web summit, team, shape, shape labs, conference

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websummit, web, tech, conference, team, shape, shape labs

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Ljubljana, 2023

Are you investing in similar projects or building them yourself?

Interested?

Our experience in maximizing the value of conference attendance through networking and standing out.

New years, new beginnings, and new experiences to share from the past year. 

2022 will surely be remembered by a lot of people, opportunities, and events. We even had a chance to present [our startup Pablu](https://www.pablu.tv/) at the **Web Summit** conference in Lisbon! We wanted to share what we've learned by attending, (& doing OFC) so ...

# Here are Our Top 10 Tips for Making the Most of the next Business Conference

Big like Web Summit, or a private event. Attending any conference can be a valuable investment for businesses of all sizes, and in this article, we'll look at Shape's viewpoints on what's important when **boosting your conference experience**.


## Preparing for a Conference

1. **Plan your conference days** weeks before. Reach out to potential customers & investors weeks ahead of the conference and try to get a fixed meeting time with them at the event. 

2. When messaging investors, stand out. If you have traction, talk about that. If you have an investment, talk about that. 

3. Avoid extensive talks and focus on smaller meetups & side events. This is where the real value is. The main talks can be seen online later.

4. Have **multiple elevator pitches** ready at any second. Different people attend the conference, and you can connect with them better if you approach them how they’ll understand you best. 👉 Prepare a “connect and follow-up” plan way ahead.

## Making the Most of a Conference

5. For intros, use the event’s app - it is much easier than LinkedIn, and no connection is needed. 👉 But don’t request a meeting directly - always write a message first.

6. Do something that makes your startup **stand out from the crowd**. Stand at the investor entrance area and sing a song about your idea, host an impromptu stand-up show, prepare little presents for your visitors or simply write one big KPI you are proud of across your booth.

7. Save some time by avoiding queues by being there before the summit opens (try to use entry 2 if possible) 👉 & stay close to the event venue to avoid spending 1h in traffic.

8. Don't prepare too much & **have an open mind**. Maybe the most important conversation will happen while you wait on your flight back home at the airport. Who knows.

9. Try eating outside of the venue and save some money too! (food inside is great, but the price/value is better just around the corner) 
 
10.  Don’t take yourself too seriously; **enjoy** the days with your coworkers. You made it till here, so you got to be doing something right. 💪

In conclusion, attending [Web Summit](https://websummit.com/) or other conferences can be a valuable investment for your startup or business of any size. By following the 10 tips above, you can make the most of your conference experience and increase your chances of making valuable connections and growing your business. Remember to plan ahead, stand out, focus on smaller meetups and side events, have multiple elevator pitches ready, enjoy the experience with your coworkers and never forget the 10th tip ...


## Don’t take your conference experience too seriously

![IMG_7093 (1) (1).jpg](https://shape-landing.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/IMG_7093_1_1_6ec584c198.jpg)

We had loads of fun preparing and presenting our minigames to engage with visitors. While attendees were operating the claw machine, we had a chance to talk, and they had an opportunity to win top-tier prizes. Anything from candy to the 1000€ discount on our startup's solution - we had it all. Conference experience boosted!

## Make memories

Take pictures, make memos, or vlog. Make it a time to remember. For future inspo you can [check out our Web Summit experience video!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVzuslX9V94)

Want more insights like this? Don't forget to subscribe to our monthly newsletter to stay up-to-date on all things related to conferences and networking opportunities. As a subscriber, you'll be the first to know about upcoming events, exclusive tips and strategies, and much more. Don't miss out on the chance to take your business to the next level.



10 Tips for Making the Most of the next Business Conference

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Stay in the loop

What's different, improved, & how the pros are using GPT-4 in the first week.

In case you missed the release of the year - OpenAI’s GPT-4 is here to change the game.

One tool has it all, or as they call it - a large multimodal model that exhibits human-level performance on various professional and academic benchmarks. Tho, still less capable than humans in many real-world scenarios … 4 now. 

# Here are 4 significant improvements of Chat’s V4:

- **Image generation:** forget about using 4 other apps besides Chat. In GPT-4, you could ask it to generate an image mid-conversation, and it can also understand images. Use case: GPT-4 can create promo image examples when planning a marketing campaign.

- **Understanding images:** it can use pictures + text as prompts & understand the connection. Use case: if you provide a picture of tomatoes, cheese & dough on the table and ask, “what to make 4 dinner with those ingredients?” it will suggest a recipe option from your list. Hopefully, a pizza, but we still have to try this one …
- **Enabling audio inputs**: provided with an audio clip of people talking, background radio, spoons hitting the cups, and coffee machine rumbling: GPT-4 runs a model asking itself, “Where am I?" and can recognize a coffee shop. Use case: you could ask about a transcript of a YouTube video, which makes a lot of jobs easier, but GPT-4 would also be able to understand the concept behind it,  t, giving you information about how it was created, the dialogue, and much, much more.
- **Speed**: GPT-4 is twice as faster as GPT-3, with an intermediate time of 33 tokens per second, which is understandably dependent on the complexity of your prompt. GPT tokens represent generated sub-words, which split the sentences. For example, the sentence "I like to eat pizza" would be split into individual tokens, such as "I", "like", "to", "eat", and "pizza".


As we speak about speed, we are still patiently spending our time on the waitlist. And while we wait ...

![Screenshot 2023-03-16 at 10.37.32.png](https://shape-landing.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Screenshot_2023_03_16_at_10_37_32_1328f7be5e.png)
## Here are 4 more examples of what other users are already creating with GPT-4:

1. **Building a business:** Jackson Fall set GPT-4 a $100 budget and instructed it to generate revenue. He's doing his part as its human intermediary. GPT-4 suggested building an affiliate marketing website focusing on sustainable living and eco-friendly items. So far, they have created [GreenGadgetGuru](https://www.greengadgetguru.com/) and landed some investments. 

