Background
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This project was created as a part of the inaugural SKY Universities' hackathon, hosted by the three universities’ computer clubs and sponsored by AWS, Elastic, and Slack.
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The event took place at the AWS Korea office, where teams had a mere 22 hours to ideate, prototype, code, demo, and present their innovative creations.
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Our team's expertise and exceptional utilization of Elastic Search capabilities to enhance the project's functionality were recognized with "Special Award: Elastic Search."
Roles and Responsibilities
My role in this project was product development and front-end development member. My primary responsibility was to find market opportunities and address the pain points of collaboration in a real-life work environment between different roles (designers, developers, sales, etc.) and to create a thoughtful solution to better facilitate collaboration. Additionally, I dedicated my efforts to crafting a seamless and intuitive user interface, with the aim of delivering an optimal user experience throughout the application.
Problem
Problem Statement
The industry of AI tools for productivity and collaboration is facing the problems of deluge of information due to proliferation and overabundance of AI tools in the market. Consequently, this leads to inefficiencies and waste of resources, as users are unsure which tools to employ and how to apply them effectively.
Hackathon Theme
The topic of 2023 SKYCC hackathon was the picture below:
Upon careful analysis, our team discerned a theme of "collaboration" within this visual. Given our each of our team mates' rich involvement in the startup community, we were particularly drawn to exploring the intricate cross-team dynamics that play a pivotal role in nurturing productive collaboration throughout various phases of a project.
Intrigued by this theme and recognizing that the battle of generative AI tools was particularly a popular cultural topic at the time of the hackathon, we aimed to merge these two issues together.
Research
Upon research, we found the problem in overabundance of AI tools in the market, which is causing confusion amongst the consumers.
There were more than 1,400 AI Tools published during the one month of March 2023
The influx of AI tools enhances productivity and communication but can also be the cause of new sources of stress.
Less Interested Individuals“I keep hearing about these AI tools but I don’t know what is going on”
"AI this, GPT that, but there are too many of them that I don't even know where to start. I feel left out, but I don't feel confident about trying it out.”
.” Highly Interested Individuals“I know it exists, I just don’t know how to apply it to my work”
"It feels like I'm learning 10 new tools every day, but I’m unsure of its immediate benefits. It would be great if our team could use it too.”
Product Vision
Product Opportunity / Vision
Workie-Talkie, as an AI Tool consulting service, will unlock the full potential of workplace collaboration by simplifying the complex world of AI tools. It will offer expert recommendations and comprehensive guidance on selecting the most suitable AI tools for specific tasks and workflows.
Our goal is to empower individuals and organizations with informed AI tool choices, streamlining workflows, boosting productivity, and fostering effective collaboration.
Our mission was to harness the potential of AI tools to enhance efficiency and productivity while fostering a conducive environment for fruitful collaboration. By developing a recommendation and guide based on customization of these AI Tools, we believed that we could enhance the efficiency of individuals and enterprises, ultimately fostering a conducive environment for fruitful collaboration.
Relation to the Hackathon Theme: ”Collaboration”
We aspired to cultivate an environment in which the seamless acquisition and application of AI tools would lead to an optimization of collaboration through the harmonious blend of personal development and a deeper understanding of one another.
Why is there a need for tools and efficiency for collaboration?•
Limited understanding of differences between job roles and individuals.
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Particularly, a lack of awareness regarding the tools used in each job role.
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Busy work schedules result in limited resources for collaboration.
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Efficient work allows for → more time to understand others [Input environment].
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Knowing the tools for job-specific/collaborative work leads to → optimal collaboration with fewer resources [Output environment].
Execution
As the front-end lead and product developer, I was involved in four primary phases of the development:
Ideation and Conceptualization
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Defining the Problem
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Benchmarking
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Sponsor research
Feature Development
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UI design
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Information Architecture
Front-end Development
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User Interface development (html + css)
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Git Collaboration
Future Considerations
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Additional features and services
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BM + Scale-up plan
Ideation and Conceptualization
In the start of the hackathon, we started off by whiteboarding and brainstorming ideas.
Defining the Problem
In this phase, our primary objective was to address the pain points and potential use cases associated with AI tools and their impact on collaboration. Various ideas were proposed, including:
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Facilitating Collaborative Research Amongst University Labs
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Early-market UX and Revenue Analysis
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Automation tools for Quality Assurance
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AI-powered Voice Services for the Disabled
Regarding our solutions, our focus revolved around leveraging available resources, particularly sponsors of the Hackathon (Slack, Elastic, and AWS). We explored concepts such as web crawling, cloud services, and chatbot integration within the Slack environment.
Ideation and Conceptualization
During this phase, our primary focus was the development of the core features for our product. My primary role involved conducting benchmarking and competitor analyses, which encompassed evaluating AI Tool directory websites, team-building platforms, and emerging start-up guide websites. Through this analysis, we carefully examined various factors, including how we could differentiate ourselves from competitors and which features to prioritize. Additionally, we dedicated considerable attention to researching and gaining proficiency in the tools provided by our sponsors.
Features
Home
Provide context to receive customized recommendations.
Start Guide
Start lightly with Industry Insights and Step by Step guidance on how to use the tool.
