AppsForAsia: Harnessing technology for society's sake

By Edwin Yapp June 20, 2013

DNA: What were some of the challenges your team faced what you went about this project, and tell us how you overcame them.

Saravanan: The [Microsoft technology we used] was fairly new to us and so it took some time for us to learn and familiarise ourselves with it. Also, our product was a new way of doing blood banking and had new concepts. We had to check on legal issues with lawmakers and this also presented a challenge. Lastly, the short time-frame we had to develop this product while having to handle our existing projects was another challenge we had to overcome.

Ker (pic): There were some criticisms and drawbacks of the system and this de-motivated us from going forward and continuing this project. Fortunately, our team spirit is strong and we try to cover as many drawbacks as possible and move forward without allowing these criticisms to hinder us. From a technical point of view, designing and building a website as a programmer is definitely something new to us, as we are all better at developing desktop and mobile applications. But perseverance and dedication on our part have helped us meet all the challenges we faced.

Choong: Education is a top-down industry. Initially, we tried promoting Gnowledge from the grassroots up, but we found out that without top-level management or ministry support, usage levels and engagement, no matter how beneficial, tend to taper out and are limited to dedicated educators, parents and precocious students.

We’ve since changed our tack and are taking the top-down approach instead. Meanwhile, our public portal continues to gain traction worldwide via word-of-mouth due to its universal application and appeal.

DNA: What are the two most important lessons you learnt on your project and why?

Saravanan: We believe in the principle that ‘if you think you can, you can!’ When we first embarked on the project, we were sceptical whether we were able to do it due to the above challenges. But we kept at it and were able to achieve what we set out [to do]. Secondly, teamwork is everything because without a strong and dedicated team, we would have not been able to do it.

Ker: First is team spirit as this is the main reason why EPIC Hope has been fruitful. There were times when one or two of us felt like abandoning the project. But there was always at least one person in the team who held us together and we moved forward without thinking twice. Second is to integrate fun into whatever we do because when we have fun doing something, we will automatically be more dedicated and tend to work better.

Choong: We learned a lot of about the education industry as outsiders looking in. We learnt that the issues with education technology aren’t the technology of education, but rather the education of technology. In fact, it’s the education of education itself.

Also, everyone can conceptualise, build an app, talk and sell the concept till the cows come home. Turning such innovations into profitable business require totally different and often mutually exclusive skill sets altogether. Profitability is what sustains an organisation, an idea, alive, evolving and growing. No man is an island, no matter what a developer would like to believe. People are ultimately more important than the product.

DNA: What are your plans going forward with regard to your product and company?

Saravanan (pic): We will engage in more marketing. We have already spoken to certain blood banks in Africa who are interested and we are also getting enquires from India at the moment. The prospect looks good for this solution.

Ker: The EPIC Hope website will be fully integrated with EPIC Homes by mid of June and it will be live then. As for the company, we will continue to develop more beneficial systems and solutions that will bring impact to the world.

Choong: While in New Delhi, we signed a memorandum of understanding with an Indian company to distribute and customise Gnowledge specifically for the Indian market, even though the ADB conference was a finance-focused event. With our newfound confidence in the universality of our product, we intend to pursue international markets with more vigour.

DNA: Describe how Microsoft helped you and what is an invaluable lesson you've taken away from this.

Saravanan: Microsoft is a great partner organisation. One thing that differentiates Microsoft from the rest of the crowd is the kind of support Microsoft gives to its partners. Without the support and its ecosystem, none of these would [have been] achievable.

Ker: Microsoft gave lots of opportunities for student startups like us to excel in our technology-related goals. Along with this competition, we have met many like-minded people whom we can probably collaborate with in the future. We also met people from all walks of life who has have inspired us and will be helpful to our company’s growth in the future.

Choong: We were taken care of extremely well by Microsoft and the ADB, and the conference in India availed us to international exposure and opportunities that we otherwise would not have been able to experience given our limited resources.

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