2. **Dating**: what? Well, yes, the online [AI dating service Keeper](https://keeper.ai/) uses GPT-4 to analyze users' profile information and preferences when someone appears to be a suitable match for you, ensuring that you, ideally, receive the matches you seek before even talking to them.

3. **Helping out:** [Be My Eyes](https://www.bemyeyes.com/) created a wonderful social initiative powered by GPT-4. Their Virtual Volunteer will answer any question about an image and provide immediate visual assistance to visually impaired people in real-time within the app.

4. **Fighting for justice:** [DoNotPay - the World’s First Robot Lawyer](https://donotpay.com/), is leveraging GPT-4 to create "one-click lawsuits" to sue scammy robot callers for $1,500. Imagine getting a scam call, pressing a button, and having a 1,000-word lawsuit initiated 4 you. GPT-3.5 was insufficient. However, GPT-4 does a fantastic job of handling this task.

Text, audio, video, and other multimodal input will fundamentally alter how we engage with these models. If you thought that the hype around the ChatGPT wasn't worth it, you would be in for a big surprise!

Stay around on fresh OpenAI updates, and use cases on our ongoing projects. Subscribe to the monthly newsletter below.


Release of the year: 4 new use cases of GPT-4

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Overviewing capabilities, hype, impact, and limitations of ChatGPT

It seems as if AI technology has already succeeded. Gaining attention from every tech workplace and professional online debate, it created an image in which ChatGPT has already changed the world for the better. But is that really so?

>*"The hype around #ChatGPT is justified, but we still have a long way to go in terms of developing truly intelligent machines."* - **Demis Hassabis, co-founder of [DeepMind](https://www.deepmind.com/)**



# The Truth about the ChatGPT Hype Explained

Yes, it's fun, and sure, it has overcome some barriers, but OpenAI still faces many problems that haven't been solved. To move forward with being just a trend, ChatGPT has to address its limitations and risks first: 👇

## Limited common sense 
They say it has everything, but at the moment it lacks a deeper understanding of the world, human feelings, or common sense reasoning. Large volumes of text data are used to train AI tools to recognize patterns and answer our questions. But they still may be unable to comprehend the finer points of human speech and language, though.

For instance, ChatGPT could find it difficult to comprehend irony, figurative language, or sarcasm (if changing prompts to more logical, it can show improvement). 

### Everybody is wondering “What is ChatGPT”, but nobody asks “How is ChatGPT”

And there’s a reason. Complex language models are only able to analyze info logically and systematically. They are **not able to feel emotions**, but they can recognize patterns in data that may signal specific emotions, such as facial expressions or speech tones. In other words, AI lacks awareness and feelings; it is not subject to the experiences of happiness, sadness, or rage.

![babies (1).png](https://shape-landing.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/babies_1_846793bd2a.png)
Source: [GitHub](https://github.com/giuven95/chatgpt-failures?fbclid=IwAR0kZcUOy87M3RF62u8ckOqJS9nNohX5D_VRPDlGisyVpqtfRobY_hp4plo)

We have to mention the obvious improvement in this area. While some prompts went viral about funny or confusing answers this AI tool provided, they made significant corrections in about 2 weeks. When asking a cultural or leaning towards inappropriate questions. ChatGPT no longer falls for it anymore. **Try it yourself** - check out the prompts used in January on this [GitHub LLM failure archive](https://github.com/giuven95/chatgpt-failures?fbclid=IwAR0kZcUOy87M3RF62u8ckOqJS9nNohX5D_VRPDlGisyVpqtfRobY_hp4plo) and type them in today. And there you’ll have proof that the** AI is learning about us, while we are learning about it**. 

## Vulnerability to bias 

As with any AI system, ChatGPT's responses can be biased if the training data contains biases. OpenAI has taken steps to mitigate this, but it still remains a limitation. Human error, sample bias, societal and historical influences, and other variables can all inject biases into the data.

For example, Meta [shut down Galactica](https://mezha.media/en/2022/11/21/meta-shuts-down-public-test-of-galactica-its-ai-for-science-because-it-produced-pseudoscientific-papers/), an LLM (language learning model) that was comparable to ChatGPT, and trained on 46 million text samples, after 3 days because it spread racial and misleading information. It’s the reason everyone worries about AI being open to the public.

At a conference in Paris, **Google** just presented its new AI strategy. A **new AI assistant called Bard**, which is intended to be more human-like and combine with a range of goods, is the main focus of the plan. It runs on a versatile and adaptive AI engine, Google Assistant Pro. Google also intends to make its AI technologies available to other developers. Other AI-related announcements at the conference included new AI-powered healthcare solutions and a Paris-based AI research center. With a dedication to ethical and accountable AI technology, the significance of ethical issues in AI research was underlined.

Technology can be corrected,  identified, and addressed by using methods like bias correction and data pre-processing. But until then, it is important not just to just take AI-generated answers for granted for now. When sources are not listed you should consider how to use your new AI answer.

## Copyright violations

Because ChatGPT isn’t providing citations, article authors, scientists, etc., don’t receive credit for their effort at the moment. And as ChatGPT could be a great content-generating tool, assisting companies in developing search engine optimization (SEO) plans. Businesses can utilize the AI tool to create high-quality, targeted content that is optimized for important target markets and top search engine keywords. But keep reading to find out why it is still far away from replacing websites.

## Safety or harm?

The AI model lacks clarity regarding how it operates, tho not yet trustworthy or listing sources. How can we ensure that ChatGPT is being used for the greater good?

The risk of damage rises when AI systems get more complex and are applied to increasingly crucial tasks like medical diagnosis or self-driving automobiles. Incomplete design or usage of an AI system might result in mishaps or harmful judgments.

An example of real-world harm could present the system of an autonomous vehicle failing to recognize an impediment or interpreting sensor data incorrectly, self-driving cars might end up in an accident. Similarly to this, if an AI-powered medical diagnosis system is not trained on a variety of data, it may incorrectly identify a patient.