Collaboration
Manage projects and receive AI product management education simultaneously. Learn relevant tools based on “Collaboration Signals” between two cross-functional teams.
AIPedia
Learn about AI tools categorized by profession and job role.
Information Architecture
Front-end Development
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Implementation of user interface using HTML/CSS.
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Collaborative work using Git.
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Help with web crawling from elastic search.
Back-end Development
While I was not involved with back-end development, below is what our team did on the server side.
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Creation of a REST API and database structure design.
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Development of web servers and databases using AWS EC2.
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API documentation creation using the Swagger library for collaboration with front-end developers.
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Integration of various AI tool data from the current market, collected using Elastic Search, into a NODE.JS server for keyword search algorithms, recommendation algorithms, and a scoring system for each tool.
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Development of an authentication procedure for user registration, collecting email addresses, and user types for the relevant tool recommendation service.
Future Considerations
During the 22-hour duration of the hackathon, we had only 10 hours dedicated to ideation and product creation. Consequently, there were several considerations we were unable to address, which would have been essential if we were to launch this product in the market.
Below are some specific details of the improvements we would undertake given the opportunity for further development of the website.
Additional Features and Service
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Membership System Development
: Development of a membership system to verify users' roles and identities.
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Voting System Enhancement
: Develop the voting system's UI and develop server-side computation algorithms. This enhancement will allow us to collect and provide segmented data from users based on their roles, facilitating the creation of a more robust recommendation system.
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Regular Updates and Communication
: Establish a dedicated Slack channel for users and provide consistent updates and information on tools that receive significant responses in the voting system or undergo significant updates. This proactive communication will enhance user engagement and keep them informed about the latest developments.
Business Model + Scale-Up Plans
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Expanding into the AI Management Platform (AMP) market
: Given the SaaS management market's substantial valuation at USD 2905.61 million and its steady annual growth rate of 14.7%, Workie-Talkie's strategic direction is to venture into the burgeoning AI management market. This move is driven by the continuous influx of AI tools, and we aim to establish a significant presence within this evolving landscape.
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Generating Revenue through B2B sales and consulting
: Workie-Talkie seeks to create revenue streams by offering customized training and implementation guidance to established companies. This assistance will enable these organizations to effectively adopt and educate their workforce on productivity tools, ultimately resulting in improved productivity and efficiency.
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Pioneering a New AI Tools Marketing Platform
: In a highly competitive environment where 1,400 + new AI products are introduced monthly, Workie-Talkie plans to leverage its expertise to develop a marketing platform. Curation-based advertising will allow us to generate revenue while assisting users in navigating this ever-expanding AI tools landscape.
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Regional Community and Version Guides:
: Workie-Talkie aims to strengthen the ecosystem and the market itself by implementing features such as regional filtering for early-stage tools with adoption challenges. Additionally, we plan to enhance community engagement and provide version-specific guides upon tool release to facilitate a more user-friendly experience.
Evaluation
Results and Outcome
Following the development of Workie-Talkie, our team was able to take home "Special Award: Elastic Search" in recognition of our outstanding utilization of our hackathon’s sponser Elastic's web crawling services.
Challenges and Considerations
It is essential to underscore that this project was completed within a stringent 22-hour timeframe, which encompasses not only the actual ideation, design, and coding phases but also the opening instructions, networking, and presentation schedules during the hackathon day. In reality, we had approximately 10 hours to ideate, design, and code our creation into a functional product. Consequently, it is imperative to acknowledge the various steps we had to omit including comprehensive UX research, usability testing, business development, and market research, which are typically pivotal in a comprehensive product development cycle.
Despite these challenges, I highly appreciate the emphasis on rapid ideation and innovation that our team demonstrated within the tight time constraints of the hackathon. Although we couldn't fully develop a market-ready product in the 22-hour timeframe, our ability to navigate the dynamic AI tool landscape and identify critical areas for future development represents a valuable and instructive experience.
Takeaways
One distinctive aspect of this hackathon centered on collaborating with teammates who share a common background of running our own startup projects and being actively engaged in the entrepreneurial community. However, what set us apart were our diverse backgrounds and experiences. This unique blend provided me with a valuable opportunity to collaborate with diverse leaders, offering insights spanning technical, business, and user-centric domains. This experience will serve as a pivotal reference point for my future projects and will undoubtedly influence the evolution of my project leadership style.
Within the constraints of a short timeframe, I acquired a deeper understanding of the critical considerations within each facet of project development. This newfound knowledge equips me to orchestrate a harmonious synthesis where a product's technical intricacies, business strategy, and user experience seamlessly converge for enhanced project outcomes.
Acknowledgements
I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the incredible team MnMs (문과n문과s) for partaking this hackathon journey with me. Each member’s unique contributions were instrumental in our success:
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Lee Yoonji - UI Design, Product Development
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Jang Gyesang - Web Crawling, Server-side Development, API Production
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Jang Daun - EleasticSearch Index Production, Front-end Development
I'd also like to express deep appreciation to the generous sponsors of this hackathon, with special recognition to Elastic, for their unwavering support and guidance, which proved invaluable in navigating complex tools within a short timeframe.
Lastly, I would like to thank the three computer clubs of Seoul National University, Yonsei University, and Korea University that organized and hosted this hackathon, making this collaborative experience possible.
