Winners of Kodistart 2023
Digitalizing the mentorship platform by creating an MVP
about
What is Talks and Folks?
Talks and Folks is a mentoring HR platform designed for larger corporations aiming to streamline their business operations. Services include onboarding programs and Evergreen programs, empowering employees to enhance their knowledge individually.
The challenge
Challenges of the Existing Business Model
Scaling their business model proved challenging, requiring extensive manual work for organizing programs and collaborations. They envisioned implementing automated features like mentorship pairing, distribution of educational materials, notifications, and a comprehensive view of mentorship progress. The goal was to attract more clients through a competitive pricing model.
kodistart winners
Why did Talks and Folks win?
Talks and Folks stood out in Kodistart 2023 due to its stable and realistic idea, offering valuable improvements for digitizing existing operations. They had existing users, but planned expansion was halted due to their technical limitations in handling a larger number of clients. This is where the Kodistart competition came as a boost for their company: we assisted them in digitizing the process of mentorship by creating an MVP.
How kodistart made a difference
Through the Kodistart program, the initial version of the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) was crafted, digitizing existing operations and establishing a foundation for continuous refinement and application development.
The Development Journey
01
Workshop Goals
After Talks and Folks won, a three-day live workshop immersed us in their business model and product development strategy, leading to the exploration of conceptual solutions and feature expectations. We set the goal for the next 5 months' work: to deliver a comprehensive product that becomes a meaningful tool, ready for use by both end users and stakeholders.
02
UX/UI Design
Our design team tackled the challenge of creating a clean and subtle design, meeting business requirements while
ensuring simplicity for end-users. The application consists of two modules: Admin, responsible for application
distributors, and User (in most cases, HR personnel), handling the organizations of educational programs.
The most important roles in this project are the mentor and mentee, so extra attention was given to the process of
connecting them and ensuring easy, straightforward communication.
03
AI Assistant
Talks and Folks sought innovation through the introduction of an AI chat bot, 'Ask Nikola Tesla,' to assist users on their educational journey.
04
Database Architecture
A complex database architecture was shaped by the need to track event analytics and anticipate future scalability, emphasizing recording manipulative data integral to analytics.
technologies
Software Development
Technologies included React.js/Next.js for the frontend, Ruby on Rails for the backend, and PostgreSQL as the database. Active Admin was chosen for the admin interface for time-saving and faster prototype development. Unifying authorization for Admin and User was the main challenge, but the User section of the application, developed entirely from scratch, is nearing completion.
React.js
React.js for frontend.
Next.js
Next.js for frontend.
Ruby on Rails
Ruby on Rails for backend.
PostgreSQL
PostgreSQL for database.
05
Dušan talks about process
'The Kodius team approached the entire process with dedication and commitment. They demonstrated a deep understanding of the process as if they were themselves immersed in the world of creating and implementing mentorship programs. They often contributed their own ideas and suggestions that could be implemented, and at every step, they asked the right questions for better comprehension. They inspired us to be better. We would like to emphasize the initiative, dedication, and expertise that, in synergy with Kodius team, enabled us to transition live processes onto a digital platform. Despite the complexity of the process, teamwork and perseverance have led us to success.'
Internal Support Associate
“The Kodistart program represents not only one of the finest moments for us, but also a refreshing change at the right time, with the right team of collaborators. While the process of mentoring programs may seem complex at first glance, we have managed to make it accessible.”