More lightly - the frequency of fake social media accounts is a major issue online, and the use of AI chatbots would make it simpler to commit online fraud. Another issue is the dissemination of false information, especially in light of ChatGPT's ability to make not-so-obvious incorrect responses appear to be correct. It’s a bit ironic that we have to verify we are humans before using it, and not vice versa. 🙂

This is why many people also worry about how AI may be used in cyberattacks or as a surveillance tool. All future AI development must work to guarantee that artificial intelligence technologies are created and deployed in a manner that prioritizes safety and reduces risks. Currently is a great time to start integrating and leveraging AI, maybe even building micro SaaS products, that can use ChatGPT through API.

## Hype vs. Reality

Is it already taking over in 2023? We say, not quite yet but stay alert.

> *"The hype around #ChatGPT is both a blessing and a curse. It raises awareness about AI, but it also creates unrealistic expectations."* - **Yoshua Bengio, Turing Award-winning computer scientist**

You can run into speculations like “Can ChatGPT take the place of Google as your preferred web search engine?” Although ChatGPT can theoretically be used for search, that is not how this particular version has been created. For starters, it cannot search the internet for the information you need and tell you where it came from because it does not crawl the internet. Second, the text was educated on its knowledge base, which ends in 2021.

The hype cycle can be best explained by the latest primary conclusions of the 2022 [Gartner Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies report](https://www.gartner.com/en/articles/what-s-new-in-the-2022-gartner-hype-cycle-for-emerging-technologies), which assessed the maturity, business benefit, and potential of various technologies. (published in August 2022) The report provides insights for organizations to use in making decisions about using emerging technology, and the study analyzed at-the-time and forthcoming trends. The highlight is on: immersive workplaces, digital twin of the customer (DToC), NTFs, AI-augmented development, Web3, Superapps, and more. Gartner's report also emphasizes how crucial it is to create trustworthy AI systems and how important it is for AI to be morally and responsibly guided. 

![hype-cycle-for-emerging-tech-2022.png](https://shape-landing.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/hype_cycle_for_emerging_tech_2022_c5af5cc8b5.png)
Where on Gartner’s graph would you place ChatGPT at the moment? Source: Gartner.com

Since August 2022 there were some drastic changes, particularly with the emergence of ChatGPT as a more convenient entry point for its technologies. Predictions state that ChatGPT is quickie reaching the peak of inflated expectations. But there is nothing to worry about if we remember that all disrupting technologies had their ups, downs, and stable stagnations before we merged them into our daily life. Today, developers are already building on ChatGPT SaaS products and not waiting for the second Gartners phase.

If you’re too young, skip this and if you’re not - remember the skepticism around the **internet around 2001** and the bombarding of emails and .coms just a few years later. Seems like the same story.  **Seems like the time to [start your story is now](https://calendly.com/meet-shape).**

![Internet 2001 (1).png](https://shape-landing.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Internet_2001_1_a157f28134.png)

## Hold on to your jobs

The new trend is also seen as a threat to take people’s jobs - but can other products replace the “hyped-up” ChatGPT? 💼 With the rise of Saas (Software as a Service) platforms, it's possible that ChatGPT won't completely replace human employees, but rather will be integrated as a helpful tool in various industries. Some are even waiting for positions such as ChatGPT or AI consultant to open soon. But because we can’t predict who’s going to win the grand Open AI race, here are some products to keep an eye on in the future, as they can turn out to be more useful:
- **Chatsonic** - a paid chat model, using both Stable Diffusion and DALL-E APIs to generate AI art. It can pull information from Google's Knowledge Graph to create improved answers that are up-to-date and more consistent with recent events & outperform ChatGPT.
- **Bard** - Google's artificial intelligence chatbot. It’s designed to work with Google's existing AI and machine learning tools, such as Google Assistant, but in too early a stage to elaborate further. At the Bard launch, Google failed to present its multi-search live demo. While the presentation was going on, people noticed the wrong answers provided by the chatbot. Their first public mistake cost around $100 billion so far.
- **What scares “it”**: When asking ChatGPT about his rivals he also mentions: Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri, Microsoft Cortana, IBM Watson, Rasa, Dialogflow, Tars, Replika & Mitsuku. But because its knowledge base has a cut-off date of 2021, the AI model can't answer know anything about what’s going on now after it got trendy. Too bad …

The most recent innovation from OpenAI, ChatGPT, offers a lot to be excited about. However, there are some issues that are worth discussing beyond their immediate usefulness. The tech industry is hyped because it is the first open-source model of its kind & all developers (large, small, or hobby) got access to this technology at the same time. Are you still in “awe” or more “oh” zone about it?

### Subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date about new products leveraging ChatGPT

And until then, **have fun exploring ChatGPT** and let us know in which areas it helps you the most.  Although there's a lot of hype around ChatGPT, it's essential to bear in mind that they are still far from flawless and have their limits. The growth of Saas platforms provides a promising avenue for businesses to integrate chatbot technology while still retaining human employees. But, we may use these technologies in a way that helps businesses and customers by being aware of their pros &cons. It will be fascinating to see what new Saas apps will arise from these promising chatbot tools, as the area of natural language processing continues to develop.

### Interested in more Ai related topics?

Read more in our past articles where we focused on:
- [How to filter features while building an MVP](https://shape-labs.com/articles/build-an-mvp)
- [Authentic or deceived users](https://shape-labs.com/articles/users-authentic-or-deceived)

How Overhyped is ChatGPT in 2023? The Truth about its Hype Explained

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Ljubljana, 2022

How can one kick-start a profitable business that is utilizing what we already know&have, while keeping a conscious responsibility to the environment and the people involved (or not)?

They say that what goes around comes around, but in business, we know it’s not always the best advice to follow this principle. But what if there was a way? 

Many would argue that the 3BL principle (triple bottom line) could lead the way. Let's see the idea behind it. 

