When you mix innovation with determination, sprinkle in a dash of teamwork, and turn up the intensity to hackathon levels, magic happens.
That’s exactly what Team Skoot Labs achieved at Interswitch’s recent hackathon, Technovation 3.0, earning their spot as the winners with a groundbreaking idea—a financial literacy app designed to empower kids and teens with money management skills. In this edition of Switch Stories, the team, made up of Software Engineer, Suleiman Suleiman; Quality Assurance Engineer, Samuel Udo; Software Engineer, Olayinka Jaji; Program Manager, Olamide Ajayi; and Product Manager, Olugbenga Olumide share the highs, the hurdles, and the heart behind their journey to the finish line.
Could you describe your project/idea and the problem it addresses?
Our idea is a financial literacy app designed to teach kids & teens essential money management skills through fun and interactive lessons and activities, addressing the gap in early financial education.
What challenges did you face during the competition, and how did you overcome them?
One of the major challenges we faced was having to buckle down and deliver all the requirements within the stipulated time. To achieve all the deliverables, we had to divide and conquer while also collectively discussing, fleshing out and putting together our thoughts. Overall, we all had our eyes on the prize from day one, so it was a lot easier to overcome any obstacles we came across.
What skills did each of you bring to the table, and did you pick up any new ones during the competition?
Our team has a mix of creativity, strategic thinking, presentation skills, product management and development (both frontend and backend). Along the way, we’ve had to sharpen our ability to think fast, build fast and communicate fast. Not only that, we’ve also had to learn how to pitch ideas and collaborate effectively under strict timelines.
How did your team feel when you emerged in the top three?
We were ecstatic! It was a mix of excitement, pride, and validation for all the hard work we put into refining our idea. It was also a huge confidence boost to see others believe in our vision.
If you could go back, would you do anything differently?
We’d remember to have more fun during the process. The competition was intense but taking the time out to really enjoy the experience could have made it even more memorable.
How do you think this competition experience has influenced your day-to-day work or perspective?
It has been a learning curve because for most of us, this was our first hackathon and honestly, it was a whirlwind experience. Being a part of the competition has impacted the way we think and our attitude towards achieving our deliverables whether it is our sprint goals or production deployments. Overall, it has shown us that great ideas can come from anywhere and that teamwork, a clear vision and a can-do attitude make all the difference.
What do you plan to do with your prize money?
As a first step, we plan to celebrate with our colleagues in Interswitch Purepay, the Payment Processing and Switching Division, which we all come from, as we appreciate their support. Secondly, we are already looking at how we can start breaking down what needs to be done and what the potential costs will be. Lastly, we also plan to celebrate and treat ourselves because as they say, all work and no play...
What advice would you give to those who would like to participate in next year’s Technovation?
There’s no time like the present! If you’ve got an idea, validate that there is an actual problem worth solving, believe in it and put your best foot forward. Research, collaborate, be open to feedback/suggestions and go for it!