Agile development of an AI MVP for a start-up during COVID-19

In a context marked by the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, an ambitious start-up plans to develop a minimum viable product (MVP) to integrate a business incubator. TeamIA is called in to provide its expertise in agile and flexible development.

The start-up faces several major obstacles:

• Rapid Development Required: A functional, demonstrable prototype had to be developed quickly to meet the incubator's requirements.
• Unclear user needs: COVID-19 restrictions have made it difficult to clearly identify user needs, with remote surveys providing benevolent but not necessarily representative data.

Consequences

• Project reorientation risk: Faced with ambiguous user feedback, there was a high risk of having to pivot the project after initial development based on a wide range of functionalities.
• Low user engagement: Despite initial survey-based development, user engagement proved low, necessitating a significant reorientation of the project.

To meet these challenges, Visua opted to use Bubble, a no-code tool for building web apps:

• Flexibility and responsiveness: Bubble offered the flexibility needed to quickly adjust the project in line with user feedback, making it easy to test and modify functionalities.
• Concentration on one Key Function: After an initial test, the project was refocused on a single core functionality, while retaining the possibility of reintegrating other functionalities in the future.
• Development of a Streaming Platform: The end result is a streaming platform similar to Netflix, designed to facilitate the digital inclusion of older people, with short videos categorized by interest.
• Easy to access and update: As a web app, the platform doesn't require any downloads, and can be quickly updated online, which is crucial for an audience that is not very comfortable with technology.

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• ChatGPT integration: With the emergence of ChatGPT, an interactive module was integrated via an API to enable users less familiar with digital to ask questions and experiment with artificial intelligence, reinforcing the solution's inclusive and scalable aspect.

ROI or Financial Impact

In addition to the €30,000 grant that supported the initial development of the project, several other factors contribute to the positive ROI of this initiative:

• Reduced development costs: Thanks to the use of Bubble, a no-code tool, development costs were considerably reduced. This approach avoided the high expenses usually associated with traditional software development, while offering the possibility of rapid, low-cost modifications.
• Time savings and efficiency: The tool's ability to adapt quickly to user feedback avoided long, costly development cycles. This efficiency enabled the start-up to quickly refocus on key functionality, maximizing the use of the grant and reducing time-to-market.
• Improved User Engagement: Focusing on a core feature, chosen for its attractiveness and usefulness to end-users, has potentially increased user engagement. Increased engagement can lead to better user retention and organic growth, key elements for the long-term success of the platform.
• Scalability: The flexibility of the solution means that other functionalities can be reintegrated or adapted in the future, in line with changing user needs and market opportunities. This adaptability represents an investment in the start-up's sustainability and future growth.
• Impact of ChatGPT Integration: By making the platform more interactive and accessible, the integration of ChatGPT opens up new avenues for attracting and educating a wider audience, including those less exposed to digital. This not only enhances the platform's appeal, but can also open up additional revenue opportunities.

In short, the ROI of this project far exceeds the initial subsidy. It can be seen in the savings in development costs, increased efficiency, improved user engagement, and the potential for evolution and continuous innovation offered by the chosen solution.

In conclusion, TeamIA's involvement in the development of the MVP for the start-up demonstrated an exceptional ability to navigate in an uncertain and changing environment, typical of the COVID-19 period. The solution provided, based on the no-code Bubble tool, enabled remarkable flexibility and adaptability in the face of changing needs and user feedback.

This approach not only created a product that met the incubator's initial expectations, but also paved the way for future enhancements and evolutions, notably with the innovative integration of ChatGPT for an enriched user experience. Visua's choice of an easy-to-access streaming platform tailored to an older audience also highlighted the start-up's ability to target and include a user segment often overlooked in the technology field.

The financial impact, enhanced by the receipt of a significant grant, was optimized thanks to Visua's agile development strategy. The ability to concentrate efforts on a key feature, while retaining the flexibility to adapt or reintegrate other features, enabled efficient use of resources and minimized financial risks.

This business case perfectly illustrates how TeamIA, thanks to its expertise in digital solutions and its in-depth understanding of start-ups' needs, can transform ideas into functional, scalable prototypes, adapted to market realities and user expectations.

In this way, TeamIA demonstrates its ability to be a key partner in the development of innovative solutions, even in uncertain and constantly changing contexts such as the COVID-19 pandemic.