*“The triple bottom line wasn’t designed to be just an accounting tool. It was supposed to provoke deeper thinking about capitalism and its future.”* *~John Elkington, 3BL concept author (Harvard Business Review)*

Believers in the 3BL framework state it is the only tool to make real, meaningful change in the world. Famous B Corporations are standing on their foundations. The framework is widely used to assess a company's performance from several angles. Its 3 components can be referred to as the three "P's" in terms of the bottom line.

- **People** (Social Performance) as a company’s effects on its most significant stakeholders.
- **Planet** (Environmental Performance) as the company’s effects on its surroundings.
- **Profit** (Economical Performance) as the company’s effects on the regional, global, and local economies.

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#  Why embed 3BL in the early stage

The startup ecosystem is the ideal setting for exchanging ideas, creating synergies, and eventually constructing profitable business strategies that benefit both people and the environment.

Early-stage entrepreneurs draw inspiration from issues throughout the whole supply chain and by supporting 3BL principles, deliver results that promote the [UN Sustainable Development Goals](https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/). And while it’s still starting up why won't you do both - or triple?

![Article 3BL in startups (1092 × 500, pik).jpg](https://shape-landing.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Article_3_BL_in_startups_1092_500_pik_5a7e850def.jpg)

#  3BL framework in start-up practice


Building a fresh business is by itself an art of balancing all sorts of things. But when it comes to strategy, we often stick by it when it’s set. Imagine planning 1 strategy with evenly important thirds and agreeing to adopt a trade-off every time the boundaries start to swing. That’s what working by 3BL is like.

The main struggle for a startup in most cases is to reach good traction. With revenue, as the most important and common traction to follow, ones could also focus on user growth, international expansion, and signed letters of intent at the start of their business. But having two more pillars to pursue could often lead to system overload. Obviously, the exception are markets that "award" companies that are sustainable. Great saying for founders struggling with this problem goes:


### <u>Think for impact, build for money, and optimize for the planet.</u>


#  How to undertake 3BL?

One way to do it is by learning from the “pros”. Pick your company role model and see what they do. Copy their KPIs for each third, and think about what they did at their beginnings. B-corps or bigger companies that successfully managed to embed the mighty 3BL in their day-to-day operations. Here are some companies which stand by this title: *Patagonia, Ben & Jerry’s, LEGO, IKEA …*

Always keep in mind that the 3BL model is not adapted to startups with little or no funds at all, and always relocate your assets to keep the business running.

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Another thing to do is to include promising startups in your role model list. Their founders are often people who have embedded some 3BL principles to their core, maybe even without even realizing it. And that’s another beautiful thing about it. Many businesses decide to adopt the triple bottom line without formal certification because official B Corp requires a difficult application process.

## Startups that began with 3BL and now completely own the scene:
**1. UBER**

Now one of the most famous startups is used in countless case studies. But in 3BL as well? How? Well, we can start by dividing the principles into three parts and make them clearer.

- **People**: UBER generated new employment opportunities, and promoted equality in these positions, they value workplace safety and frequently post transparency reports.
- **Planet**: company tries to reduce CO2 emissions, implementing ride-sharing and launching a unique lease program to assist drivers in switching to electric vehicles.
- **Profit**: UBER encourages economic growth for communities by making private transportation more accessible and inexpensive. For the end users, the company saves money by providing lower-cost transportation. Perfect example on how one company used technological innovation to boost the economy.


**2. METHOD HOME**

Now a B-corp creating non-toxic cleaning solutions in recycled ocean waste plastic bottles was once the idea of a lifetime too. See how they managed to embed 3BL principles deep in their product to apply to every aspect of it:

- **People**: supporting the well-being and livelihood of their team, community, and the people who use their products.
- **Planet**: responsible production in every aspect of their product - creating cleaning solutions with non-toxic chemicals, meeting high-quality & cruelty-free standards, owning wind turbines and solar tracking trees, and measuring their planetary performance. 
- **Profit**: great story on how easy the other 2 bottom lines come together when the profit line stands by itself. Even from the beginning, their purpose was to magnify the benefit they can bring to people and the planet by growing their businesses - and they achieved it.
 
**3. SweepSouth**

Combining impact and technology, that’s what they did. SweepSouth is an online service that connects domestic cleaners to homeowners, available in some African regions. This start-up focused on investing in employment opportunities, an investment that, as they say, pays off in dividends.

- **People**: lowering unemployment by creating over 20,000 new jobs, modernizing the home services industry with technology convenient for clients, and creating happy homes in the community.
- **Planet**: providing outdoor services & keeping the environment clean. 
- **Profit**: believing that only profit-driven approach in outdated CEO turned to the sustainability of their business and promoting positive social impact and thus raised investor funds, becoming the first South African company in the 500 Startups investment portfolio.


### <u>What we stand for is what we stand on</u>

The most important objective at a startup should always be to start generating revenue as soon as possible - because if you screw up this one, you won't have the chance to worry about the other two pillars. 

If it wasn't obvious before, it is now: **3BL isn't explicit for big corporations.** And by looking at the good work startups are doing, hopping on this “trend” and embracing social impact might be crucial to the innovations of our future.

Think about it in a simpler way: why focus only on profit, when you can include all 3BL’s components - people around you, the lovely planet you’re living on, and the money you’re about to make? A reality, not too far away to achieve.

So make sure you embrace those principles at the beginning of your startup story and live by them once they have a working business. A few sum-up tips would be to:
- Focus on one social or environmental goal you want to achieve at a time.
- Keep up with UN Sustainable Development Goals.
- Always keep one eye on healthy finance spreadsheets.
- Keep room for innovating your product.
- While doing it, stay spirited - there is no greater reward than feeling the impact you made in this world.





How to run a startup by following the 3BL principle?

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Ljubljana, 2020

In this magical time, your app idea is on paper and your savings account is answering yes. You have been scrolling through Appstore for a while now, there is nothing just like it on the market yet. Awesome!

