GroupSync

Inspiration

GroupSync was inspired by a local charity, The Pod, that runs community support groups. When they tried to communicate group status updates via WhatsApp, it created a deluge of replies and side conversations—so overwhelming that volunteers couldn’t keep up. They moved to SMS to cut the noise, but then had to manage everything manually with spreadsheets and personal phones. That’s when we saw the need for a better solution: simple, centralised communication and meeting management for community organisations.

What it does

GroupSync is a full-stack web app that helps charities and small organisations manage groups, send SMS/email updates, track attendance, and assign tasks—all from a single, easy-to-use dashboard. Volunteers can invite members, schedule sessions, and keep everyone in the loop without getting lost in spreadsheets or overwhelmed by group chats.

How we built it

We built the first version in Bolt.new, which helped us quickly prototype the UI and database. As we added complexity—authentication, permissions, and integrations—we migrated development to Cursor for more control.

Challenges we ran into

Authentication & Team Invites: Getting Clerk to handle organisation-based access and seamless invites took a lot of experimentation. • SMS Integration: We had to explore different SMS providers and manage their APIs. Figuring out how to track costs and keep messaging affordable was especially tricky. • Pricing Model: Deciding on a sustainable pricing strategy led us to adopt a monthly subscription model with an SMS top-up system to cover costs transparently.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We solved a real-world problem shared by grassroots organisations. • Built a polished, multi-tenant system with real-time collaboration features. • Created a calm, intuitive user experience that replaces overwhelming chats and confusing spreads

What we learned

Real user stories are the best product inspiration. • Tech is only useful if it reduces cognitive load for the people using it. • SMS is still critical for reaching people—but it must be budget-conscious and trackable.