdown Solution: Strip markdown before parsing + fallback feedback

Challenge 2: Voice transcription took 10 seconds Solution: Optimized Gemini API calls, now 2-3 seconds

Challenge 3: Feedback was too generic Solution: Added job context to prompts (seniority level, company, role)

Challenge 4: Building this in 24 hours seemed impossible Solution: Ruthless scope cutting. MVP first, features second.

What I Learned

• Gemini's multimodal API (text, voice, vision) is incredibly powerful
• HTMX can replace React for real-time feedback
• Fallbacks prevent crashes (hardcoded questions as backup)
• Constraint breeds creativity (24 hours forced better decisions)
• Affordability is a feature ($9.99/month vs $100-500/hour coaching)

Result

A fully functional AI interview coach that:

• Generates realistic questions
• Evaluates answers instantly
• Records voice answers with real-time transcription
• Personalizes feedback based on experience level
• Tracks progress with achievement badges
• Free to start (5 sessions), $9.99/month unlimited

Live: pitchpal.herokuapp.com GitHub: https://pitchpal-649c0a175842.herokuapp.com

Built With

• django
• postgresql