Next step. You need the [right team](https://www.shape-labs.com/articles/the-right-team) for your future product. Also very important you don’t want a featureless skeleton. Perfect. For the purpose of the story, let's say your idea is a new dating app. Another search away and you find [UpWork](https://www.upwork.com). This impressive matchmaking online web page returns a long list of proposals for your new project. Estimations are varying from only a thousand to five-figure numbers. Not just what you expected, but ok somewhere in the middle will do. Let's take a leap of faith here, cut some features that feel insignificant, and begin building the product. Leap of faith, really? What if I tell you there is another way?

# How to scope your product and minimize the fail rate

We said you are building a dating app, something that will disrupt the dating app market. A general list of your features goes: card swiping, video calls, chat, Stories, and subscriptions.

Here are three perspectives or options:

1. If we ask an investor. A payment system is important for every MVP, proof of a sold item. Due to the pandemic real live dating is off, so video calls make sense. That leaves us with taking away the stories.
2. We want people to chat. Exchange stories, experiences, have conversations. Sometimes Stories can play an important role after the matchmaking with swipes is done. These little 10 second snaps can be good conversation starters. So we need a chat, we need video, we need Stories and swiping. That leaves us with taking away the payment system/subscriptions. Anyway, there might be a better metric than proof our product has a [market fit](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Product/market_fit).
3. What if we take away the swiping? Maybe there is a way to use the Stories principle not only for conversation starters but also for matchmaking. Hmm ok, might be. 

Every option seems equally good, but we still don’t know which one is the best. To be honest, I don’t think we ever will until we try, but we can start off with the best option. The answer to this is the workshop. One where you invite a few perfect users and few people from the team. It is a wonder how far we were able to come in just a two-hour workshop.

*MVP = [Minimum Viable product](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minimum_viable_product)


How to filter features while building an MVP*

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Rouen, 2022

And why should you consider doing the same.

# The great crash

I know you heard about the great crypto crash of 2022. If you’ve been in the space long enough you also heard about the great crypto crash of 2018. And if you are a “crypto-granny” you also remember the crypto crashes of 2013 and 2011. The OG ones. On all of those occasions the industry was pronounced dead and the bubble burst. Well… It’s still here, isn’t it?

![Screenshot 2022-06-13 at 09.43.24.png](https://shape-landing.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Screenshot_2022_06_13_at_09_43_24_75d824a4b6.png)
Bitcoin chart from the first day until now.

# Follow the money

Let’s start with some statistics for the latest and greatest bull run. I’m not sure if excitement about the technology, wanting to participate in something hip or just plain old FOMO, but institutional investors <u>almost doubled the amount of money</u> they put into VCs in 2021. Where did that money go? Crypto startups.  <u>Almost 33 Billion one-dollar bills</u> to be exact. In an extremely volatile market, it is hard to estimate the total cryptocurrency market cap. It is reported to be around $1.3T at the moment, but it <u>topped out at almost $3T</u> in Q4 2021. In 2020 we saw **<u>more than 2000 new ICOs</u>** launch on the market. That’s more than two thousand new companies. I don’t want to talk about the industry that will change the way we pay for milk and bread, but no one should ignore it anymore either. 

# Who survived?

Moon boys 🚀! Just kidding of course. Everyone that was in the “Cryptok” (the crypto corner of TikTok) or crypto Twitter saw the amount of money-grabbing projects (especially in the NFT category) spun up on a daily basis. A lot of those were riding the wave for as long as the wave lasted. A lot of those also failed when the whole market went down. The ones that stayed were **<u>proper companies with established teams and innovative solutions to solve real problems</u>**. History repeats itself again.

![LUNAUSDT_2022-05-12_13-52-08-637879816001059853.webp](https://shape-landing.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/LUNAUSDT_2022_05_12_13_52_08_637879816001059853_977ad33489.webp)
The great crash of Terra Luna in 2022.

# What to build?

Coming from the paragraph above, you should think about solving a real problem that can be efficiently solved with web3 technology. The advantage of the bear market is time. There’s less and less media attention and less and less pressure to build something quick. I can’t give you an answer on what to build exactly, but choosing stable technologies and having a long-term vision is always a big plus. 

# How to build?

As you probably read in many similar articles: prototype, find your customer segment, innovate, launch fast, and iterate often. As mentioned use established technology or, if you are building something completely from scratch, use the knowledge of those who failed. Look for mentors and talk to people. Building a new idea is a learning process, treat it as such.

# Wen Lambo?

😀 There are theories, and there also are mathematical analyses that help predict the next surge in the market. Unfortunately (or fortunately) there are hundreds of other factors that contribute to the movement of the curve. Rome wasn’t built in a day nor weren’t successful companies. Earlier you start, the better the chances of catching the next train prepared. 

![when-moon-when-lambo.gif](https://shape-landing.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/when_moon_when_lambo_a7fd874f2a.gif)

The evolution of the internet is an ongoing process and there has never been a technology rising faster than web3/crypto. It has A LOT to do with social media hype, countless overnight millionaires, and media attention. Don’t let all of that blind you from the potential this technology truly has. It is supposed to be the internets’ redemption. The weight is on our shoulders.

Why are we building the new web?

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Participating in a hackathon is the best way to see if you fit well with the team. Find tips on what to expect, how to prepare, and which things to prioritize on a hackathon. 

Last month was intense! We spent every week in a different country, experiencing tech conferences and a hackathon. Despite gaining fresh experience now, it had us thinking about how we shaped Shape more than 5 years ago. 

We grew right out of hackathons and still carry those hackathon values to the core of Shape as it stands and operates today. And if you're thinking about starting your business or developing an innovative project, hackathons are a great way to see if you fit well with the team.

This is why we, as experienced hackathon-goers, decided to share some tips while still in the ambitious atmosphere. 

## Here’s what you should do when attending hackathons: 👇

🔸 **Research&plan**: Study the subject ahead of time to prepare before you even set the date.

🔹 **Teammates**: Find people with whom you believe you could collaborate, who complement each other well, and, most importantly, with whom you enjoy working.

🔸 **Understand the problem**: You know the drill. Start with WHY and diagnose the pain.

