In the modern world, choosing a gift for a loved one or a colleague for a holiday can become a real problem. Today, people want to make such a gift that will be original and will appeal to a person, while not forgetting to take into account his tastes and interests. Every year, especially during the New Year holidays and Christmas, this issue becomes especially relevant. In such cases, many people turn to friends or relatives for help, but it does not always help, and finding a really good and unique gift takes a lot of effort, time and money.
But universal solutions in this area have not appeared on the market. Online stores, the number of which is steadily growing every year, simplify the procedure for selecting gifts, since with their help this process can be done remotely using a computer. However, online stores do not help to avoid the need to search for a unique gift, and the large range of products offered, which is also constantly expanding in the market, only complicates the situation.
According to our research, 61% of respondents have a problem finding gift ideas. Five in ten people describe holiday shopping as stressful and 28% describe it as frustrating. 18% of people take notes on gift ideas or wishes. More than half struggle to come up with ideas for themselves.
As per the last survey conducted by the Retail Council in 2022 it was revealed that the majority of consumers (80%) intended to buy gifts for others this year.
However, 62% of them said that their gift giving habits have changed over the years, with the main reason being that they are looking to buy more meaningful gifts for fewer people.
The beginning of the development of the "WishDeck" project
To solve this problem I had the idea of creating a unique application focused on the personal selection of gifts for users for the holidays, which would proceed from personal preferences, the theme of the holiday and many other introductory factors.
In 2020, this idea began its active development, and the project was named "WishDeck". A team of three people was assembled, after which the process of developing the service began. Integration of AI and machine learning is used in that case to provide an opportunity to quickly and accurately find an original and suitable gift for users for their loved ones and friends. The most suitable gift ideas are generated by analyzing the interests of users. This decision was made to eliminate the possibility of randomly presented variations of gifts that users receive through a regular search on the Internet.
Important aspects in the process of developing a service of this kind
The first thing to consider when developing such a service is a large amount of user data and gift options. In order to offer a personalized gift idea, it is necessary to collect and analyze a large amount of data about the preferences and interests of each user. To do this, you can use various machine learning algorithms. Clustering algorithms that allow grouping users with similar interests into one category can serve as a good example.
In addition, an important aspect in the development of such a service is the quality of data. The larger and more accurate the data, the more accurate and relevant the results of gift selection will be. To do this, you can use data processing and cleaning methods, as well as continuously analyze and improve the machine learning algorithms used.
One of the most important issues that arise when developing a service for providing personalized gift ideas is the need to take into account the ethics of using customer data. It is necessary to create a platform or application structure in which user data will not be used without their permission. It is very important to inform users about how and where the personal data they enter will be used.
Working with the first prototype
The first prototype of the application for the iOS mobile operating system was developed and ready for use in early 2021, after which the service was launched in test mode among friends and acquaintances of the team. This step was taken to collect feedback and identify areas of the project that need improvement. After identifying the elements for which improvements are needed, the team also identified the need to acquire knowledge from specialists and experienced people in the field of entrepreneurship. To achieve this goal, it was decided to submit applications for programs of world-famous startup incubators.
Training program and work with the incubator: process and results
In the spring of 2021, a response was received from one of the world's best incubators from Canada - YEDI (York Entrepreneurship Development Institute: World Top 5 University-Linked Business Accelerator). The next step was an interview in which 5 specialists from various fields participated, each of whom asked questions about the project within the scope of their competencies: marketing, management, technical processes, legal aspects. Since the incubator was only interested in considering the idea of the project, its details and in analyzing the competencies of each team member, the interview took place through a call without using video in order to avoid any manifestations of discrimination.
A few days later, the team received an email with a positive decision to participate in the training program. The specifics of this program consisted of online training compared to the classical practice of conducting classes in Canada, in Toronto. This feature was a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. The program consisted of an intensive course with daily classes and homework. Among the teachers of the course were professors, experienced entrepreneurs and investors, and 10 teams from different parts of the world became participants. The main format of the classes consisted of practical tasks, group lectures and collective discussions aimed at obtaining relevant and necessary information for the successful implementation of the project in modern market conditions. The final stage of the program was the preparation by the teams of their own professional pitch deck and the presentation of the project at the Venture fair.
As a result of the successful completion of the program, the WishDeck project team received an invitation to launch a business in Canada based on the YEDI incubator. Since Canada is one of the leading countries in the world in the development of machine learning, has a high concentration of highly qualified specialists, as well as measures to support entrepreneurs and startups, this opportunity is a big step in the development of any innovative IT project.
Current status of the project
At present, the case is still under review by the IRCC, and although the process has taken longer than anticipated, the dedicated development team continues to advance the WishDeck project. They continue to work on the WishDeck project within the framework of a company registered in Poland. It is important to mention that the company has successfully undergone verification and gained the support of the Polish government organization, PAIH (Polish Investment and Trade Agency).
At the moment, the team is at the final stage of developing a beta version of the application, and the next step is the implementation of the product through the App Store and Google Play platforms.