🔹 **Brainstorm ideas**: Begin with the assumption that anything is possible and avoid belittling ideas in the first phase. In the second phase, combine various ideas and attempt to fit them into a bigger picture. 

🔸 **Ask clever questions**: Before talking to the mentors and the client, define what interests you in detail. Ask around about relevant points: Don’t be shy. It’s better to ask than to be sorry later.

🔹 **Prioritize**: Discuss what part of your MVP has the highest priority and focus on it. Leave the details behind for a while.

🔸 **Dumb down the idea**: When presenting an idea or finding your perfect pitch script, try to break it down so that someone outside the industry can understand it without difficulty. Ask a stranger. Do they understand what it is about?

🔹 **Don’t panic**: Relax. You’re not building the final product yet. Make a work schedule that your team can agree upon, and don’t waste time when stuck on a task. The last tip will help you with that. 

🔸 **Connect**: Observe, value, and communicate with your teammates & other teams as well. Yes, you are competitors now, but you can develop friendships or business relationships afterward. And that’s far more important than who might be winning.

🔹 **Take breaks**: Leave the topic, go away from the group, meditate or just do your thing. Clear your thoughts for a while to get better results later. And don’t forget to bring a sleeping bag for quick power naps. 

## Why even bother?

In our opinion, participating in a hackathon is the best way to learn new hard and teamworking skills. It's an ideal opportunity to develop your technical knowledge, learn the fundamentals if you're not tech-savvy, or even practice public speaking. Not to mention that you'll also receive assistance along the way to help you learn these skills even faster & maybe meet lifelong friends along the way. 

👉 Interested in hackathons? Stay in the loop for more topics on startup, innovation, and impact projects& subscribe to our monthly newsletter.

Are you Hackathon ready? Here’s what you need to know.

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Who you work with is more important than what tools you use.

So I’ve been working with different startup founders for quite some time now, and many of those have had previous bad experiences with teams they chose to work with. Maybe you are one of them even. There is no right and wrong here but there are still some general orientations that I tend to lean on when looking for outside help.

I’m writing this with a product team in mind, specialized in building software products. That being said I do believe that similar points can be made for other professional fields as well.

# Communication!
This is the key. Communication alone can be a breaking point between success and failure. If your requests get lost in translation, if communication is not agile enough then your ideas won’t be heard, your product will not be up to the standard you imagined. On the other hand, teams with good communication skills often unlock the full potential of your idea and you will be presented with additional viewing angles. Which is a good thing, right? You shouldn’t say no to a free hour of consulting.

# Dedication
You know when you feel like people that work on your product care about it, and are doing everything for your startup to succeed? This is exactly what you’re looking for. An agency or a studio will rarely be working on your product alone, but that does not mean that they can’t be fully dedicated to your product when the latter is on their schedule. Ask about their time, project, and resource management. This will give you a rough idea about how important your project is to the team you’re hiring.

![(1) copy@2x.png](https://shape-landing.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/1_copy_2x_d76cf5c579.png)

# Professionalism
You need technically advanced people. You are looking for specialized know-how in most cases (either design, development, sales, or communication). If the team is young and there is still a portfolio to be built, let them show some proactivity, let them impress you with creativity and modern tech standards. Don’t look for lists of technologies and tools only, look for a problem-solving way of thinking. Throw them a curveball and observe how they find a way towards the light.

# Hidden costs
Look for hidden costs! Even if the initial offer is below budget and you are rushing to sign the contract, be aware that building a tech company is not a sprint, it’s a marathon. There are substantial costs involved when scaling and maintaining your product. Sometimes paying a little extra at the beginning pays off in the long run.

Building products can be an amazing hobby if you do it right it will turn into the most amazing job you’ve ever had.


How to choose the right team for you?

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New products rarely get the magic founders to imagine. This article demonstrates how founders can leverage data to build a more user-centered product.

This article is mainly focused on phases after product release. I am addressing it to founders and assuming that by now you have orchestrated your series of discovery meetings with customers. All signs have led towards creating your current product version.

Unless you are a marketing genius new products rarely get the magic founders imagine they would. Everyone is faced with a cold start problem and my goal is to help you see through some decisions you will need to make in order to reach the next phase. For example, if you thought you will get 1000 users to register in the first week it would probably be 100 and from that 100 you will probably lose 80% due to the bad user experience.

I will be using the Mixpanel tool to demonstrate how you can leverage data to build a more user-centered product, tweak your marketing strategy, and track growth. You can [read more about Mixpanel here](https://mixpanel.com/). The following can also be done with some other service. I am using Mixpanel since our team had success using it for upselling services, driving renewals, reducing churn, and increasing engagement.

## How to track user behavior?

With correct implementation, you will be able to determine if something is broken and with the wrong one you will be stuck with another useless subscription to a service you don’t need. In other words, you don’t need to know how many times users have clicked on button X, but it helps to know where most users decide to close the app, at what step they cancel the onboarding process, what cohort they belong to, and what they can’t live without.

To do it properly we need to take a step back. We need to ask ourselves which KPI Owner wants to measure user behavior. For example, look at the table below:

![Screenshot 2022-07-19 at 15.40.23.png](https://shape-landing.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Screenshot_2022_07_19_at_15_40_23_04a1a55b1d.png)

**For example**, let’s say that we want to measure onboarding funnel conversion, since this is usually the first pain point founders come across (Ask for email?, require a phone?, use SSO?, do a walkthrough?). We will be building an influencing app where influencers are able to share their content and get paid by followers on a monthly subscription basis. We want to learn how many influencers were able to onboard to our app and if there are any obstacles that we can fix.

The formula for a good tracking plan could be creaked down to:

1. **Goal**: Something you are trying to accomplish 
2. **Questions:** How are required input fields affecting onboarding percentage? 
3. **User flow:** Chain of events/ user behavior you need to look into in order to get an answer. All events need to have certain properties attached like age, type of user, etc.

In our example:

1. **Goal**: We are trying to increase the onboarding percentage of influencers. Both growth and product owners are usually interested in these numbers.
2. **Question**: In our example, we want to learn if any extra data (birthdate, phone, username, location) presents a bottleneck. Are some of these required fields increasing bounce rate?
3. **User flow:** Influencer needs to:
    - Create an account (phone, email, Google, or Twitter)
    - Confirm account (optional step)
    - Enter extra data (name, phone, username & birthdate)

Once we have our tracking plan we can build out a funnel in Mixpanel. An example would look something like this

![Group 3.jpg](https://shape-landing.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Group_3_00f0b0c89f.jpg)

## **Understanding the reports**

With the following report, we are now able to learn that we have a bottleneck in the step where we are asking for extra data. With just one additional breakdown based on entered data, we should be able to optimize onboarding flow and eventually get a higher conversion rate. 

![Group 3 Copy.jpg](https://shape-landing.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Group_3_Copy_5da02cb189.jpg)

Similar reports and later even the whole dashboard could be constructed for different personas that have questions about product performance. Like we like to say products are living things there is always room for improvement and if that improvement can be calculated out I will always prefer it this way.

Hope that you enjoy this short article and it will give you a better idea of how products can be improved with a little help from data. Have some questions? Drop me a line at marko@shape-labs.com and I’ll do my best to answer.

User behaviour analytics 101

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 Revealing dark patterns and building towards better digital products.

Statista, 2020

GDPR, 2020


Some say an unwritten rule of user experience is guiding users to navigate through interfaces without even thinking about what they are clicking - seamlessly. This is usually done with the manipulation of graphic elements into carefully designed user flows. But, what is the main goal of doing a such thing -  "manipulating user behavior"? Well, it depends on who you ask. If we start with the sunny side, this can help less technical users achieve tasks in their jobs. In general, most companies producing software applications would argue that adjusted user-flows are a positive thing to do. But, is this doing really something that we can take for granted? Why is everybody only talking about improving the performance of interfaces and simplification? Why are there a thousand articles about how to increase the conversion rates, but very few talk about what are the consequences, if there even are any?

# First startups
Let's start drawing some context on the selected topic. As with everything else the revolution of the internet started with very basic websites. At the time only a few people even thought about user experience or conversion rates (ex: percentage of people that register to an app, the percentage of people that follow a profile, etc.). All internet visionaries wanted was to show added value and eventually make some profits out of it. There were founders like Larry that helped us with searching the world wide web, Jeff bringing shopping experience to the internet, and Mark connecting faces across the planet. At first user interfaces on these websites were very simple, harmless. 
You typed a string and got back almost none adjusted results. For example, websites with more traffic in your country and relevant content ordered first. Awesome, right? Yes, we get a lot of knowledge out of exploring the web! A whole new virtual world opened up for my generation, millennials.
You order second-hand books and from the comfort of your home.
You get to like friends' pictures from another side of the world.

> The average time spent on the internet increased from a few minutes to more than two hours (1)

As time passed these and many other dot com companies not only showed added value but made tons of money while doing so.

# Excellently performing digital giants
Until now we got a little less than 2 billion websites (Statista, 2019). Most of the economy is very dependent on the wires and satellites forming the internet. Many websites are now integrating like buttons and modern internet users are pretty much seeing/hearing Ads every they surf or stream. Current web giants are teaching smaller tech companies the latest design patterns. These awesome lessons are nowadays available on a variety of channels and their main goal is common - mimic their best practices. Senior tech thinkers like engineers or designers are actually the best followers of these guide books.
One of the main advantages is that these design patterns are giving everyone a pretty democratic option to start their one online business - a startup. 
In a contrast to that, there are close to zero UI ethics guidebooks on user interface design. At least there are now few attempts towards that, called GDPR.
Minor digital product hacks or dark patterns
Now to the main question of this article, did we already fell under the tricks of user experience designers? To answer this question let's write down a few examples of such user flow hacks or if you wish dark patterns. 

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## LinkedIn (Microsoft)
Onboarding asking you to import your contact book and sending impersonated emails saying something like "Marko is inviting you to join LinkedIn". So I just joined LinkedIn, I am not even sure what this website does and I am already inviting my friends to join me? Sorry, but to me, that doesn't feel like the user needs it at all.

## iPhone (Apple)
It's 2020 and everybody owns a phone. With a phone, we get preinstalled apps like a Garage band, Email client, Maps, Calendar, etc. and most users get to spend the rest of the time using these apps. Are these stock apps the best option for all kinds of iPhone users? I don't think so.
Prime (Amazon)
Do most people need a $119 subscription per year? Maybe you watch Netflix, maybe you also listen to Spotify, and probably shipping is free even if you are not a prime member. So why users still stick to it? It's a simple, free one month trial.

## Youtube (Google)
Related party. The latest and greatest example of this is American elections. To increase the watch time Youtube is offering you related videos depending on previous videos you watched. Awesome. Watch a video about how the elections are "stolen" and you will get many more videos about that. Not so great anymore.
We get the picture. Companies trick us with dark patterns into subscribing, watching, following things we don't actually need. The worst of all, with our screen time we spending in front of these websites/services we prioritize their products over smaller ones.

> Consequences are invisible. Once people see a proof about the dark patterns of digital products, they often think about detoxing or come to the conclusion that technology is bad. Well, I say the opposite, people just don't understand it.


---

This is just an abstract to a series revealing dark patterns and teaching about steps we can take towards sustainable digital products.

Users, authentic or deceived?

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We are looking for a bright mind with a sparkling personality who can work with us on the things of tomorrow. 

**~~THIS POSITION IS CLOSED~~**

# What if?

This is the driving force behind all the work we do. We love to imagine things and build them the day after. We love to sit on the startup roller coaster and enjoy the ride, through the highs and the deep dives.

We spent our days between creating digital products for our clients and working on our own ventures (say hello to [Pablu](https://www.pablu.tv/)). You will have the opportunity to learn first hand on how to make the best out of those two worlds.

You should be someone who really enjoys trying out new technologies and is not afraid to step out of his comfort zone. You don't need to be a dev superhero but just somebody who is willing to learn all that comes your way and doesn't hide behind hers/his shadow.

We are searching for a team player that understands that success comes from working together, not alone. For somebody that is not afraid to say I don't know and ask for help. 

**We seek in you:**

- Proficiency in JavaScript, HTML, CSS
- Basic knowledge of React 
- Knowledge of JSON, REST, Git
- Willingness to also work on QA
- Ability to self learn and attention to detail
- Analysis and problem-solving skills
- Fluency in written and spoken English language
- Latest technologies and industry best-practices intrigue you

**We offer:**

- Culture. We care deeply about our impact on the ones around us, look at failure as a way to grow and cherish results over effort.
- Mentorship. We will provide you with possibilities to learn and develop professionally.
- Work environment. You can work fully remote with occasional visits to our offices in Ljubljana and Vienna.
- Work ethic. We don't believe in 15 hours work days and actively encourage work life balance. 
- Contract. You are just finishing university, are a freelancer that wants to commit or you are just looking for a normal employment contract. 
- Flexibility. 20h-40h per week.

<a class="typeform-share button" href="https://form.typeform.com/to/eAZTtjUE?typeform-medium=embed-snippet" data-mode="popup" style="display:inline-block;text-decoration:none;background-color:#000000;color:white;cursor:pointer;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:20px;line-height:50px;text-align:center;margin:0;height:50px;padding:0px 33px;border-radius:25px;max-width:100%;white-space:nowrap;overflow:hidden;text-overflow:ellipsis;font-weight:bold;-webkit-font-smoothing:antialiased;-moz-osx-font-smoothing:grayscale;" data-size="100" target="_blank">I'm in! </a> <script> (function() { var qs,js,q,s,d=document, gi=d.getElementById, ce=d.createElement, gt=d.getElementsByTagName, id="typef_orm_share", b="https://embed.typeform.com/"; if(!gi.call(d,id)){ js=ce.call(d,"script"); js.id=id; js.src=b+"embed.js"; q=gt.call(d,"script")[0]; q.parentNode.insertBefore(js,q) } })() </script>


We are hiring 🚀

<a class="typeform-share button" href="https://form.typeform.com/to/yyjhNDkP?typeform-medium=embed-snippet" data-mode="popup" style="display:inline-block;text-decoration:none;background-color:#E8A242;color:#000000;cursor:pointer;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:20px;line-height:50px;text-align:center;margin:0;height:50px;padding:0px 33px;border-radius:25px;max-width:100%;white-space:nowrap;overflow:hidden;text-overflow:ellipsis;font-weight:bold;-webkit-font-smoothing:antialiased;-moz-osx-font-smoothing:grayscale;" data-size="100" target="_blank">Apply here</a> <script> (function() { var qs,js,q,s,d=document, gi=d.getElementById, ce=d.createElement, gt=d.getElementsByTagName, id="typef_orm_share", b="https://embed.typeform.com/"; if(!gi.call(d,id)){ js=ce.call(d,"script"); js.id=id; js.src=b+"embed.js"; q=gt.call(d,"script")[0]; q.parentNode.insertBefore(js,q) } })() </script>

# What if?

This is the driving force behind all the work we do. We imagine things and build them the day after. We love to sit on the startup roller coaster and enjoy the ride, through the highs and the deep dives. 

We spent our days creating digital products for our clients and working on our own ventures. You will have the opportunity to learn first-hand how to make the best out of those two worlds.

You should be someone who really enjoys trying out new technologies and is not afraid to step out of his comfort zone. You don't need to be a dev superhero but just somebody who is willing to learn all that comes your way and doesn't hide behind hers/his shadow.

We are searching for a team player that understands that success comes from working together, not alone. For somebody that is not afraid to say I don't know and ask for help.

**We seek in you:**

- experiences with early-stage, cross-functional product development
- ideally, worked with javascript backend frameworks NodeJs, ExpressJs, KoaJs and willing to switch to Typescript
- know your way around the AWS stack (Lambda, S3, APIGateway, IVS)
- knowledge of relational Database modeling, migrations, querying
- previously worked with Sequelize ORM and PostgreSQL
- general Serverless architecture knowledge
- general Command line, GIT, and deployment experience
- royal English

**We offer:**

- Culture. We care deeply about our impact on the ones around us, look at failure as a way to grow, and cherish results over effort.
- Mentorship. We will provide you with possibilities to learn and develop professionally.
- Work environment. You can work remotely with occasional visits to our offices in Ljubljana and Vienna.
- Work ethic. We don't believe in 15 hours workdays and actively encourage work-life balance.
- Contract. You are just finishing university, are a freelancer that wants to commit or you are just looking for a normal employment contract. 
- Flexibility. Fully remote, hybrid, or in-office. Your choice. 

<a class="typeform-share button" href="https://form.typeform.com/to/yyjhNDkP?typeform-medium=embed-snippet" data-mode="popup" style="display:inline-block;text-decoration:none;background-color:#E8A242;color:#000000;cursor:pointer;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:20px;line-height:50px;text-align:center;margin:0;height:50px;padding:0px 33px;border-radius:25px;max-width:100%;white-space:nowrap;overflow:hidden;text-overflow:ellipsis;font-weight:bold;-webkit-font-smoothing:antialiased;-moz-osx-font-smoothing:grayscale;" data-size="100" target="_blank">Apply here</a> <script> (function() { var qs,js,q,s,d=document, gi=d.getElementById, ce=d.createElement, gt=d.getElementsByTagName, id="typef_orm_share", b="https://embed.typeform.com/"; if(!gi.call(d,id)){ js=ce.call(d,"script"); js.id=id; js.src=b+"embed.js"; q=gt.call(d,"script")[0]; q.parentNode.insertBefore(js,q) } })() </script>




Articles

We write about stuff we've learned when building our products and our company.